Week 5: "Puss-In-Boots"

Angela Carter did an excellent job of assuming the voice of a cat in “Puss-In-Boots” (that is, if cats had voices). Cats are independent, proud, mischievous, and uppity, and Puss-In-Boots’ characterization is true to these traits. The use of illeism- like when Puss says “proud of his fine, white shirtfront that dazzles harmoniously against his orange and tangerine tessellations… proud of his bird-entrancing eye and more than military whiskers; proud… of his fine, musical voice”, referring to himself- serves to convey the feline’s egotistic personality. His assured declarations, such as “[French] is the only language in which you can purr”, indicate a high level of refinement and sophistication, as does his lofty speech like when he says “Puss can perform a back somersault whilst holding aloft a glass of vino in his right paw and never spill a drop”. The fact that Puss almost single-handedly brings his master and the object of his master’s affection together attests to his wit and penchant for mischief. “Puss-In-Boots” has it all: humor, adventure, suspense, and romance, all told through the eyes of a faithful pet cat. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.