35 Kirstine Donegan The Cat Who Thought She Was A Dog, And The Dog Who Thought He Was A Cat

The Cat Who Thought She Was A Dog, And The Dog Who Thought He Was A Cat

Beauty is only skin deep, some believe that the beauty on the outside is more important than the inside. However, if you never knew your outside image, how much would your life alter? Would you still know who you were without knowing what you look like? Isaac Bashevis Singer, explains in one of his famous short story’s titled, The Cat Who Thought She Was A Dog And The Dog Who Thought He Was A Cat, that your outside image is only a cover of you and who you are, and focusing on that image can only destroy you.

Kot: a cat who hadn’t faintest idea what she looked like, all she had was the appearance of her friend Burek: a dog, who hadn’t the faintest idea what he looked like, all he had was the appearance of his friend Kot. As a result Kot thought that she was a dog, and Burek thought that he was a cat. Completely content with their ignorance they had found bliss. Poor Peasants have no need for a mirror; their only focus is their family, and their work. Jan Skiba was a poor peasant, who took pride in his family, as well as his work. When a friend offered a mirror for sale, he hesitated at purchasing. However, he ultimately purchased with great fear.

Skiba’s daughters began loving the mirror, for the first time they had seen themselves. As their curiosity towards the mirror grew their confidence in themselves faded away. They eventually found “defects” in their once considered perfect faces. Jan Skiba himself began to take a second glance at himself and not enjoy what he saw. The daughters began to want more than ever, causing Jan Skiba to feel more inferior to rich than ever. After the cat and the dog saw themselves their reaction did not differ from the rest of the family’s. Once they had seen what they looked like, they were freighted by each other, and themselves.

Inevitably Jan Skiba only had one sensible choice, to eliminate the mirror. Once the mirror was gone the daughters began to be happier, and not so focused on their appearance. Yet another affect of the elimination of the mirror was that the dog and cat were friends again. Everything was back to normal, which proved that there is no need for a mirror in a poor peasant household.

Obviously the issue comes up, about plastic surgery, and self-confidence. This story is extremely timeless because the topics it addresses are resent as well as classic. Personally I believe every teenager should have this story on their wall to remind them that what they see is not all they have to offer the world.