In A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman uses the cat to symbolize Ove’s firm stance on principles, fairness, and loyalty. The author does this by representing the cat as Ove’s conscience. The cat is a key character in the novel. It plays an important role by acting as a lens that allows the readers to see Ove from a different perspective by discovering his underlying morals. Regardless of how annoyed he was with the cat, Ove would not let it die once he saw it freezing in the snow. Throughout the novel, the cat encourages Ove to make fair decisions. Although Ove does not necessarily like the cat, his loyalty is proven by treating the cat in a just manner. The cat also proves Ove’s belief in staying true to one's principles.
Throughout the story, Ove is seen as a man who stands up for what he believes in. He is stubborn and does what he sees as fit despite what others may think. He would often worry about what the cat would think about his decisions. He held a firm stance in doing his daily routine and would not let anything or anyone get in the way of it. Ove is a strong believer in having principles and in many instances, the cat encourages his belief. This is shown when the author states, “That disgusting thing scratched Prince!” she manages to say, her eyes wild with fury…“It’s bleeding. So it seems to have ended in a draw,” says Ove. “Like hell. I’ll kill that piece of shit!” “No you won’t,” says Ove coldly”(Backman 52). The purpose of the cat in this scene is to show that Ove has a strong set of principles leading him to have a sense of right and wrong when it comes to the treatment of animals. Ove uses his principles to do good.
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Even though Ove may not want to, he looks after the cat because he knew Sonja was fond of cats. This shows his loyalty to Sonja and throughout the novel, he proves his loyalty to the cat as well. An example of the cat encouraging Ove’s loyalty to Sonja is when the author says, “Ove loses his patience and, in a sweeping movement, kicks one of his clogs towards it. Looking back, he couldn’t swear that it wasn’t intentional. His wife would have been furious if she’d seen it, of course”(97). This proves Ove’s loyalty to Sonja because he is concerned about what Sonja would think, even when she's gone. Ove uses his memory of Sonja to behave to a certain standard that would make her proud. An example of Ove proving his loyalty to the cat is when the author states, “Ove holds up four little socks towards it. He was given them by the veterinarian. Apparently, the Cat Annoyance needs exercise more than anything, and this is something Ove feels he may be able to help it achieve”(172). This shows that the cat encourages Ove’s loyalty because Ove is following the instructions the vet left that explain how to take care of the cat. Ove now has something to care for, just as he cared for Sonja. The cat will cause Ove to have a harder time dying since he is now responsible for another being. Ove felt as if he had no one in the world, but the cat became an anchor for him. It gave him something to care for and a reason to live.
Lastly, Frederick Backman uses the cat to represent Ove’s conscience. This shows that Ove holds a strong belief in being fair. Once Ove took the cat to his home, he treated the cat fair for the most part. He tried not to wake the cat up with the shot of the rifle. Throughout the novel, he showed that the cat’s thoughts on his decisions were important to him. The cat also acted as a link for Ove to his wife. Since Sonja was someone who believed in helping out others, Ove took the job upon himself to take the cat in. This encouraged Ove to be more compassionate. An instance where the cat encourages Ove to be fair and stick to his morals is when Ove attempts to set a trap for Blond Weed’s dog, but the cat prevents him from doing this. The author writes, “And then let’s see how amusing they find it, Ove thinks to himself. The cat tilts its head and looks at the metal sheet. “Like a bolt of lightening up your urethra,” says Ove. The cat looks at him for a long time. As if to say: “You’re not serious, are you?” Eventually, Ove sticks his hands in his pockets and shakes his head. “No...no, I suppose not.” He sighs glumly”(222). Even though Blonde Weed’s dog harmed the cat, the cat’s expression shows that it is being forgiven and does not agree with Ove’s idea. The cat influences Ove and encourages him to stick to his morals and take the higher road.
Overall, In A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman uses the cat to symbolize Ove’s firm stance on principles, fairness, and loyalty. The author does this by representing the cat as Ove’s conscience. The cat's character is critical to the author's ability to tell the story. Parvaneh knows that Ove needs something to care for. She says that her girls are allergic to cats, but that’s revealed to be untrue. The reason she says this is so Ove won’t be alone. Keeping the cat around proved that Ove indirectly helped himself by helping the cat. Ove is a strong believer in having principles and in many instances, the cat encourages his belief. Although Ove does not necessarily like the cat, his loyalty is proven by treating the cat in a just manner. Along with encouraging Ove to stick to what he believes in and being loyal to the ones he cares for, the cat also encourages Ove to act fair in all situations despite what he feels towards the people he may be dealing with. The growing relationship between him and the cat had an easing effect on his life. It gave Ove a sense of purpose and overall made it easier for him to let others in.
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