How’s the Weather?
This is a sequel, of course, to the original text that introduced the Cat in the Hat. Much of the irony in the book stems from its direct relationship to that earlier volume. In that first Cat story, it is mere rainy weather which is the prime force that keeps the kids inside and bored, creating a perfect storm for the mayhem of the feline in the chapeau. Ironically, weather conditions are even worse in the sequel. In fact, they are blizzard conditions which have left giant mountains of snow. Despite the fact that the precipitation is much more dangerous, the temperature is much lower and it has been determined there is an equal absence of opportunity for play and fun, it is precisely the weather which forces to kids to actually be outside on this occasion when the Cat strolls into their lives.
Stupid Cat Tricks
Another example of irony connects statements made in the first with those mirrored in the second story about the Cat. When he initially introduces himself, the Cat adeptly insinuates himself into the situation by promising to deliver fun via games and tricks. He even boasts,
“I know some new tricks.
A lot of good tricks.” (Italic added for emphasis.)
This assertion is ironically inverted by Sally in the sequel:
“That cat is a bad one,
That Cat in the Hat.
He plays lots of bad tricks.” (Italics added for emphasis.)
Find or Find Not, There is No Wish
The differential between the level of imagination possessed by the Cat versus that possessed by the two kids is subtly forwarded through irony. You may recall that the first book begins with the wistful declaration by the bored boy narrator as he stares zombie-like through the window at the pelting rainfall:
“How I wish we had something to do!” (Italics added for emphasis.)
Compare how starkly this view of being trapped inside the home because weather won’t permit playing outside with the perspective the Cat takes upon coming back in the middle of winter:
“You just stay there, you two.
I will go in the house
And find something to do.” (Italics added for emphasis.)
The Most Ironic Rag Possible
What does the Cat choose—out of all the material available inside the house—to use a rag in order to clean up the pink stain forming a ring around the tub after he pigged out on cake? Keep in mind, now—and this is very important—the Cat has been made more than passingly familiar with the basic personality construction of the mother of the two kids. The Cat knows three relevant points about the mother: she is the ruling authoritarian figure who represents control of the behavior of the children, she is prone to the questionable act of leaving her two young kids along at home unsupervised and, thirdly, she is a woman who enjoys shopping for new clothes. So not it is just ironic that the Cat would pick white material to clean up a pink stain, but there are multiple levels of irony in his choice related to the inconsistency of her character.
Controlled Chaos
An oxymoron is a very special type of irony. It is a phrase constructed of two or more different words (or even just one: bittersweet) that stand in definitive opposition to each other in a way that creates an irreconcilable paradox. The Cat in the Hat is walking talking example of this particular type of irony because he is one of the most infamous agents of total chaos in 20th century literature and yet, by the time his stories come to a conclusion, all evidence of such chaos has disappeared. Say what you will about the messes that the Cat makes and ponder all you want over whether he represents classic Narcissistic Personality Disorder or Histrionic Personality Disorder, but one thing can’t be denied. The Cat never leaves problems behind for others to clean up. He is a uniquely singular case of chaos controlled.
