Cat Person

Margot is the female protagonist of “Cat Person.” She is a 20-year-old sophomore in college who works at an artsy movie theatre. She tends to overthink things and frequently rationalizes Robert’s behavior, wanting to believe the best in him. The narrator does not accuse Margot of being naïve but attributes her rationalization to youth, noting the difference therein. Her inability to understand the kind of person—specifically man—Robert is may be due to her lack of experience with men in general. She has a fairly rosy view of how men see her and does not understand that objectification is not empowerment.

Margot remains fairly stagnant throughout the piece, believing that she has the upper hand with Robert until she is inescapably confronted with his misogyny. This confrontation concludes the piece, and the narrative doesn’t answer whether Robert’s text will result in a change in Margot or her behavior. Part of Margot’s inability to see Robert clearly stems from her belief in her own judgment. At every turn, she believes she knows what Robert thinks, even as her justifications for his behavior become more and more implausible.

Indeed, Margot often misguides herself into thinking the best about Robert, which again is presumably due to her youth.