Leonard (My Life as a Cat)

Rain is an important motif throughout the novel that takes on several meanings. Initially, rain is one of the symbols of human life that Leonard longs to experience. He fixates on a specific image of holding an umbrella and feeling how the rain “dotted your skin” (10). Leonard initially focuses on the sensory elements of rain, thinking of the experience in terms of the data that he can gather about it. As soon as he lands on Earth, he experiences real rain and discovers how overwhelming and chaotic a real storm can be, immediately subverting his romantic expectations. 

As he spends more time on Earth, rain comes to reflect the unpredictability and intensity of human emotion. Rainstorms often appear at pivotal emotional moments in the story, underscoring the turmoil Leonard experiences as he grapples with new feelings, mortality, and growing attachment to Olive. His initial expectation of a peaceful, picturesque rain experience expands to include the tumultuous reality of storms—just as his understanding of humanity deepens beyond his romanticized ideas.

Leonard still seeks a charming, meaningful rain experience and asks Olive to find him a raincoat after she offers to help him learn more about human life.