Varjak Paw

The Contessa’s house symbolizes the dangers of complacency. At the beginning of the novel, Said uses the setting to convey the protagonist’s longing for adventure and dissatisfaction with his family’s lethargic lifestyle. While his family members pride themselves on their home, he feels stifled by “the stuffy furniture, the locked-up cupboards, the curtains he [isn’t] allowed to climb” (10). The Paws proudly claim their residence in the Contessa’s home as part of their inheritance from Jalal, but the author makes it clear that the legendary cat didn’t want his descendants to become idle. For example, he sees cats who depend on humans for food instead of hunting for themselves as “trapped […] by their own greed” (106). This description applies to the Paw family as a whole because their time in the Contessa’s house shrinks their world, makes them fearful of change, and cuts them off from opportunities to grow in strength and skill.

The true danger of complacency becomes clear when the Gentleman moves into the Contessa’s house. Aunt Juni sums up the family’s false sense of security when she declares, “This house is the only world we need” (28).