Structure

The story “The White Cat” by Jim Brannin has a circular structure. The story begins in medias res with Hattie starting to write a letter about the cats in the back garden, but not knowing who to address it to (l. 3). The story ends with her resuming the letter and addressing it to her estranged son Georgie (l. 117). At the beginning, she only felt that telling someone about the cats was important, but at the end, she seems to realize she associates the cats with her family and that she needs to do something about her own family situation. 

This return to where we started highlights the importance of the cats in the narrative as a plot device. It also highlights Hattie’s development in the story, as the cats’ disappearance is what leads to her decision to...