46 pages 1 hour read

James Thurber

The Catbird Seat

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1942

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Literary Devices

Farce

Thurber uses farcical elements to create the main conflict in “The Catbird Seat.” In a farce, the elements of the story—often trivial elements—are exaggerated to the point where the audience knows how absurd the narrative situation is, but the characters do not. Mr. Martin pronouncing a death sentence on Mrs. Barrows for what appears (at best) to be petty offenses is farcical. The elaborate nature of his plot against her is also farcical; his commitment suggests that the stakes are much higher than is actually the case.

Foil

Mr. Martin and Mrs. Barrows serve as foils for each other. Their respective characteristics highlight the temperaments and foibles of the other. In “The Catbird Seat,” the despised Mrs. Barrows is cast as the villain since she is only seen through Mr. Martin’s viewpoint. Characters that serve as foils are not always at odds with each other, but the relationship between antagonist and protagonist is the clearest example of an author’s use of the foil device.

Related Titles

By James Thurber

Plot Summary

logo

My Life and Hard Times

James Thurber

My Life and Hard Times

James Thurber

Plot Summary

logo

The Night the Bed Fell

James Thurber

The Night the Bed Fell

James Thurber

Study Guide

logo

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

James Thurber

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

James Thurber