Point of View

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is narrated in the third person. You are aware of all of the aspects of the cats and you are a spectator to their capers. The narrator guides you through each poem and introduces every cat. Their good points are laid out and their deeds are then described.

It is obvious that Eliot was a big fan of cats, someone you would definitely call a "cat person." Dogs are somewhat looked down upon, especially the Pekinese breed. This may be due to the popularity of the Pekinese in London during the time this book was written.

You can easily tell that Eliot thinks more of cats than he does of dogs, and that the intended readers of this book are cat lovers. He originally wrote these poems for his friends, and several of the poems may even be caricatures of...