The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History

No symbol is more rich with meaning for Darnton than the humble cat. As the victim of the book’s titular massacre, the cat begs a close reading by Darnton in an effort to determine why the slaughter took place and why it was so singularly funny to Contat and his compatriots. On the most basic level, cats exist within the massacre as a symbol of inequality between master and apprentice. The master feeds his cat roast chicken while the apprentice is fed spoiled cat food. The incessant all-night howling of cats gives voice to the misery felt by Contat each night as he struggled to sleep amid miserable conditions. On a deeper level still, cats symbolize witchcraft, a connection made explicit in Contat’s memoir, and one which Darnton reads as evidence that the massacre was partly designed to accuse the mistress of witchery. Moreover, the sexual connotations of cats is made clear in the memoir’s charged language, as Contat refers to the mistress’s “pussy” (104) at least four times. Finally, the role of the cat in various charivari rituals suggests that the hanging of dead cats around the master’s home was an implicit accusation of cuckoldry.