For He Can Creep story
London, 1757: A poet in the St Luke's Asylum is forced by Satan to write the one poem that would destroy the world. The poet is defended by the cat Jeoffry but gives in when Satan threatens the cat. Jeoffry allies with his fellow street cats who distract Satan long enough so that Jeoffry can destroy the poem, which succeeds and prevents Satan from destroying the world. Cast: Dan Stevens, JB Blanc, Jim Broadbent, Nika Futterman, Jane Leeves, Dave B. Mitchell Directed by: Emily Dean. Story by: Siobhan Carroll.
10 total · 1 choice · 6 major · 3 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| the Devil | choice | The story features a battle between a cat and Satan. Satan tried in vain to tempt the cat. Satan coerced an insane poet into writing a poem that would destroy the world, but his ploy was foiled by cats in the eleventh hour. |
| alien point of view | major | The story is largely portrayed from a stereotypically imperious cat's point of view. Among other things, the cat posited that it was Satan that ought to bow to it rather than the other way around. One cat said that cats were descendants of angels, which is what gave them the power to battle with Satan. |
| deal with the devil | major | Satan compelled the poet to make a deal by threatening the poet's cat. |
| master and pet | major | The cat Jeoffry regarded the institutionalized poet as his pet. One gathers that the poet saw the arrangement the other way around. |
| poetry | major | A poet in the St Luke's Asylum was forced by Satan to write the one poem that would destroy the world. The poet was patterned after Christopher Smart, who wrote the poem "For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry", while confined in St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics. |
| what if the fate of the world was in my hands | major | Jeffory and his fellow stray cats took it upon themselves to thwart Satan in his attempt to coerced an insane poet into writing a poem that would destroy the world. Although their main motive may have been to protect own possession, the poet, rather than altruism. |
| what it is like in a psychiatric institution | major | A poet in the St Luke's Asylum was forced by Satan to write the one poem that would destroy the world. He was scrawling what one gathers was poetry on the walls of his cell. |
| gluttony | minor | Satan tempted the cat with visions of countless "treats" that included, among other things, fish heads with the eyes still in them. |
| resisting a temptation | minor | Satan tempted the cat with visions of countless "treats" that included, among other things, fish heads with the eyes still in them. |
| the desire for vengeance | minor | The cat's spat with Satan may have been less about saving the world and more about getting back at him for not following through on promises of tasty treats. |