Edward the Conqueror story
A husband and wife adopt a stray cat. The cat responds to the woman's piano playing to such a degree that she becomes convinced that it is the reincarnation of composer Franz Liszt. The woman bonds with the cat, much to her husband's jealousy. Directed by: Rodney Bennett. Story by: Roald Dahl.
9 total · 6 major · 3 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| husband and wife | major | The old married couple Edward and Louisa. |
| master and pet | major | Louisa adopted a stray cat to her husband's chagrin. |
| music | major | Louisa enjoyed playing classical music on the piano. The cat was receptive to the music of Franz Liszt we learned. |
| reincarnation | major | Louisa believed the great Hungarian composer Franz Liszt had been reborn as the cat. |
| spouse murder | major | We are left wondering if Louisa knifed her unfeeling husband at the end. |
| the need for adventure | major | Bored housewife Louisa was in need of something exciting of whatever kind. |
| inattentive male partner | minor | The husband didn't pay much attention to his wife and she seemed lonely as a result. |
| the nature of creativity | minor | In the preamble Dahl explained how to attempted to channel Beethoven's creativity by listing to his music before writing his stories. |
| the soul | minor | Louisa described the immortality of the soul as a mystery in life that could not be denied. |