Three Little Kittens

Hands Up and Cornered! - Mom's Mad

The language used in the line “our mittens we have found” portrays an older, more formal use of English. The spare interior shows homey touches such as a cast iron stove and a teakettle which contribute to a small “cabin” like feel and the appearance of an indeterminate “yesteryear”. In this first scene, the kittens stand upright and are dressed in coats, and one is weraing a scarf. There is no indication of gender. The kittens are naturalistically depicted, with worried facial expressions and downcast body language. One has its arms flung upwards, as if in a hold-up. Tension and a sense of worry are evident as the kittens stand backed up against the blue door as if they have been cornered. Could this symbolize the need to escape, or could it lead to a way out or merely predict a “way out”? The mother, in her ruffled apron, is shown with an accusative or questioning look. Her disappointment is quite evident. Within the muted color palette, blue is used as an accent color. The blue chair takes center stage, the spout of the teakettle points to the kittens, and other uses of blue in the kitchen seem to box them in.