Some thoughts on Ming's Little Prey

Ming’s Biggest Prey

A cat can be the laziest and deadliest smooth operator. Ming, the protagonist for me, is self-assured and confident. He loves his luxury and enjoys it completely. “Ming was resting comfortably”, “Ming half dozed”, “liked best lying in the sun”, “the heat of the sun sink into his fur” are examples of the languid and unhurried life that Ming leads. The author’s use of the words “aeroplanes”, “siesta”, “fish”, “perfume” shows the luxury that he lived in. Clearly Elaine loved and pampered him a lot. She picked him “gently”, “wiped” his face shows how she took care of him.

Right at the start the author establishes the hatred that Ming and Teddy have for each other. Teddy picks him up by the “neck” and “stuck” him out. This brings out aggression in the relationship. Ming’s intense hatred for Teddy is shown with words such as “Especially this man called Teddy”, the authors use of inversion in a sentence emphasis the feeling for Teddy.

Ming’s can sense animosity emanating from Teddy. He did not like the way Teddy “looked at him” in Elaine’s absence. Teddy also “muttered a threat” to Ming. Ming’s animal instincts are visible to the reader in more than one way. And yet a cool cat that Ming was took it “calmly”. This shows that he kept his cards close to himself. Ming is aware of threat coming his way when the hair on his neck “prickled” and his ear “twitch involuntarily”.

Ming and Teddy play a game with each other. How to outsmart one another. Teddy tries to make the most of the opportunity to throw Ming out of the scene. Ming being cool and self-assured weighs his pros and cons and makes a move like a seasoned chess player. The author uses many words to highlight Ming’s confidence. “Ming relaxed completely”, “Ming began to feel better”, Ming sensed” makes it evident that Ming understand human ways and responds accordingly.

At many instances they come face-to-face yet Teddy is unable to remove Ming from Elaine’s life.  Right at the start Teddy “stuck” him out. His frustration at not being able to get rid of Ming comes through when instead of grabbing Ming by the towel he merely “threw the towel in to the sink”. Time and again he mutters a “threat” to Ming. Sounds and images appear while reading the text. The speed with which things happen come through with short sentences that Patricia uses like “Ming understood.”

The author prepares the reader about change in tone with “Then the phone rang”. The reader knows there is major action now to happen. Very smartly Patricia makes Elaine exit the scene on the pretext of a phone “call”. Saved by the bell!

Teddy’s struggle and his disadvantageous position has been set with “tried”, “was drunk”, “moving slowly” and “clumsily”. On the other hand Ming’s advantageous and ease are established with “merely”, “plain to Ming”, “nothing easier than to elude him”. The author further adds to Ming’s advantage, to the awareness of the reader “Ming knew” “ the man hadn’t seen him”. Ming “recovers” and “recollects himself” prepares the readers that he is going to take a treacherous step.

The intensity of the relationship is brought out by showing “hatred ran in his veins”, “hatred burned his eyes”. That the hatred was all consuming for Ming is clear. Yet the contrast of his being super cool and in control of the situation is visible with “listened to the man climb up. Clearly Ming is prepared for the fight he is preparing and knows is going to be victorious of.

Ming’s superiority is highlighted when the author says he “glided” and “arrived” almost as if he were a royal person.

The author’s craft of moving from the time “The man was not moving” to “the man’s blood” add to Ming’s appeasement of having qualified the victory. The reader notices that Teddy has become “the man” and is not a person anymore, it is almost as Ming has been personified and Teddy un-personified.

Only Ming and the reader who know about the real killer.