Final answer:
An inference about the cat in “How a Cat Played Robinson Crusoe” includes its survival instincts and intelligence. This is similar to how characters in literature draw conclusions based on evidence and behavior, seen in the play excerpt and analogies. The discussion also highlights the unique realities created by different authors in literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
In “How a Cat Played Robinson Crusoe,” an inference that can be made about the cat is that it may exhibit natural survival instincts and intelligence in adapting to a solitary life on a desert island. Literary inferences are conclusions drawn from evidence within a text. For example, Mrs. Hale’s inference from the play excerpt that “a cat got” the bird because of the presence of a cage is based on her understanding of cat behavior. Similarly, when considering the analogy of a cat clawing a sofa, the generalization that no cat likes having its tail pulled is used to infer individual cat behavior.
Regarding the financial aspect in the Robinson Crusoe excerpt, a balance of trade in a two-person economy suggests mutual benefit and the division of labor between Robinson and Friday, which could translate into a more complex understanding of the cat's adaptability and cooperation, were it to encounter another being on the island.
The different perspectives of world-building and character development in literature, illustrated by the contrasts between Defoe, Jane Austen, and Hardy, demonstrate how richly diverse narratives create their unique realities and can aid in drawing inferences about characters such as the cat in its Robinson Crusoe-like situation.