Help: What was with the weird appearance of the rat?
Just a random occurrence or a symbol of something else?? And why the capture by Lloyd and in such a weird fashion? (I don't believe you could so easily trap a rat that way under a bowl.)
This just didn't seem to lead to anything, go anywhere or have a reason for inclusion in the film.
Any thoughts?? Thanks.
SPOILERS
My thought was that the Rat signified Death in that whenever it showed up it was unexpected and unwanted: the death of Carol's 1st husband, that of her dog, and then her newfound lover. The prospect of ITs death made Carol finally unthaw and let the floodgates of her grief open up.
When I saw it trapped under the bowl, my mind associated it with The Bell Jar, a book by poet Sylvia Plath who was played in a film by Blythe Danner's daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow. It certainly worked well visually. When said rat was safely removed, I thought it had done what it had come for: to shake Carol up, "Mission Accomplished!"
good insight
shareI've caught a same species rat under a bucket in the garden, so it is definitely possible.
The rat first showed up when its enemy the dog disappeared.
Next time was after she had been out all day from her home which, as she said, she hadn't done in years.
Why it showed up the last time, I can't say, but it gave good buddy Lloyd something to do.