Ernest

Ernest is the immense, unowned farm cat who moves freely through Sonja’s father’s household and joins him on fishing trips. A familiar presence in the lives of both father and daughter, he becomes especially significant when his death coincides with Sonja’s farewell to her father.

Identity and Place in the Household

The narrative describes Ernest as the biggest farm cat in the world. He comes and goes from Sonja’s father’s house as he pleases, but does not live there; no one knows where he actually belongs, and no one owns him. When Sonja is away studying in town, he is her father’s only company. His loose place in the household is also part of his character: he is close to the family without being anyone’s possession.

Sonja names him after Ernest Hemingway. The name connects him to her literary interests, while his life remains rooted in the practical rhythms of the farm. He does not speak, but he likes to fish with Sonja’s father, who values his company. When they return, they divide the catch equally.

Bond with Sonja and Her Father

Ernest links the two people Sonja cares about most. Her father accepts him as a companion, and their fishing trips give them a shared routine; Sonja, meanwhile, has known the cat since childhood. The account of their relationship presents Ernest not simply as a pet kept in a home, but as a freely moving presence whose companionship is chosen and reciprocated.

That bond is especially clear when Sonja and Ove bring him to a veterinarian after he is struck by a car. People who knew Ernest could not believe he had run in front of it by accident. Sonja stays beside him through the operation, and when his condition cannot be reversed, she says goodbye to him and, in the same moment, bids farewell to her father.

Death and Significance

Ernest dies at the veterinarian’s after Ove has driven him there and Sonja has remained at his side. His death is followed by a quiet burial beside the lake where he used to fish with Sonja’s father. The location preserves the connection between the cat and the man who valued him: the place where their shared routine took place becomes Ernest’s resting place.

Sonja’s grief over Ernest is bound up with the loss of her father. She tells Ove that the sense of loss is overwhelming and asks him to love her twice as much now. Ove promises, though he knows he cannot love her more than he already does. Ernest’s death thus marks a turning point in the immediate aftermath of Sonja’s bereavement, while the burial and Ove’s presence show how the cat’s place in the family extends beyond his life.