Both the short story “Carpathia” and the poem “The Panther” are driven by their settings. The settings in both allow for a sense of sympathy to be evoked for the panther and the wife. The wreck of the Titanic in “Carpathia” adds misery and sorrow to the story that would have been impossible in another setting. The Titanic was a tragedy that left many in shock. Kercheval uses this to stress the injustice women suffered and their hopelessness. In “The Panther,” the cage which has metal bars introduces the idea of a jail cell which in turn demonstrates a lack of control and sovereignty and a similar sense of hopelessness. The whole poem revolves around the panther being locked in the cage. With out the cage the theme of unwarranted imprisonment
