A Typological Reading of Human Personality in T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats: An MBTI-Based Literary Analysis

This study examines the characterization of feline figures in T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats through the analytical lens of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which is rooted in Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types. While Eliot’s poetic portrayals of cats appear whimsical and humorous on the surface, they are found to offer substantive insights into human personality types and the dynamics of social interaction. Through a close reading methodology, the research systematically classifies the behavioral traits and expressive modes of each cat according to the sixteen MBTI personality types. The analysis demonstrates that these feline characters function as poetic embodiments of complex human psychological patterns, rather than merely serving as anthropomorphized animals. The findings highlight the interpretive value of applying personality theory to literary analysis, particularly in the areas of character construction, symbolic structure, and authorial intention. Furthermore, this interdisciplinary approach is shown to provide pedagogical benefits by facilitating deeper engagement with modernist literature. Ultimately, the study contributed to the field of literary psychology by illustrating how psychological models such as MBTI can be effectively utilized as an analytical tool for both literary interpretation and educational practice.