HOME | DD

Description
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
By: Tennessee Williams

“Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” is a contemporary play based on a plantation home in the Mississippi Delta. Is is written by Tennessee Williams, and relates to his life in many cases. He had issues with his father, who was an alcoholic, and Tennessee Williams was homosexual and dealt with that just like Brick did in the play. The main characters of the play are Brick, Margaret, Mae, Big Mamma, Big Daddy, and Gooper.

In the beginning of the play Margaret is shouting at Brick about Mae and her “6 little monsters.” She insist that Mae was just showing off in front of Big Daddy, and rubbing it in their faces that her and Brick didn’t have any children together. Mae and Gooper have 6 children, and are trying to get Big Daddy, who is dying of cancer, to pass down the land to them. There is a relief in the play when the Doctors tell Big Mama that Big Daddy wasn’t dying of cancer, but yet instead just has a spastic colon. Later in the play, the Doctors reveal that Big Daddy is indeed dying of cancer, and doesn’t have much longer. Brick, Big Daddy’s latest son, is an alcoholic, and is tormented by his past relationship with his high school partner, Skipper. Margaret insist that Brick wont sleep with her because of the fact that he is still in love with Skipper. Big Daddy and Brick have a long discussion in the play about Brick’s obsession with alcohol. Brick, after much probing, finally admits the fact that he is drinking because it helps him forget about Skipper who committed suicide because he couldn’t take the tension anymore. Brick feels like it is his fault, and that he is the one responsible. Mae and Gooper are always trying to get Big Daddy to see that they’re the right ones to inherit the land. Mae is constantly showing off her kids, and rubbing in the fact that Brick and Margaret don’t have any of their own. Big Daddy can’t stand Mae and Gooper showing off, and wants to leave the land to Brick, rather than Gooper, although he isn’t able to come to a decision because he knows that he can’t give the land to Brick because of his alcohol problem.

The play ends kind of abruptly, with the news that Big Daddy indeed does have cancer, and Margaret and Brick in the bedroom attempting to “bear children.” You don’t know if Big Daddy does in fact die, although you can probably assume so, and you are left not knowing rather or not Brick does finally sleep with Margaret and gets over his alcohol problem. There is a lot left to be determined, and just leaves you hanging.

I think that it was a good idea to end the play this way though because you leave the characters just as confused as they are to what is going to happen. It puts you in there shoes for a second, and makes you understand how they feel - at a loss. Will Brick get over his alcohol - or spend the rest of his life drinking it away? Will Margaret and Brick ever bear children - or will Brick continue to be tormented by his relationship with Skipper? Is Big Daddy going to die, and if so, who will he give the land to? It leaves it up to the audience, and brings them into the plot to decide what happens themselves. I believe for the most part that “Cat On The Hot Tin Roof” was a very good play, and that the production shouldn’t stray far from the play because the audience should view it the same way Tennessee Williams did.

Description
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
By: Tennessee Williams

“Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” is a contemporary play based on a plantation home in the Mississippi Delta. Is is written by Tennessee Williams, and relates to his life in many cases. He had issues with his father, who was an alcoholic, and Tennessee Williams was homosexual and dealt with that just like Brick did in the play. The main characters of the play are Brick, Margaret, Mae, Big Mamma, Big Daddy, and Gooper.

In the beginning of the play Margaret is shouting at Brick about Mae and her “6 little monsters.” She insist that Mae was just showing off in front of Big Daddy, and rubbing it in their faces that her and Brick didn’t have any children together. Mae and Gooper have 6 children, and are trying to get Big Daddy, who is dying of cancer, to pass down the land to them. There is a relief in the play when the Doctors tell Big Mama that Big Daddy wasn’t dying of cancer, but yet instead just has a spastic colon. Later in the play, the Doctors reveal that Big Daddy is indeed dying of cancer, and doesn’t have much longer. Brick, Big Daddy’s latest son, is an alcoholic, and is tormented by his past relationship with his high school partner, Skipper. Margaret insist that Brick wont sleep with her because of the fact that he is still in love with Skipper. Big Daddy and Brick have a long discussion in the play about Brick’s obsession with alcohol. Brick, after much probing, finally admits the fact that he is drinking because it helps him forget about Skipper who committed suicide because he couldn’t take the tension anymore. Brick feels like it is his fault, and that he is the one responsible. Mae and Gooper are always trying to get Big Daddy to see that they’re the right ones to inherit the land. Mae is constantly showing off her kids, and rubbing in the fact that Brick and Margaret don’t have any of their own. Big Daddy can’t stand Mae and Gooper showing off, and wants to leave the land to Brick, rather than Gooper, although he isn’t able to come to a decision because he knows that he can’t give the land to Brick because of his alcohol problem.

The play ends kind of abruptly, with the news that Big Daddy indeed does have cancer, and Margaret and Brick in the bedroom attempting to “bear children.” You don’t know if Big Daddy does in fact die, although you can probably assume so, and you are left not knowing rather or not Brick does finally sleep with Margaret and gets over his alcohol problem. There is a lot left to be determined, and just leaves you hanging.

I think that it was a good idea to end the play this way though because you leave the characters just as confused as they are to what is going to happen. It puts you in there shoes for a second, and makes you understand how they feel - at a loss. Will Brick get over his alcohol - or spend the rest of his life drinking it away? Will Margaret and Brick ever bear children - or will Brick continue to be tormented by his relationship with Skipper? Is Big Daddy going to die, and if so, who will he give the land to? It leaves it up to the audience, and brings them into the plot to decide what happens themselves. I believe for the most part that “Cat On The Hot Tin Roof” was a very good play, and that the production shouldn’t stray far from the play because the audience should view it the same way Tennessee Williams did.