Cat On A Hot Tin Roof Dishonesty

Tennessee Williams was born in Columbus Mississippi in 1911. He started writing plays in 1945. Ten years later he released Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which embodied much of Mr. Williams’s experiences during his life. As his father drank and gambled, Williams’s family had to continue moving and struggle with money (SparkNotes Editors). This drama is written about a family which is lying and scheming in order to receive a larger portion of a fortune when the character Big Daddy dies. Though numerous people in the world work towards money Williams, like Big Daddy, came from a poor setting. Also the battle of alcoholism portrayed by Brick relates to the play writes father as well as a large number in the audience.
The population that viewed the original
play has a lot in common with the audience that is still experiencing the piece. For example, in the 50’s it was important to “move up in the world” as it is important today. Much of society feels the pressure to maintain appearance like the characters in the play. Maggie feels it is her duty as a wife to provide Brick with a child. Brick feels he has to keep appearances by denying himself the truth of his sexuality. Audiences then and now can relate to the mendacity, or the idea of lying to themselves in order to achieve a goal or move up on the social latter.
In order to portray this phenomena, the play is usually performed on a proscenium stage. This is useful because it allows the audience to see everything that is going on: children running in and out, arguments, monologues, etc. The setting is a bed room in a plantation house located in the delta, and it is summer time in the 1950’s. The large acting area allows the performers space to accurately exemplify the stress and drama in the plot.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof follows the structure of a three act play. First, is the exposition where the lie about Big Daddy’s health is revealed. Bricks indifference to his wife is also made known when he says “I wouldn’t divorce you for being unfaithful or anything else. Don’t you know that? Hell. I’d be relieved to know that you’d found yourself a lover.” This along with his alcoholism makes for a dysfunctional marriage. In the second act, the rising action, Big Daddy makes the assumption that Brick may be a homosexual. Setting another lie on display makes the theme of mendacity quite obvious. The idea that the cause of Bricks alcoholism is his lie to himself about his relationship with skipper, and his disgust of life lies sets the path for the climax and resolution. In act three, Big Daddy is told about his cancer and the family begins to implode. Suddenly there is no longer subtlety in the way Gooper and Mae start trying to course Big Mama into giving them the 28,000 acer ranch.
Each character performed is important in making sure the themes are understood correctly. Maggie was the “pretty girl” in high school. She grew up poor and made sure to marry the quarter back whose parents were known for the plantation and having money. The witty, catty, personality portrayed by Maggie shows her resilience and strength in the difficult marriage. In marrying for money, she is dedicated to do what it takes in order to insure her husband does not lose their inheritance for them.
Brick is the jock who is drowning in the loss of his best friend. His alcoholism is not only a product of his friend’s death, but the part he played in it and his disgust with the mendacity of life.
Big Daddy is dying of cancer and sees Brick as his favorite son. He comes from nothing and owns 28,000 acers due to hard work. The untrustworthiness of others keeps the elder upset and the prospect of death makes him think about his fortune another way. Big Mama is his wife, she prides herself on being “in the know” when it comes to her family. She also keeps things running while Big Daddy is sick. Gooper is the oldest son which is married to Mae. Together they have five children with a sixth on the way and provide an example of what society believes is correct. Gooper has a decent job at a law firm while his wife keeps producing children and taking care of the home place. The couple want money just the same as Maggie does, but they are in more of a hurry for Big Daddy to die.
Greed is a strong theme in this work.
A case in point is the way Gooper and Mae treat Big Daddy. They often parade their children and their success in hopes of getting in his good graces and will. Making sure that Big Daddy is aware of Bricks alcoholism and lack of a career is another way for them to attempt getting the fortune. From the start it is revealed that Big Daddy is dying of cancer and everyone knows but him. This provides another theme of dishonesty throughout the play. Mendacity which means telling a lie which is known as false, is often repeated in the second act during Big Daddy and Brick’s talk. Repetition of this word drives the point home that there is dishonesty in the house, everyone knows about it, and everyone is guilty. Brick is dishonest to himself and everyone else about his feelings for skipper, Gooper and Mae are only polite because they want money, and Maggie says she is pregnant. This theme makes for an honest and entertaining look at the worlds materialistic
ways.
New York Times critic, Brooks Atkinson, acknowledges this honesty.
In his article about the play he mentions “But one of the great achievements is the honesty and simplicity of the craftsmanship.” This response exemplifies the observation made in the play of humanity and its deceitful greediness. Later he mentions how the integrity of the play is protected by the lack of use of “formulas of the theatre”. Doing this, the critic explains, leaves room for thought about the subject matter at hand. An article in the Australian Quarterly by Marguerite Birch, notices Williams’s “ways of bringing his writing closer to the being and action of his audiences…” The expert acknowledges the conversation and theme demonstrated by the work as being an important topic in society. The Hudson Review published an article about three plays which includes Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In this review by William Becker, it is said that the play encompasses “intense realism” and is a “remarkable piece of work”. Here Becker applauds the realistic story of this family and the way the characters portray the most important themes. On the other hand, Vernon Young wrote a letter to the Hudson Review contradicting the critique written by William Becker. In fact Young claims “I deny categorically that the cliché supporting parts can justifiably be interpreted as brilliant tragi-comic portraits.” A comment such as this portrays the opinion that the play is cannot be related to the
public.
I can relate to this play as I believe anybody can. This is a timeless story because there will always be greed and dishonesty in the world. Time and culture may change, but those are the two human traits that will always be relevant. Not to mention the social expectations that each character feels they must up hold. No matter what the supposition is yesterday or tomorrow, people will always feel like they must fill those requirements. In the 1950’s women were expected to have babies and keep up with the house, men were supposed to earn an honest living and provide for the family. Now, people are expected to go to college, get a prestigious degree, and plan out their finances before even thinking about marriage. Both end results of past expectations and those of today are the same, to have successful families. This phenomena is why this play will always be relevant to an audience.