Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams

Brick, meanwhile, adopts liquor as a proxy for feeling and remembering, and Maggie transparently uses the excuse of a 'ticking biological clock' to justify her need for financial security and sexual gratification.

Williams takes this a step further in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by making his characters conscious of their proxies - in particular, Maggie and Skipper each sleeps with the other as a proxy for Brick. ProxiesĪn emotional proxy is an important tool for a playwright - a correlative object allows an emotion or struggle to be represented visually and theatrically. The poison theme is addressed explicitly but less literally by Maggie, when she speaks of 'venomous thoughts and words in hearts and minds' as the poison devouring the entire Pollitt family. The cancer eats away at Big Daddy's body while the alcohol eats away at Brick's soul. Poisonīoth Big Daddy's cancer and Brick's alcoholism are characterized not merely as illnesses, but as poisons - something that spreads and contaminates from the inside. This rivalry is then foisted on to their wives, who compete mercilessly to see who is the better and worthier daughter-in-law. Instead, the brothers view for a place in their father's will, if not his heart. Gooper and Brick's sibling rivalry is largely one-sided, as Brick has no need to engage in the fight - Gooper lost the contest for his parents' affection the day Brick was born. There are several intense rivalries in the Pollitt family, as individuals and couples clamor for the attention and love of the aloof Pollitt men. Even between the Pollitt men, Big Daddy loves Brick but Brick is too soggy with liquor to reciprocate. Skipper's love for Brick was unrequited as well, by necessity, as Brick was incapable of allowing himself to consider the possibility of a romantic attachment to his friend. Maggie and Big Mama both love their husbands passionately and fruitlessly, as they are incapable of returning their affections.

The Pollitt men have a tendency to inspire love that cannot be required, including love that dare not speak its name. These lies permeate the characters, so that we see clearly how a lie forces a person to split into two or three different individuals, depending who is present. Maggie lies to the family about the quality of her relationship with Brick, and everyone lies to Big Daddy about his health. Brick is lying to himself about the nature of his relationship with Skipper and his culpability in Skipper's self-destruction and death.

Brick claims he drinks to escape mendacity and lies, but there is no escape from falsehood in the Pollitt family.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams