"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" by Tennessee Williams

Paper Summary:

A study of Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, about family conflict over issues of money, land, inheritance, and the continuation of the family. The paper presents these themes and shows that one important one is the theme of illusion, especially in love, with characters who live a lie and refuse to understand or acknowledge their true natures.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Subject of the Play
Theme of the Play
Critical Views of the Play
Early Critical Views
Brick as Homosexual
Ambivalent Relations with Women
The Family at War
Maggie's View
Maggie's Battle with Brick
Desire for a Child
Maggie as Typical Williams Female Character
Character Analysis
Big Daddy and Big Mama
Maggie and Brick
Similarities and Differences
Illusion versus Reality
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Tennessee Williams in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof depicts a family beset by conflicts based on sex, money, inheritance, and ties to the land. Different factions in the family vie for attention out of fear of losing money once the patriarch dies. Money is a major source of family conflict in this play, though there are other conflicts as well. In this play, the conflicts extend into the past and to earlier sins committed by the older members of the family. This suggests several divisions or opposing forces which can be identified in the play--youth versus old age, modernity versus tradition, change versus the status quo, and tensions tearing the family apart versus those keeping the family together. The plot develops around these forces, with different characters representing or supporting different forces in their behavior, the way Big Daddy represents tradition while the younger generation represents change. This contrast is heightened in terms of the theme of inheritance and the decision as to who will control the land and continue the family traditions."

More papers on "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" by Tennessee Williams:

• Film Review # 134274 : "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "A Streetcar Named Desire"
• Comparison Essay # 35163 : "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"
• Analytical Essay # 73366 : "Sibling Relationships in Dramas by Tennessee Williams"

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