Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Act 1 Summary

turned her hard, nervous and bitter. Margaret then reveals her opinion on Gooper and Mae’s intentions which is to “cut Brick out his fathers estate” since Big Daddy (Gooper and Brick’s father) is dying of cancer. Brick is very indifferent to this news and does not show much interest in neither Maggie nor what she has to say. This is shown through his tonality and the stage directions for example Act One page 25 when it is said the Brick replies to Maggie absently. Brick is developed as an overall indifferent character with a lot of masculinity and very self contained. This is what makes him very desired in his family by Maggie, Big Mama and Big Daddy. As the first act progresses, Maggie catches Brick staring at her and she claims that he was staring at Maggie’s “hideous transformation” into Maggie the Cat, which further emphasizes her claim that Brick’s refusal to lay with her has made her that way. Maggie starts to converse with Brick about how she feels lonely which is expressed when she says “Living with someone you love can be lonelier than living entire alone! If the one that y’ love doesn't love you…” and Brick replies with a blasé attitude “Would you like to live alone Maggie?” this shows that Brick does not care if Maggie doesn’t want to live with Brick anymore. However in a certain aspect, Maggie appreciates Brick’s indifference to things around him, which is Brick’s performance as sexual partner. Maggie states “You were a wonderful lover…Such a wonderful person to go to bed with and I think mostly because you were really indifferent to it” Obviously from the plot it can be concluded that Maggie enjoyed having sex and the fact that Brick was so good at it may play a major role in why she sticks to him regardless of his blasé attitude. Brick reveals to the audience his lack of love for Maggie when he says “You keep forgetting the conditions on which I agreed to stay on living with you” and Maggie replies with “I’m not living with you. We occupy the same cage” This implies that Maggie feels like she is being suppressed from what she really wants and Brick as her partner. It is also implied that Brick does not care about living with Maggie or not as long as he gets the click for which he keeps on drinking. However, there is a point in the first act where Brick loses his cool attitude and shows some form of emotion (anger) when the topic of his friend Skipper is brought up. This shows to the audience that the topic of Skipper is like a fresh cut to Brick. Bricks sensitivity to the subject is shown when he tries to hit Maggie because she wouldn’t shut up about Skipper. Act one ends with Maggie revealing to Brick that she wants to have a child but Brick replies coldly “How in hell on earth do you imagine –  that you’re going to have a child by a man that can’t stand you” This confirms the previous point which is that Brick does not love Maggie.