Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: What do you learn about Maggie from the way Tennessee Williams has presented her so far?

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: What do you learn about Maggie from the way Tennessee Williams has presented her so far? The character Margaret is married to Brick, the son of Big Daddy. They live together in Big Daddy's house, along with his wife, Big Mama. We, as readers learn a lot about her character from the way she speaks, by what is said about her and by the stage directions. We also gain a good insight into her relationships with the people around her. Margaret's relationship with Brick comes across as quite bizarre. His lack of interest in what she has to say gives the impression that he doesn't care and also shows a slight lack of respect. For example, when Brick replies to Maggie's first line in the play, he says "Wha'd you say, Maggie?..." The stage directions prior to his response read "A tone of politely feigned interest, masking indifference or worse." Other stage directions describing his attitude to Maggie's statements share the same negativity; such as "Without interest.", "Wryly", "Absent mindedly", "Dreamily", followed by sarcastic comments. We also get the impression that Brick doesn't find his wife as attractive as other men do. On page twenty-one, Maggie says "Way he always drops his eyes down my body when I'm talkin' to him, drops his eyes to my boobs an' licks his old chops!" The fact that she's telling her husband how other men show interest in her comes

  • Word count: 804
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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'Communication is - awful hand between people ... '. Consider the relevance of Brick's observation to the characterisation of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof".

'Communication is - awful hand between people ... '. Consider the relevance of Brick's observation to the characterisation of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". Communication is a key aspect in the dynamics of the characters in the play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". This contact and interaction with the characters displays to the reader the nature of the person and the feelings they have towards each other. Communication is very important in this play to help us, as readers, understand the characters and the relationships they hold between them. The two main characters, Brick and Maggie, their relationship is important in displaying how a marriage has gone terribly wrong. Unlike Gooper and Mae, the communication between these two has virtually disappeared and they are just live in a celibate marriage; 'They're impossible conditions.' There marriage is not seen as a 'normal' one where they show love and affection it is often likened to a cage 'We occupy the same cage.' This strong metaphor evidently portrays just how their marriage has broken down and that the love had clearly gone. Maggie is often described as a cat as she is exposed as being hysterical and a very dissatisfied wife and a woman. Her husband Brick frustrates Maggie as he refuses to recognise her desire and passion towards him; Brick has this name by no coincidence alone, he is very 'detached' and when Maggie or anyone talks

  • Word count: 1601
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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A critic has written that a family at the centre of the party "is clothed with the atmosphere of the south as with a garment." How important is the setting of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" to the play's dramatic impact? You may consider:

A critic has written that a family at the centre of the party "is clothed with the atmosphere of the south as with a garment." How important is the setting of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" to the play's dramatic impact? You may consider: - The bed sitting room of the stage set - The wider, geographical setting of the Mississippi Delta - The values of the play of the society revealed in the play In my opinion, the setting of the play is vital to the level of dramatic impact for a number of reasons. The main themes behind "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" are represented and shown through the setting of the play. For example, the whole play is situated around the bedroom sitting area to put forward a key theme of the play: sexuality. If the setting wasn't relevant to themes of the play, the audience would find it difficult to fully understand key elements of the play that Tennessee Williams was trying to put across. The bed sitting room in which the play is based around belongs to Brick and Maggie, two main characters. The irony of this being that bedrooms are assumed to be private and personal, yet it's the most invaded room in the house. A prime example being when Big Mama, Brick's mother enters the bedroom, commenting on how she "hates locked doors in a house..." Maggie's responds lightly by stating that "...people have got to have some moments of privacy," only to receive the invasive

  • Word count: 1328
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Freudian approaches to Tennessee Williams(TM) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Freudian approaches to Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof I will discuss how Freudian theory ties in with the issues featuring in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Sigmund Freud the founder of psychoanalysis came up with a theory of the unconscious mind, he identified that sexual desires are the primary motivational energy of human life. William shows this in play by Margaret's sexual desires for Brick keeps her energy up and gets her to keep trying to get Brick's affection. Big Daddy and Big Mama have fears and anxieties about Margaret and Bricks lack of children, and so does Margaret herself because she wants a share of the plantation. However this does not worry Mae and Gooper who are more than happy that they are prime candidates to become the owner of the plantation, Mae especially enjoy sneer at the fact that Margaret is childless "Mae: she's childless because that big beautiful athlete of hers won't go to bed with her" (97). The family especially Big Daddy and Maggie have doubts about Brick's sexuality and try to confront him about it. Brick: "You think that me and Skipper were a pair of dirty old men?" (pg 77). Symbolism definitely shown in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', Bricks crutch can symbolise that he needs support, "Brick: no just give me my crutch" (27). The crutch can be seen as symbol that Brick is weak without skipper hence needs support. But it can also represent

  • Word count: 939
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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