Cat on a Hot Tin Roof': Critical Essay

“What is the victory of a Cat on a hot tin roof?--I wish I knew... Just staying on it, I guess, as long as she can.” In light of her comment, discuss the characterization and role of Maggie in Tennessee William’s A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

1950s America was an era when women were expected to devote themselves to looking after the domestic sphere, find their worth in marriage, please their husbands[footnoteRef:1] and raise the children. It was a pre-feminist, pre-gay rights era. Lifestyles were developing in the period of conformity with traditional gender roles, it was also a decade of change, when discontent with the status quo was emerging, and women were increasingly being portrayed as independent and dynamic characters in 1950s American theatre. In Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, the writer contributes to this evolution of the dramatic form to explore sexuality and challenge gender norms and has certain female characters rebel against the stereotypical view of them being dependent creatures[footnoteRef:2]. Williams presents Mae and Big Mama as conforming to the idea of stereotypical women in the 50s, but for “Maggie the Cat” he creates a role that successive actresses have relished playing for her “mesmerically feline intensity” [footnoteRef:3]and “ferocious life force”.[footnoteRef:4] Maggie is not one of Williams’s losers. She was born poor and has learned the need to fight for what she wants.[footnoteRef:5] [1: Niki Fellows feminist analysis of Cat on a hot tin roof ] [2: Niki Fellows feminist analysis of Cat on a hot tin roof] [3: The Cat on a Hot Tin Roof film may be censored – but in some ways it's superior- The Guardian- Peter Bradshaw (2017)] [4: Scarlett's Maggie the Cat: A clawing survivor- USA Today- Elysa Gardner - (2013)] [5: A critical introduction to Twentieth century American drama Volume 2 - C.W.E. Bigsby (1984)]

Williams expands Maggie’s characterization through her relationships with the other characters so that, through her, the audiences get a glimpse of the 50’s family tensions, the destructive effects of restrictive social norms, repressed sexuality, and love. There is competition within families in the rush to inherit the wealth left behind by Big Daddy. Mae and Gooper are an example of the cheap ways they try to attain wealth. “The no-neck monsters,” Mae and Gooper’s children are their source of attaining Big Daddy’s part of the estate. Maggie mentions how “They're up to cutting you out of your [Brick] father's estate.” They present the ‘ideal’ American family working to get a part of their father’s money. Maggie’s aim to win over Brick is her want for a baby but not in a sentimental or stereotypically maternal way, it becomes obvious later that she feels their existence emphasizes her failure to produce any children with Brick.[footnoteRef:6] She is quite reluctant to condemn her nieces and nephews as the “no-neck monsters” in the movie “The Cat on A Hot Tin Roof,” released in 1958 and directed by Richard Brooks; shows them to be dreadful and vile kids that create chaos, make a mess “slobbering and drooling over their food” and disturb the patience of the characters. A child for Maggie represents intimacy with the husband she loves, and an heir, to help her hold on to the material security she has gained. Williams displays that Maggie’s energy seems to derive precisely from a refusal to let go of the inheritance which she believes to be hers by right[footnoteRef:7]. She is determined to forestall Gooper’s bid for the estate.[footnoteRef:8] “Born poor, raised poor, expect to die poor unless I manage to get us something out of what Big Daddy leaves when he dies of cancer!” Her resilience is her power, doesn’t give in to Brick’s rejection and is focused on Big Daddy’s will. Maggie knows and understands what it's like to not have enough and to fight for what you want and need.[footnoteRef:9] Maggie is a strong, dynamic, and resilient character that doesn’t accept defeat and doesn’t give in to Brick’s rejection of her love. Maggie demonstrates “precisely the kind of heroism which Williams most admires” [footnoteRef:10] She is the perfect woman he wanted to create. [6: Cat on a hot tin roof York notes advanced (Steve Roberts 2007)] [7: A critical introduction to Twentieth-century American Drama Volume 2 - C.W.E. Bigsby (1984)] [8: A critical introduction to Twentieth-century American Drama Volume 2 - C.W.E. Bigsby (1984)] [9: Litcharts – Cat on a hot tin roof (2017) ] [10: A critical introduction to Twentieth-century American drama Volume 2 - C.W.E. Bigsby (1984)]

Tennessee Williams heightens the metaphor “Cat on a hot tin roof,” by emphasizing and adding to Maggie’s representation of a “Cat,” as strong, wild, and bold. However, explores her character going through difficult, painful situations that she bravely withstands, and is able to fight through all the hurdles and achieve her will. Maggie wishes to consolidate her grip on the hot tin roof which she has clambered with such effort[footnoteRef:11]. Williams suggests that “the roof” is the base for her survival, she’s holding on to her what she wants most throughout the play; to have a physical intimate relationship with her husband Brick. “The roof” could also indicate that her means of “just staying on it” is to remain in by having her husband become intimate with her and producing an heir to secure her financial status. [11: A critical introduction to Twentieth century American drama Volume 2 - C.W.E. Bigsby (1984)]

Williams explores and highlights Maggie’s yearning and the obstinacy of getting what she wants by presenting Maggie as the only consistent sedulous character. Brick’s denial and rejection of this longing can be seen by his trying to convince her to “jump off the roof”, which is only making her “stronger than” Brick and she “can love more truly” showing that she is committed and passionate about achieving her goal. This can be seen through her seductive and sensual character that appeals to the audience. In Jeremy Gerard’s review of the Broadway production of the play, he describes Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of Maggie as “more tigress” than “kitty.”[footnoteRef:12] Maggie believes she is able to manipulate Brick and break through his silence by seducing him. Williams presents this by having her show off her beauty and attempts to coax Brick into physical intimacy. Maggie is identified by the audience as a sexualized being and an object of sexual interest.[footnoteRef:13] [12: The wrap- Scarlett Johansson in ‘Cat on a hot tin roof': Were Critics Seduced by Maggie?] [13: Cat on a hot tin roof York notes advanced (Steve Roberts 2007)]

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Margaret becomes increasingly frustrated at her ineffectual attempts to pierce the wall Brick has built between her and himself[footnoteRef:14]. Williams presents the theme of unrequited love and lack of communication through Maggie’s inability to seduce her husband. Despite Maggie’s passionate and determined nature, Williams highlights the difficulty of her situation, as Brick has made it challenging for her, where she feels she has to fight for a grace that seems to belong to Brick by right[footnoteRef:15]. Her failure is in part due to Brick’s inability to express his sexuality and consequently, he is unable to return her love. Williams presents Maggie and Brick’s marriage as 'festering' to the extent that their relationship is seen as toxic. The word “fester” has connotations of disease and infection, and their marriage is slowly deteriorating from within. This is further emphasized through long-term neglect and indifference, due to her husband’s inability to acknowledge his own sexuality. Williams uses Brick to highlight the idea that Communication is problematic between all of the characters, challenging the fear that society felt about going against expectation, a typical trope of the more experimental plays written in the 50s, further explored in Albee’s ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? As the play progresses, we see that this is true for all the characters. In the stage directions, they’re constantly overlapping each other’s words, interrupting, and ignoring others[footnoteRef:16]. As a result, Maggie and Brick find it “hard to talk in this place.” This intensifies the theme; lack of communication. [14: Isolation and the lack of communication in Cat on a hot tin roof- bachelor and Master] [15: A critical introduction to Twentieth century American Drama Volume 2 - C.W.E. Bigsby (1984)] [16: Cat on a hot tin roof - Litcharts]

Along with Maggie’s persistent character, Williams uses Brick’s silence to imply that any “Communication is – awful hard between people.” In light of this Williams depicts Maggie’s character to overcome the barriers to their communication by destroying Brick’s “law of silence…that do not work,” even if that means provoking him to rage and violence, because for Maggie any kind of communication is better than “silence,” before it “becomes malignant.” This adds to her characterization as a Cat. Williams uses Maggie to dominate the dialogue [footnoteRef:17]between her and Brick as she remains devoted to Brick which is coherent with the family norm of the 1950s [footnoteRef:18], indicating that she is “someone to- take hold of” Brick and to engage him in a conversation as she is still deeply in love with Brick. However Brick’s alcoholism, “his way out” makes him vulnerable to her manipulation[footnoteRef:19]. Maggie can only show dominance over Brick because of the state he is in after he has drunk too much. The role of women in the 50s was to please their husbands [footnoteRef:20] but Williams tends to show a contrast to this by having the central character’s relationship “on the rocks,” due to Maggie’s consistent and tenacious yearnings that make her argue with Brick for her sexual pleasure. This draws attention to the difference in Maggie’s characterization that goes against the presentation of women in the 50s. Women in the 50s were homemakers…loving mothers and dutiful wives [footnoteRef:21], and therefore the American theatre would challenge this stereotype and present forceful, independent female characters [footnoteRef:22] like Maggie. Feminists’ readings of the play tend to see…the domination achieved by Maggie over Brick as an image of female power.[footnoteRef:23] [17: Cat on a hot tin roof York notes advanced (Steve Roberts 2007) ] [18: Niki Fellows feminists’ analysis of Cat on a hot tin roof ] [19: Cat on a hot tin roof York notes advanced (Steve Roberts 2007) ] [20: Niki Fellows feminist analysis of Cat on a hot tin roof ] [21: Cat on a hot tin roof York notes advanced (Steve Roberts 2007) ] [22: Cat on a hot tin roof York notes advanced (Steve Roberts 2007)] [23: Cat on a hot tin roof York notes advanced (Steve Roberts 2007)]

A victory for Maggie would be Brick wanting her sexually and Maggie’s desire to have a baby is conventional of female gender roles. McCullers, suggests that Maggie the Cat is a great example of that type of Williams character who can best be described as “those in desperate need of sex as a stimulant.”[footnoteRef:24] The dominance of women in terms of their desires for sexual intimacy can be seen in William’s other plays for example; in the play, Sweet Bird of Youth Princess’s authority over Chance shows that Female characters tend to be in conflict due to the issue of sexuality. This can be viewed through William’s other literary work, he presents the image of female power. But however, having an heir is more important to her than fulfilling maternal needs. This is distinctly seen as Maggie doesn’t want a child for maternal needs. She hates the “no-neck monsters.” She says that Mae and Gooper having five children are worthy of getting a part in Big Daddy’s will and that Maggie and Brick don’t “They gloat over us being childless, even in front of their five little no-neck monsters!” This shows that Williams’ caricature of the children makes the audience sympathetic to Maggie’s perspective. Maggie calls herself “useless,” compared to Mae and Gooper, who show-off off their kids to Big Daddy so that they get a place in his estate. In the 1958 film version of The Cat on a hot tin roof, featuring Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie and Paul Newman as Brick, Williams didn’t want the film to portray the play in that form. Williams wanted to challenge and establish homophobia and sexism as the highlighted theme of the play. However the film version was, ‘abiding by Hollywood standards of the time toned down Williams’s critique of homophobia and sexism,’[footnoteRef:25] Which Williams apparently ‘hated.’ [24: Characterization of the female character- academia.edu] [25: Cat on a hot tin roof: Tennessee William’s Southern discomfort ]

Williams’s choice of characterizing Maggie with similarities of Cat-like traits transfixes the audience of that era and her stubborn and witty character, hence attracting their attention to Maggie’s character. Gore Vidal wrote that “There is no actress on earth who will not testify that Williams created the best women characters in the modern theatre.”[footnoteRef:26] Williams Illustrates Maggie differently than Big Mama and Mae, Maggie is more rebellious and audacious. Her character is able to rebuild herself, despite her downfalls and the insults that she endures from Brick and Mae. She picks herself up each time and doesn’t let things break her. Her determination can be seen through her use of humor and relentless love makes her sympathetic.[footnoteRef:27] “Living with someone you love can be lonelier--than living entirely alone!” Williams makes Maggie’s character's love so powerful it evokes a sense of pathos for her character, where the audience feels sympathetic for her one-sided love. She can endure the “hot tin roof”[footnoteRef:28] “just by staying on it,” Emphasizing that she is persistent and undergoes an unwilling change to achieve her goals. [26: The Independent- Theatre/ Tennessee Williams and his women- David Benedict (1994) ] [27: Cat on a hot tin roof study guide by course hero] [28: Cat on a hot tin roof study guide by Course hero]

Maggie’s energy, her ability to dominate those around her [footnoteRef:29]becomes her strength and Williams bluntly shows how the heroines’ play was not made to be “one of Williams’ losers,” [footnoteRef:30]seduction is not the first thing on her mind; survival is. She is able to take control of her situation, and she is the champion of her own cause. These character traits are evident through her willpower of breaking Brick’s barrier to conceive a child with him. Her desperation for this obsessive, stubborn demand makes her resort to lying to Big Daddy about already being pregnant. A triumph for Maggie is Brick’s willingness “to make the lie true.” Benjamin Nelson analyses this lie and comes to the conclusion that hers is a living lie, told in the face of death.’ Implying that the lie she said was justifiable in order to spawn life. Her lie has helped to drive 'death' out of the house, replacing it with at least a semblance of joy and life.[footnoteRef:31] This is ironic as Maggie’s victory was concluded with a lie, and this ends up being the legitimate climax of the play. [footnoteRef:32] [29: Bigsby C.W.E, A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama: Volume 1, 1900-1940] [30: Bigsby C.W.E, A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama: Volume 1, 1900-1940] [31: Litcharts- Cat on a hot tin roof (2017)] [32: Bigsby C.W.E, A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama: Volume 1, 1900-1940]

Williams’ female characters are versatile and unique; they go against the stereotypical view of women in the ear he was writing in. Maggie’s biggest strength is her ability to love and endure the denial Brick gives her. Her capability of keeping to her words and being strong enough to withstand his constant insults, her strength is seen through her dominance over her husband she’s “stronger than you [Brick] and I can love you more truly!” her power of love leads her to her victory at the end with their reunion in bed. Williams’s Maggie is presented as powerful, loving earth mothers, who know and appreciate, and they are strong 'modern' women who find salvation, even when it is only temporary, in their sexuality.[footnoteRef:33] She is the only character in the play that has the power to face the truth and hence becomes the central hero of this play. Her wit and humor make her character more appealing to the audience. She is an amusing charm that fascinates the audience’s attention towards her. Williams deliberately creates her to have charismatic nature and appearance to allure the audience’s focus. Her speech “makes it oddly funny, because her eyes constantly twinkle and her voice shakes with laughter which is basically indulgent.” Her characterization of her witty character and her “constant rejection that makes her humor 'bitchy’” implies that Maggie, the cat, differs in various ways from the other women in Williams’ plays because of her aggressiveness, her determination to dominate her husband, her ability to face the truth unflinchingly and her unhidden greed[footnoteRef:34], generate a unique female character that is referred to as a “cat.” [33: Research scholar- Patriarchy and racial prejudice in the Deep South: re-reading Tennessee Williams' Cat on a hot tin roof. Vol.3 issue III Vidya Hariharan August 2015] [34: Research scholar- Patriarchy and racial prejudice in the Deep South: re-reading Tennessee Williams' Cat on a hot tin roof. Vol.3 issue III Vidya Hariharan August 2015]

Bibliography

1. Bigsby C.W.E, A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama: Volume 1, 1900-1940 (Cambridge University Press, August 31, 1982)
2. Study guide by course hero Cat on a hot tin roof (2018)
3. Notes by Steve Roberts Cat on a hot tin roof York notes advanced (2007)
4. Characterization of the female character- academia.edu
5. Cat on a hot tin roof: Tennessee William’s southern discomfort
6. Feminists’ analysis of Cat on a hot tin roof Studylib.com Niki Fellows
7. The Wrap- Scarlett Johansson in ‘Cat on a hot tin roof': Were Critics Seduced by Maggie?
8. Litcharts Cat on a hot tin roof (2017)
9. The Independent- Theatre/ Tennessee Williams and his women- David Benedict (1994)
10. Research scholar- Patriarchy and racial prejudice in the Deep South: re-reading Tennessee Williams' Cat on a hot tin roof. Vol.3 issue III Vidya Hariharan August 2015