Character Analysis: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

1832 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Common topics in Tennessee Williams plays

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Tennessee Williams was a dramatist who, in 1955, composed a play titled Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. This play was later, in 1958, adapted into a film version by Elia Kazan that depicts quite a few alterations from the original work of Williams. One dramatic example is the basement scene (interpolated just for the film) that offers an expanded role for Big Daddy, which proved to have many alterations that are very incongruent with the themes/foundations of William’s original text; such as his views concerning homosexuality, communication/mendacity, and narcissism.
Williams’s view on homosexuality within his original work (the play) is conveyed to be Brick’s central issue in life and is one of the causes for the dysfunctional …show more content…

Based on the personality/actions of Williams’s Brick he shouldn’t be able to talk so truthfully about the things that bother him because of their lack of communication and mendacity that has caused them to not have a closer relationship. Furthermore, this particular segment from the basement scene expresses a very different cause for their nonfunctional relationship, for while both the film and play version expressed Brick losing his temper over being questioned about Skipper, their Brick’s get upset for different reasons. For one, the Brick seen in the film is upset because Big Daddy wasn’t there for him as a father, while the play version’s Brick is upset because Big Daddy questioned how normal is relationship with Skipper really …show more content…

Communication/mendacity which he believed to be fundamentally built into society and was the cause for people not being able to truly connect with one another, and narcissism that he believed was a common trait among all people (especially artists) because we are innately selfish and desire

Show More
Related

  • Hotel On The Corner Of Sweet And Bitter Character Analysis

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    In these five paragraphs I will be writing about the book “Hotel on the Corner of Sweet and Bitter” written by Jamie Ford and five quotation that important and made up the theme for me. This book gives a feel a lot of different emotions. The first quote was “‘You are Chinese aren’t you,Henry? That’s fine. Be who you are, she said, turning away, a look of disappointment in her eyes. “But I’m an American’’(p. 60). This quote is important because it shows how Keiko believes even if her parents are Japanese she feels more American then Japanese since she barely spoke Japanese.

    Read More

  • Heat By Mike Lupa Character Analysis

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book, Heat written by Mike Lupica, is a novel about a young boy named Michael Arroyo who faces many difficulties throughout the book, all for his right to play his beloved game of baseball. Michael lives with his dad, Papi, and his brother, Carlos. They are all Cubans who came to the United States for a better chance to follow their dreams. Papi always encourages Michael to play baseball and he always has high hopes for Michael’s career in baseball. It is right to believe in Michael so much because later he fulfills his father's dream for him. After Papi dies of heart failure, Michael still continues Papi dream for him, to be the Little League Champion. Throughout the book Michael meets two characters who have significant impacts on him,

    Read More

  • Comparing A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

    1771 Words  | 4 Pages

    Williams, Tennessee. Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1958. 3-85.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Big Dadddy, By Tennesssee Williams '

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    My response to this play I will detail in five sections. This play was written by Tennesssee Williams and premiered in the mid 50s. This play is a southern drama with subjects involving death, mendacity, alcoholism and family disagreement.

    Read More

  • A Raisin in the Sun Character Analysis

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry has many interesting characters. In my opinion, the most fascinating character is Ruth because of her many emotions and captivating personality. She goes through extreme emotions in the play such as happiness, sadness, anger, stress, and confusion. Ruth is very independent, firm, kind, witty, and loving.

    Read More

  • Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Thornton Wilder's Our Town

    1736 Words  | 4 Pages

    The similar philosophies of life residing in both Willy Loman and Mr. Webb are present in both plays as they progress. Their strong belief in themselves gives them the ability to influence others by giving them advice. The advice which Mr. Webb provided to George was “start out early by showing who’s boss” (Wilder IIi 58). The confidence to tell a strong willed son-in-law shows his aptitude in his belief. Similarly, Willy was often dictating the actions of people around him. Usually his interferences would be contradictory to what others had in mind such as “No, you finish first” (Miller 1.3). His constant dictations most often cause contradictory with his dictations! At first, Willy referred to Biff as “a lazy bum” (Miller 1.2), but then later called him “such a hard worker” (Miller 1.2). This exhibits Willy’s faith in his ideas, but shows a confusion within those ideas. Mr. Webb also inherits the same weakness that Willy has. Descri...

    Read More

  • Biography of Henry David Thoreau

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...s work was always rich and full of details, complex contradictions. He appreciated everyone in his years of life. His most favorite thing while writing books and essays and poetry was using words to force his readers to rethink their own lives and obstacles creatively. He always spent his life rethinking his past and future actions, thoughts, asking questions to get a better understanding of concepts. He loved to look to nature for greater intensity and meaning for his life.

    Read More

  • Salvador Dali, the Painter

    2089 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...nterpretation of his dreams, and he was highly interpersonally intelligent due to his charismatic, eccentric character. He knew how to put people at ease, and how to relate to them through his works.

    Read More

  • Stephen King’s Biography

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    his life where it has influences of his writing and how it did impact many people.

    Read More

  • The Glass Menagerie Character Analysis Essay

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    The “Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams shows a family facing economic and social hardships due to the father abandoning them. The father’s absence forces the rest of the family to fill roles that they wouldn’t be obliged to face if the father remained. The mother, Amanda, is a strong single mother who pushes her kids to be economically self-sustaining individuals. Amanda tries to impose her desires for her kids in a very direct and controlling manner which causes them to dislike her initiatives. The son, Tom, is the breadwinner for the family, however is dissatisfied with his situation due to his increased responsibilities. The daughter, Laura, is handicapped and dropped out of business school. Each member of the family is limited by their ability to grow out of their negative habits, however, it is likely that these habits or characteristics came from the family situation and the roles that each member was forced to fill.

    Read More

  • A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennesse Williams

    1851 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tennessee Williams is recognized as being one of America’s top playwrights during the twentieth century. His play A Streetcar Named Desire, written in 1947, tells the tale of two sisters and their struggle to find happiness. The Glass Menagerie, published in 1945, is a memory play, which profoundly impacted Williams’s career. Suddenly Last Summer, published in 1993, is a one-act play about a young girl’s horrifying experience while traveling abroad. All of these plays incorporate aspects of Williams’ own life and portray dysfunctional characters.

    Read More

  • The Characters of For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...children's; in addition, Durang adds two homosexual characters: Tom and Ginny. This is evidence that For Whom the Belle Tolls does more than just provide a humorous approach to the situations in The Glass Menagerie: it shows how the American society and family have changed since Williams wrote his play. According to Durang, people have become more open with their personal feelings and sexuality, but they have also become more self-centered. Works Cited Durang, Christopher. For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls. Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Eds. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997. 1937-1948. Williams, Tennessee. "The Glass Menagerie." Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Eds. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997. 1704-1750.

    Read More

  • Lies and Mendacity in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"

    276 Words  | 1 Pages

    Lies and Mendacity run rampant in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. They help keep the play going and keep it interesting. The play shows us the lies that people tell themselves and other instead of the truth that is hard to accept but must be said.

    Read More

  • The Portrayal of Women in the Work of Tennessee Williams

    2373 Words  | 5 Pages

    Tennessee Williams has become one of the most well known literary figures in modern America. His plays are often controversial because of his preoccupation with sex and violence and his fearlessness to probe the dark areas of human life. Williams's earlier work often inspired his later plays and basic character types often reappear throughout each of his plays. A reoccurring theme in each of his plays is the role of the female. The women featured in the plays of Tennessee Williams all suffer from physical or emotional mutilation and seek fulfillment from a mate.

    Read More

  • The Glass Menagerie Character Analysis

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tennessee Williams of Columbus, Mississippi, and author of the play The Glass Menagerie creates a well-rounded character by the name of Tom Wingfield. The author reveals many aspects of this character throughout the play, which focuses on the memories of the three main characters that live in a St. Louis apartment in the late 1930s. As the story progresses, the reader observes how each of the characters unravel and unfold to their needs and wants. Tom is displayed as a character who lives in a world that is different from reality, so, therefore, he behaves in a fashion that makes him seem falsely selfish, creative, and adventurous.

    Read More

More about Character Analysis: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Open Document