Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.” In his play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Tennessee Williams depicts a divided family in a crisis. Big Daddy is dying of cancer and will need to decide which of his sons will inherit his vast estate. As seen in Maggie’s fight for control and Mae and Gooper’s spite, “Cat on the Hot Tin Roof” reveals individuals who are willing to further ruin family relationships for egotistic desires.
Throughout this play we see Maggie fighting to control family members for her own gain.
Her fight for control further destroys already failing family relationships. As Brick’s wife, Maggie will benefit from Brick receiving Big Daddy’s inheritance. Big Daddy is undecided as to which of his sons will receive his large estate. He wants to give it to Brick, but hesitates because Brick is an alcoholic and because Brick and Maggie have no children.
Maggie is desperate to gain Big Daddy’s favor. In the final scene of the story, Maggie tells Brick that they are going to conceive a child. Brick has no desire for Maggie and asks Maggie how she will conceive this child by a man who loves liquor. She replies, “By locking his liquor up and making him satisfy my desire before I unlock it!” (Williams 1028). She promises that when she is satisfied, she will bring back his liquor and they will get drunk together.
Maggie is trying to control Brick by taking away his alcohol until their child has been conceived. A child of their own will help Maggie manipulate Big Daddy into giving Brick the estate. But actions like these will only destroy any remaining trust or love in these relationships.
Mae and Gooper, also intent on inheriting the estate, do not hesitate to speak spitefully about Brick and Maggie to put them in a bad light. In the scene where Big Mama has just been told the truth about Big Daddy’s condition, some of the family starts to discuss whether Gooper or Brick will inherit the estate. Mae and Gooper say, “Big Daddy would never, would never, be foolish enough to put this place in irresponsible hands!” (Williams 1021). Mae continues, “Gooper has given himself body and soul to keeping this place up for the past five years since Big Daddy’s health started failing…And what did Brick do? Brick kept living in his past glory at college!” (Williams 1021-1022). Later in the same setting Big Mama reminds Brick that it would fulfill Big Daddy’s dream if Brick and Maggie would have a child. Mae snaps, “Such a pity that Maggie an’ Brick can’t oblige!” (Williams 1025). Gooper and Mae have no reserves about further destroying their relationship with Brick and Maggie through degrading talk. The conversations in the play show family members who are not concerned about preserving family ties.
This play depicts family members who are so consumed with personal gain that they destroy family relationships. By observing these characters’ interactions, we see something important surface. This family, although somewhat concerned about Big Daddy’s condition, are much more interested in what his death will bring—the inheritance and their part in it.
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