Cat On A Hot Tin Roof Essays - Cinema Of The United States

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof English Literature - 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. Describe the relationship between Maggie and Brick. When the play opens, we are introduced to a pretty young woman who is shouting. This woman, goes by the name of Margaret, and lets the audience know right from the beginning that if ever she has a problem, she'll let you know about it. As we read through the first Act of this three Act play, we learn very quickly that the relationship between Margaret, and her husband Brick is one sided - with all the effort coming from Maggie. It is clear their relationship wouldn't be considered 'normal' because of their attitudes towards each other, or rather, Brick's attitude towards his wife. The first few pages indicate that Maggie is extremely talkative, with Brick hardly being able to get a sentence in edgeways, however, it later becomes apparent that Brick isn't all too bothered about getting his view across to his loquacious wife. The first conversation we see take place between Brick and Maggie - well, conversation in that Maggie went on and on and Brick would occasionally answer. The conversation concerns Brick's sister's children, or the no-neck monsters as Maggie so eloquently calls them. She moans about her nieces and nephews for quite a while with Brick asking 'without interest', What are they up to, Maggie? This conversation drags on for a while, with Maggie complaining about the children running around and screaming their heads off. However, what is most interesting about the entire, long-winded conversation is that Brick shows no interest in either Maggie, or what she has to say. He almost seems fed up and indifferent to anything she mentions. When it comes to discussing the children's parents - Brick's sister and brother-in-law, Mae and Gooper, we learn Maggie's feelings on this particular subject, as Maggie likes to make her views known. She thinks they've simply brought the kids round to show off to Brick's father, Big Daddy and to show up the fact that Maggie and Brick are totally childless and therefore totally useless! She lets us know her thoughts by telling Brick it's so obvious what they're up to! and when he finally appears from out of the bathroom he says to Maggie No, I don't know what they're up to. as if he couldn't care less either. She finally lets us all know what she thinks Mae and Gooper are plotting, she tells Brick, they're up to cutting you out of your father's estate and then drops the bombshell -Now we know Big Daddy's dyin' of - cancer? As an audience, we expect Brick to take to the news badly, however, his only reaction is to ask Do we?Know Big Daddy's dyin' of cancer? When Maggie tell him that they received the report just that day, he simply says Oh? This now only leaves us to believe that Brick doesn't care who benefits from the inheritance money, but more importantly, isn't all that bothered about his father's inevitable death. We can only assume that if he does care, and is upset about it, he doesn't want to let Maggie know, even though she is his wife. This gives off a huge sense of distance between them. Maggie continues to talk and talk for another page at least, with Brick laying down on his bed, and then rolling over carefully on his side. This laid back attitude gives off a strong sense of not caring at all. He seems to dismiss everything his wife says, only asking Did you say something, Maggie? Brick's absent remarks are always lacking of any attention whatsoever. In this relationship, the only one who seems to have any problems with silences is Maggie. It is almost as if the silences are so deafening for her that she has to fill them, even if it is with her own voice. Her non- responsive husband never seems to notice how much she talks because he's never paying any attention to her. It is as if he's living in his own world, and she just happens to be there. There are even times when Brick will be looking straight through Maggie,