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English: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
In Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Brick, his wife Maggie, and his father Big Daddy, all bring up the uncomfortable topic of the possible homosexuality of both Skipper, Brick’s best friend, and, possibly, Brick, himself. Brick is the main hero of the play, regardless of not being in the title. The character Brick is representing the homosexuals of the 1950s and the stigma surrounding them. The life that the character is leading symbolizes the difficulty and crisis surrounding the homosexual culture of the mid-century. It is ironic that the word “homosexuality” is not mentioned once throughout the play. However, the term queer is used a good couple of times.
There are certain lines from the play that emphasize the notion of homosexuality. For instance: “it is gently and poetically haunted by a relationship that must have involved a tenderness which was uncommon (Williams, 1).” Williams does not even state the fact that Straw and Ochello were lovers. The relation between Ochello and Straw is described as a tenderness which was quite novel. This makes it obvious that Williams is aware of the fact that homosexuality is seen with the eye of disgust by society. Further, by doing so, Williams in a way is honouring Brick's wish to portray his affection for Skipper as pure and clean. For Brick, the main focus is the bond and true love that his friendship with Skipper carries. There is no sexual element to the relationship that the two characters hold.
Brick: “One man has one great good true thing in his life. One great good thing which is true!—I had a friendship with Skipper. — You are naming it dirty!” (Williams, 27). In this particular line from the play, Brick is reacting to Maggie's remarks about his relation with Skipper. Maggie believes that there is a sexual element in the two characters' relationship. However, Brick believes that sexuality is disgusting, and he does not equate his feelings to that.
Maggie: “You two had something that had to be kept on ice, yes, incorruptible, yes!" (Williams, 27) Maggie again pinpoints the nature of Brick and Skipper's relationship. However, this time, she is deeming it to be incorruptible. Maggie wants Brick to realize and accept that there is a relationship between him and Skipper. However, Maggie's words suggest that the relationship that the two characters Brick and Skipper carry must always stay hidden from society.
Work Cited
Williams, Tennessee. Cat on a hot tin roof. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014.
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