Shift in Expectation of Family Roles in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, by Tennessee Williams - Essay Example

Shift in Expectation of Family Roles in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, by Tennessee Williams “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, is a play written by Tennessee Williams. William was born and raised in Columbus by a dysfunctional family. His father was a drunk and constant gambler and always kept them shifting from one place to another while escaping to pay those who he owed. His sister was schizophrenic and at one point, had a frontal lobectomy done after her mother agreed to it. Based on “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, Williams portrays the life of characters that existed in a dysfunctional family. Set in the 1950’s, Brick is a drunk and and proclaimed athlete. He is married to Maggie, a wife whom she did not love after he discovered that he had cheated on him with Skipper. Brick had a brother, Gooper, who had a wife, Mae, and children. Anyway, Brick and Gooper were the children of Big Daddy, who had cancer and mama (William 23). As the play continues, lots of drama continues as they assemble in a room to decide on the will and who to take Big Daddy’s property. Based on the play, it appears that each member of the family had a role to play, and depict those who had more important roles than the others. In the family, the leading role is played by Bid Daddy and the rest are under him (William 40). In regard to the thesis of the essay, we shall discuss each member of the family unit carriers a role which adapts to hierarchy of authority, while paying more emphasis to Goobers character. Goobers play an important role in the play in regard to family roles. Gooper is the first born son of Big Daddy and Big Mama. He has managed to become a successful and respected corporate lawyer in town. Gooper realizes that he is not the favorite’s son like Brick in the eyes of his parents. In the realization that his father was dying, wanted to take that opportunity to seize control of the family’s estate and push Brick away (Roudane 45). Gooper is a responsible person and a family man with children. The relationship between Big Daddy and Goober was not that close the way Big Daddy was with Brick. Goober is somehow joyous when the cancer news reached upon him since he knew his time to prove his might in the family as the eldest son. Gooper had hoped that becoming successful in life as a lawyer and getting his parents grandchildren would earn a place in his parents love, but that was not the case, as both parents loved Brick, no matter his faults. In the play, Margaret says “Big Daddy's made no will? Big Daddy's never made out any will in his life, and so this campaign's afoot to impress him” (89). This quote explains that Big Daddy had never been amused by Gooper’s success and only loved Brick no matter his problems. The play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” depicts family roles that existed during the 1950’s. Basically, a family comprises of parents and children. In the play, Big Daddy and Mama were parents to Gooper and Brick. Gooper and Mae had children of their own. Brick and Maggie were married, though did not have kids of their own. Brick takes the role as the second born in the family, after Gooper. He is drunk, and his marriage is not stable since he seems not in love with Maggie. Anyway, apart from his habits, he is still the loved one in the family. “Skipper is dead! I’m alive! Maggie the cat is alive!” (Williams 23). Maggie’s role was supposed to be that of a wife, something which she failed after she went between the homosexual friendship that existed between Brick and skipper. Big Daddy is the overall head of the family, and regarded as old fashioned. In the story, it is revealed to the audience that he is a millionaire. Mama on the other hand is fat women, who constantly obeyed her husband no matter what he did for him. He loves Brick and regards him as his “only son” (Stout 22) As Big Daddy is approaching to die of cancer, the hierarchy of the family is at stake since he was the one holding the family as the head. Gooper as the elder son, in the 1950’s, hierarchy was supposed to be bestowed upon him by the family, but that is not the case here. When he presents his will to the mother, it is dismissed and only Brick’s will is the one which Mama will approve. Basically, the next person in hierarchy after Big Daddy, is Brick, then Mama, then Gooper, the wives and later the children in that order. In the 1950’s family, boys usually took the leading role and women came after. This is the reason why Big Mama holds a meeting and directly has a positive liking for Brick to take over the management of the estates no matter Gooper’s efforts. Big Mama does not see herself ready to take over from her husband because the 1950s, women were meant to be seen, not to be heard. The society favored the male child more than the female. In conclusion, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is an interesting plays which portrays the inner life of a dysfunctional family. In e the family, family roles are depicted and how they contributed to the family. Big Daddy, though seen as the head of family, wanted Brick to be in charge of the household after he dies. Mama is in support of that decision too (Roudane 89). Gooper, though the first born, takes the role of the son who is not loved by the parents amidst his success in life. The women take up the roles of child bearers in the family. Mae had children, but Maggie did not have and hence felt to be the odd one out in the family, that is why she constantly pestered Brick to give her a child. Amidst all the dramas that unfold in the family, it is hence a fact that each member of the family unit carries a role which adapts to hierarchy of authority. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee William. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Print. Roudané, Matthew C. The Cambridge Companion to Tennessee Williams. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Print. Stout, Edward. An Analysis of the Controversy Surrounding "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" by Tennessee Williams with an Emphasis on His Ideals of Playwriting. New York: St. Meinrad College, 1973. Print. Williams, Tennessee. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. New York: New Directions Publishing, 2004. Print Read More