Section A: Drama
Tennessee Williams: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Maggie: You know, our sex life didn't just peter out in the usual way, it was cut off short, long
before the natural time for it to, and it's going to revive again, just as sudden as that. I'm confident of
it. That's what I'm keeping myself attractive for. For the time when you'll see me again like other
men see me. Yes, like other men see me. They still see me, Brick, and they like what they see. Uh-
huh. Some of them would give their--Look, Brick!
[She stands before the long oval mirror, touches her breast and then her hips with her two hands.]
How high my body stays on me!--Nothing has fallen on me--not a fraction–
[Her voice is soft and trembling--a pleading child's. At this moment as he turns to glance at her--a
look which is like a player passing a ball to another player, third down and goal to go--she has to
capture the audience in a grip so tight that she can hold it till the first intermission without any lapse
of attention.]
Other men still want me. My face looks strained, sometimes, but I've kept my figure as well as you've
kept yours, and men admire it. I still turn heads on the street. Why, last week in Memphis everywhere
that I went men's eyes burned holes in my clothes, at the country club and in restaurants and
department stores, there wasn't a man I met or walked by that didn't just eat me up with his eyes and
turn around when I passed him and look back at me. Why, at Alice's party for her New York cousins,
the best lookin' man in the crowd--followed me upstairs and tried to force his way in the powder room
with me, followed me to the door and tried to force his way in!
BRICK: Why didn't you let him, Maggie?
MARGARET: Because I'm not that common, for one thing. Not that I wasn't almost tempted to. You
like to know who it was? It was Sonny Boy Maxwell, that's who!
BRICK: Oh, yeah, Sonny Boy Maxwell, he was a good end-runner but had a little injury to his back
and had to quit.
MARGARET: He has no injury now and has no wife and still has a lech for me!
BRICK: I see no reason to lock him out of a powder room in that case.
MARGARET: And have someone catch me at it? I'm not that stupid. Oh, I might some time cheat on
you with someone, since you're so insultingly eager to have me do it!--But if I do, you can be damned
sure it will be in a place and a time where no one but me and the man could possibly know. Because
I'm not going to give you any excuse to divorce me for being unfaithful or anything else....
BRICK: Maggie, I wouldn't divorce you for being unfaithful or anything else. Don't you know that?
Hell. I'd be relieved to know that you'd found yourself a lover.
MARGARET: Well, I'm taking no chances. No, I'd rather stay on this hot tin roof. BRICK: A hot tin
roof's 'n uncomfo'table place t' stay on....
[He starts to whistle softly.]
MARGARET [through his whistle]: Yeah, but I can stay on it just as long as I have to.
BRICK: You could leave me, Maggie.
[He resumes whistle. She wheels about to glare at him.]
MARGARET: Don't want to and will not! Besides if I did, you don't have a cent to pay for it but what
you get from Big Daddy and he's dying of cancer!
[For the first time a realisation of Big Daddy's doom seems to penetrate to Brick's consciousness,
visibly, and he looks at Margaret.]
EXTRACT ANALYSIS
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1. **"You know, our sex life didn't just peter out in the usual way, it was cut off short, long
before the natural time for it to..."**
Williams’ use of “peter out” and “cut off short” conveys a harsh, premature severing of
intimacy, with "peter out" suggesting an emasculating decline and “cut off” evoking brutality,
as if something essential was forcibly removed. By contrasting these terms with "the natural
time for it to," Maggie implies a broken trajectory in their relationship, emphasizing her
frustration at this unfulfilled expectation. Psychoanalytically, Maggie's language highlights a
wound, one that implies an attachment to Brick tied deeply to sexual identity. For readers,
the image of an intimacy that was “cut off” jars, as it feels abrupt and unsettling; it challenges
societal norms, particularly for a 1950s audience, by openly acknowledging sexual needs.
Maggie’s transparency may evoke both empathy and discomfort, pushing the audience to
confront her vulnerability within the restrictive framework of her marriage.
2. **"I'm keeping myself attractive... For the time when you'll see me again like other men
see me."**
Here, the phrase "keeping myself attractive" underscores Maggie's need to embody a
socially approved standard of beauty, hinting at an underlying insecurity that drives her
actions. The repetition of “like other men see me” intensifies this insecurity, as Maggie’s plea
reflects her desperation for Brick’s validation despite receiving admiration from “other men.”
Through a feminist lens, Maggie’s statement reveals the societal objectification of women, as
she equates her worth with her ability to be seen as beautiful by Brick. The audience may
experience tension, sensing her discomfort in being trapped in a marital role that denies her
genuine connection, despite her adherence to societal beauty norms. This duality—being
seen yet feeling invisible—creates a poignant sense of loneliness that resonates with
readers, who witness her clinging to this idealized vision of herself that Brick no longer
perceives.
3. **"How high my body stays on me!--Nothing has fallen on me--not a fraction."**
Maggie’s observation of her body "staying high" reflects her resistance to the inevitable
changes of aging, with “nothing has fallen” implying a state of arrested youth. The choice of
“high” and “fallen” conveys an almost defiant triumph over time, as if her physical
appearance is a trophy she is unwilling to surrender. Structurally, Williams positions this
reflection as a moment of self-assurance, yet it is tinged with a desperate fragility,
suggesting that Maggie’s confidence is rooted in a need for validation. The word “fraction”
accentuates her meticulous scrutiny, exposing a hyper-awareness that mirrors societal
pressure on women to defy age. For readers, Maggie’s self-assessment is both impressive
and tragic, as it speaks to a societal expectation that women’s value diminishes with age—a
pressure that isolates her further from the indifferent Brick.
4. **"At this moment as he turns to glance at her—a look which is like a player passing a ball
to another player, third down and goal to go..."**
By comparing Brick’s glance to a “player passing a ball,” Williams presents Brick’s
engagement as transactional and detached, evoking a sports-like, mechanical interaction
that starkly contrasts Maggie’s yearning for emotional connection. The phrase “third down
and goal to go” underscores Brick's disengagement, emphasizing how his attention is as
fleeting as a sports play, underscoring his apathy toward her advances. From a
psychoanalytic perspective, Brick’s passivity suggests a deeper detachment rooted in
unresolved trauma or repression, potentially tied to his complex past with Skipper. The
audience may feel a sense of despair for Maggie, who is trying to connect with a partner that
views her attempts as mundane. This limited, passing interaction underscores their relational
impasse, stirring both empathy and frustration in readers.
5. **"My face looks strained, sometimes, but I've kept my figure as well as you've kept yours,
and men admire it."**
The word “strained” is significant as it reflects the toll of Maggie’s efforts to remain
attractive while concealing inner dissatisfaction. Her comment about “keeping” her figure like
Brick’s hints at competition within the marriage, as if physical maintenance is a way to prove
her worth. The phrase “men admire it” highlights her validation from others, intensifying the
disconnection as she seeks affirmation outside her marriage. A feminist reading may
suggest that Maggie’s fixation on appearance signifies her subjugation to societal
expectations that equate feminine worth with physical appeal. For the audience, her self-
comparison with Brick invites empathy; while Brick’s athleticism is celebrated, Maggie’s
appearance becomes her sole source of value, spotlighting gendered disparities and
drawing attention to her repressed identity within the marriage.
6. **"Last week in Memphis everywhere that I went men's eyes burned holes in my
clothes."**
The imagery of “men's eyes burned holes in my clothes” conjures a disturbing image of
objectification, as if Maggie is stripped bare under the scrutiny of male desire. “Burned holes”
suggests both an unwanted intensity and a violation of personal space, highlighting Maggie’s
self-consciousness under this gaze. Lacanian theory might interpret Maggie’s discomfort as
a symptom of her lack of wholeness; she remains a fragmented self, defined by how others
see her. For the audience, the image is unsettling, underscoring how the male gaze isolates
her and aggravates her dissatisfaction with Brick’s lack of attention. Williams’ choice to use
language that borders on violation heightens Maggie’s vulnerability, as readers sense her
desperation for meaningful recognition beyond superficial attraction.
7. **"You like to know who it was? It was Sonny Boy Maxwell, that's who!"**
Maggie’s defiant tone in naming Sonny Boy Maxwell indicates her attempt to provoke
Brick, using male attention to evoke jealousy. The familiar name, “Sonny Boy Maxwell,”
embodies an idealized masculinity, symbolizing an alternative to Brick’s indifference. Her
challenge, “you like to know who it was?” reflects her desire for a reaction, hoping Brick will
validate her worth by expressing even mild possessiveness. Through a Marxist lens, this
exchange reveals Maggie’s commodification of herself as a means to win value from Brick,
reflecting how relationships can be reduced to transactional exchanges of worth. For
readers, the taunting nature of this statement exposes Maggie’s desperation, her plea for
attention veiled as boldness, evoking both pity and admiration for her resilience.
8. **"Hell. I'd be relieved to know that you'd found yourself a lover."**
Brick’s dismissive response to Maggie’s hypothetical infidelity shows his profound
emotional detachment, with “relieved” suggesting that her finding a lover would free him from
any remaining marital obligation. The blunt tone in “Hell” conveys an apathy that undermines
traditional notions of possessiveness or jealousy in marriage. A psychoanalytic perspective
might interpret Brick’s disinterest as a form of repression or denial, where his unresolved
feelings for Skipper prevent him from forming a genuine connection with Maggie. For the
audience, this line shocks as it defies the expected response, highlighting Brick’s
detachment as a tragic flaw. Maggie’s resilience is cast into sharp relief against Brick’s
indifference, creating a painful contrast that underscores the futility of her efforts to rekindle
intimacy.
9. **"Well, I'm taking no chances... I'd rather stay on this hot tin roof."**
By referring to her marital loyalty as a “hot tin roof,” Maggie captures the volatility and
discomfort of her relationship with Brick, where commitment is both confining and
precarious. The phrase “taking no chances” suggests her fear of risking stability, as leaving
would disrupt her place within Big Daddy’s fortune. Structurally, Maggie’s assertion that
she’ll stay “as long as I have to” signals both determination and resignation, highlighting her
complex relationship with survival and pride. From a feminist perspective, her unwillingness
to give Brick a reason to divorce her speaks to the limited agency women hold in securing
social and financial security. For the audience, Maggie’s resilience may evoke admiration, as
she endures hardship rather than surrender, embodying a tenacious self-preservation within
a relationship that lacks love or security.
10. **"Besides if I did, you don't have a cent to pay for it but what you get from Big
Daddy..."**
Here, Maggie’s pointed reminder of Brick’s financial reliance on Big Daddy adds a layer of
bitterness, positioning her as more realistic and strategic within their marriage. The phrase
“you don’t have a cent” underscores Brick’s vulnerability and suggests that their marriage’s
survival hinges on Big Daddy’s wealth rather than mutual affection. This pragmatic stance
reveals Maggie’s awareness of the power dynamics at play, subtly reminding Brick of his
dependency while exposing the material underpinnings of their relationship. A Marxist
analysis might suggest that Maggie’s pragmatism reveals the commodification of
relationships in a capitalist society, where personal bonds are subjugated to financial
considerations. For readers, her comment illuminates the transactional nature of their union,
evoking both sympathy for her resourcefulness and sorrow for the lack of genuine
connection.
