Topic > The role of gender in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

In 1955, William won a Pulitzer Prize for his play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which mainly revolves around the lives of Maggie, Dad, Mom, Brick , Gooper and Mae. Since most of the characters are surrounded by screaming and anger, communication and the challenges associated with it are the central themes of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The characters in the play face numerous communication difficulties that constitute an obstacle to the real question of gender roles. The ability commonly associated with males or females largely defines society. Gender plays a central role in defining how different characters communicate their feelings and problems. An analysis of this drama establishes that a reader will only be able to gain insight into this drama when they shift focus to how genre shapes the events of this film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Cat on a Hot Tin Roof focuses on Maggie's feminine desires that serve as a source of gender-based distinction. Maggie is presented as a hysterical and dissatisfied character who even goes so far as to prostrate herself before Brick. Her actions allow readers to infer society's views regarding women when the work was developed. Maggie offers an understanding of the subordinate role assumed by women and their dependence on male counterparts for social validation. Additionally, Maggie suffers from bouts of hysteria, bitterness, and anxiety because the man she desires doesn't want her. In the past, society emphasized the feminine nature of such trends. Even so, the audience identifies with this heroine but is bound to be disappointed as she is helpless when it comes to her love life where she relies heavily on male approval and constantly appears helpless in her relationships. The men in this film play show strong masculinity in their relationships, as each of them is eager to impose their authority. Dad and Brick exhibit an inclination to represent narcissistic tendencies in their relationships. More specifically, Brick behaves like his father in his youth: his temperament was full of male indifference. Dad pressures Brick to give him a grandson who has the same qualities as Brick as well as his own to ensure that Dad remains immortal (Brooks 12). This type of pressure is bound to disrupt their communication as it forces both of them into a reckoning over the secrets they've kept to themselves. During the time William published the work, drunkenness was predominantly male-affiliated. In the play, Brick's drunkenness paves the way for his repression while Dad's trip to the land of death nearly removes him from the scene. Regardless of the similarities present in the relationship between Dad and Brick, their enmity becomes deeply rooted over time as they become the recipient or revealer of the other's impermissible secret. Dad expresses an unswerving intention to force Brick to admit that he wants a relationship with Skipper, his dead friend, so that Dad can receive a death sentence. Instead of giving his father another chance at life, Brick exposes Dad's secrets, a violent act, and a brutal attack on Brick's behalf. This action clearly shows that the two characters are eager to outdo each other in a showdown over masculinity. However, the strained nature of their relationship puts a strain on their communication presenting some difficulties in their ability to resolve their issues. Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is based on ideas by.