Lit Anal Spring Semester #1

  “Cat on the Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee Williams

GENERAL
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

The play “Cat on the Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee William shows  dysfunctional family that is forced to hide through deceptions and hypocrisy. The story takes place in Big Daddy's cotton plantation in Mississippi, Delta, and and also in Margaret and Brick’ bedroom. Brick and Margaret came back to celebrate Big Daddy's sixty fifth birthday. As well as Gooper (Brick's brother), Mae and their five children. The truth deep under the harmony cover is evil and ugly. Big Daddy has been sick for very long time. Big Mama and Big Daddy were informed that he is sick of spastic colon. However, they plan to tell Big Daddy that he has been diagnosed of cancer and he will be dying soon. Everyone is fighting to get Big Daddy's inheritance. Margaret is jealousy of Mae; because they have five children. Since she doesn't have child, Margaret believes that they has disadvantage to receive Big Daddy's inheritance. During the birthday party, Big Daddy tries to have a conversation with Brick. Other family believes that Brick has an abnormal friendship with Skipper. Brick refused to talk about Skipper, who has died. And that is the biggest cause of Brick's alcoholism. Brick told Big Daddy the truth; Big Daddy is devastated by the news. Margaret announces that she is pregnant; Gooper and Mae knew that she was lying. The play ends with Margaret says that she loves Brick and tries to make her lie true. Brick replies with "Wouldn't it be funny if that were true?"

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid clichés.

The main themes of this play are mendacity, death and alcoholism. Pollitt's family is full with deceptions. The children lie about Big Daddy's cancer. Big Daddy doesn't love Big Mama, but he pretends that he cares about her. In addition, the biggest lie Margaret told is that she is pregnant, which is impossible. Brick never sleep with Margaret ever since they married. Brick is a “broke man”. He is unable to get himself back after his best friend Skipper’s death. Brick tries to find his way out of mendacity through alcohol and death. Death and alcohol can’t resolve the problems but creates conflicts. Problems remain unsolvable if everyone avoids facing the conflict. Greed is another theme of the play. They all try to get Big Daddy’s inheritance. In other words, the ugliest truth is buried by beautiful lies.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

I think author's tone is vicious and melodramatic. In a plantation house, the family is celebrating the sixty fifth birthday of the Big Daddy, they are flattering Big Daddy and try to get advantage to inherit his properties. For Gooper and Mae, they think they have the advantage which is their kids. And Mae uses lots of vicious actions/words to remind Margaret that they don't have kid. Their greed for inheritance elicits the ferocious and evil part of humanity. They all lives as a cat, who scream, scratch to get out the cage they live in. They are uncomfortable and insecure as the proverbial "cat on a hot tin roof."Furthermore, I think not only those characters are very dramatic and plot of the play is very dramatic as well. For example: Big Mama and Big Daddy. Big Daddy leaves the party after he found out he is dying of cancer. Then, after a while, he came back and accepted this devastating news.

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

---Direct Characterization:

 (Act 1, Pgs 29)--- “I’m sorry. I never could keep my fingers off a sore—I wish you would lose your looks. If you did it would make the martyrdom of Saint Maggie a little more bearable. But no such goddam luck. I actually believe you’ve gotten better looking since you've gone on the bottle. Yeah, a person who didn't know you would think you’d never had a tense nerve in you body or a strained muscle.” (Brick is a good-looking man. Even though, he is a heavy drinker; he is still in good-shape.)

---Indirect Characterization:

(Act 1, Pgs 21)--- “Well, you’ve been doin’ just about ev’rything in your power to bring it about, you’ve been doin’ ev’rything you can think of to aid and abet them in this scheme of theirs! Quit-tin’ work, devoting yourself to the occupation of drinkin’!—Breakin’ out ankle last night so the high school athletic field: doin’ what? Jumpin’ hurdles? At two or three in the morning? Just fantastic! Got in the paper.” (Margaret reveals that Brick is a “broken man”. Physically, he broke his ankles by jumping hurdles in school athletic field. Brick is also alcoholic.)

---Narrative:

   (Act 1, Pgs 1)--- “At the rise of the curtain someone is taking a shower in the bathroom, the door of which is half open. Margaret’s voice is both rapid and drawling. In her long speeches she has the vocal trick of a priest delivering a liturgical chant, the lines are almost sung...Water turns off and Brick calls out to her, but is still unseen...” (This is the opening of the play, it is very imaginary. Since it is a play, the speaker/narrator talk’s aside the stage.)

---Setting: The story mainly takes place in Brick and Margaret’s bedroom; because Brick broke his ankle. The family in the play similar to that of the typical 1950’s family by Big Daddy has power to control; Margaret and Brick doesn’t divorced even though they broke up physically and mentally. They don’t love each other but they still stay together. Whole family can’t accept Brick's abnormal relationship with Skipper. Also, Big Mama and Mae are kind of typical women in 1950’s. They listen and respect their husband.

---Simile:

(Act 2, Pgs 120-121) “What's that smell in this room? Didn't you notice it Brick? Didn't you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity...You can smell it. It smells like death.” (Big Daddy starts a conversation with Brick. He emphasizes that mendacity smells like death.)

---Hyperbole:

(Act 1, Pgs 18)—“I tell you I got so nervous at the table tonight I thought I would throw back my head and utter a scream you could hear across the Arkansas border an’ parts of Louisiana an’ Tennessee.”

---Juxtaposition:

(Act 1, Pgs 35)— “One man has one great good true thing in his life. One great good thing which is true! I had friendship with Skipper. You are namin' it dirty!” (When Margaret tries to talk about Skipper with Brick. Brick picks up his crutch and threat Margaret to stop about it.)

---Metaphor:

(Act 1, Pgs 31)—“What is the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof? —I wish I knew...Just staying on it, I guess, as long as she can...” (Margaret compares herself with a cat on a hot tin roof.)

---Compare/Contrast:

  Big Daddy and Brick shares lots of characteristics. For examples: Both of them are very “cool” to their life. They are stubborn of their belief. Also they are suffering of some degrees of sickness. Brick broken his ankle and Big Daddy is suffering of cancer. The differences between them are Brick has no desire for anything. He doesn't care if he will inherit Big Daddy's inheritance. In other hand, Big Daddy has desire for money, power and life. He wants to live longer and enjoy his life time. 

---Repetition/Restatement:

  (Act 1, Pgs 32)— “Oh, excuse me, forgive me, but laws of silence don't work! No, laws of silence don’t work... Laws of silence don't work...When something is festering in your memory or your imagination, laws of silence don't work, it’s just like shutting a door and locking it on a house on fire in hope of forgetting that the house is burning. But not facing a fire doesn’t put it out. Silence about a thing just magnifies it. It grows and festers in silence, becomes malignant...” (Margaret tries to make Brick to face the fact that Skipper died. Brick refused to talk about Skipper and Margaret tells him that: ‘law of silence don’t work!’.)

CHARACTERIZATION

1    1.    Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

---Direct Characterization:

(Act 1, pgs 1) “Margaret’s voice is both rapid and drawling. In her long speeches she has the vocal tricks of a priest delivering a liturgical chant, the lines are almost sung, always continuing a little beyond her breath so her has to gasp for another. Sometimes she intersperses the lines with a little wordless singing, such a ‘Da-da-daaaa!’)

(Act 1, pgs 1) “Water turns off and Brick calls out to her but is still unseen. A tone of politely feigned interest, masking indifference, or worse, is characteristic of his speech with Margaret.”

---Indirect Characterization:

  (Act 2, p. 86) "Life is important. There's nothing else to hold on onto."Big Daddy gives his advice to Brick.”&"The human animal is a beast that dies but the fact that he's dying don't give him pity for others, no sir." 

  (Act 1, pg 29) “I wish you would lost your looks. If you did it would make the martyrdom of Saint Maggie a little more bearable. But no such goddam luck. I actually believe you’ve gotten better looking since you've gone on the bottle. Yeah, a person who didn't know you would think you’d never had a tense nerve in you body or a strained muscle.”

---I have complex impression toward these three characters: Big Daddy, Brick and Margaret. I don't like all of these characters when I just met them. As I read more about them, I developed a complex impression. For example: Big Daddy. I don’t like his androcentrism. He pretends that he cares about Big Mama, which he doesn’t. But, he does care about Brick, his son. The advice he gives to Brick is very meaningful.

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

 Author doesn’t change her syntax/diction change when she focuses on character.

(Act 1, Pgs 21)--- “Well, you’ve been doin’ just about ev’rything in your power to bring it about, you’ve been doin’ ev’rything you can think of to aid and abet them in this scheme of theirs! Quit-tin’ work, devoting yourself to the occupation of drinkin’!—Breakin’ out ankle last night so the high school athletic field: doin’ what? Jumpin’ hurdles? At two or three in the morning? Just fantastic! Got in the paper.”

(Act 2, pg 99)— “I'd better sit by myself till I hear that click in my head, it's just a mechanical thing but it don't happen except when I'm alone or talking to no one.”

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.

The protagonist, Brick is a static but round character. Brick was a handsome, athletic man. However, after his best friend died, he totally gives up his life; and he also think his wife betrayed him. All of these conflicts destroy him. Brick refused to face to conflict ever since then. He become alcoholic. Brick says that “A click that I get in my head that makes me peaceful.” The crutch in the play not only shows that Brick broke his ankles. It also symbolizes that his broke within his heart. Furthermore, when every family is fighting over Big Daddy's inheritance. Brick has no desire of money, land and women.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

  I felt that I want to meet Big Daddy, Brick and Margaret. The quote: “Ha, ha!-Pleasure!-pleasure with women! Yes, boy. I’ll tell you something that you might not guess. I still have desire for women and this is my sixty fifth birthday!” That is biggest reason I can overturn my stereotyping opinion on Big Daddy. I think he is disloyal to his marriage. But, I still want to meet him and ask why he can still live with Big Mama even though he doesn't love her at all. And I really want to meet Brick and Margaret. I do believe that Margaret loves Brick. And for Brick's attitude toward Margaret is still ambiguous at the end of the play. When Margaret asks Brick to make her lie true. He says: “Wouldn't it be funny if that were true?” It also makes me think, is there a true that we can believe?