Human Alienation in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

罗康特

【Abstract】This study will focus on human alienation in Tennessee Williams by studying Cat on a Hot Tin Roof， in which Williams showed his sympathy for the alienated characters and the nostalgia for the past. The three characters： Maggie， Brick and Big Daddy suffered from alienation because of their unmet desires. Their problems are typical in human and are relevant in modernized world since they show the contradictions between social norms and humanity.

【Key words】Tennessee Williams； Alienation； Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Introduction

Tennessee Williams reached his second peak in career by Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In 1955， this play earned him the second Pulitzer award. At the same year， Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was altered into a play and ever since it has been performed in Broadway for more than 700 times. In 1958， Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor played as Brick and Maggie in the adapted movie. Directed by Richard Brooks， the movie was a huge success and was nominated for seven Oscar awards.

Human alienation

According to Erich Seligmann Fromm， a German social psychologist， though productivity is growing rapidly， people still lead unhappy live because they are lonely and isolated in spirit.

Human alienation is about the paradox between individualism and loneliness. Fromm pointed out some people may give up freedom to alienation； Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof chose to escape from his nature. His evasion is the basis of the play.

1. Desire for property and affection： Maggie

Maggie is an alienated character. But in readers eyes， the strange relationship between her and Brick may make her more beautiful and desirable： Williams made Maggie an independent， tough and beautifully sly woman by showing us that Maggie had tried every method to make Brick loves her simply because she must depend on him. Though she behaves madly and sometimes she talks like a masochism， readers like her. She is a woman who is more beautiful and desirable in jealousy， lust and craziness.

Maggie is also alienated for her being childless. Maggies childlessness makes her an unqualified daughter-in-law in a big family. Compared to productive Mae， her sister-in-law， Maggie has no advantage of sharing the property of Big Daddy. Without a child， her place and money are not assured. Thats also the reason why she would lie about pregnancy in the end of the play.

2. Failure of self-identification and past wonderful days： Brick

Brick is an alienated character because he denies his desires. After Skipper died， Brick desperately withdrawn from the outside world and turn to liquor for escape. Brick and Skipper had romantic affection for each other， but under the regulation of social norms， Brick fails to recognize it， consequently he took this affection as taboo and refused to talk about it.

Brick is alienated because the past wonderful days are gone. In the beginning of the play， Brick break his leg in the sports field. His injury symbolizes the death of the past days. In the old beautiful days， accompanied by his friend Skipper， Brick achieved his career success in sports and he felt healthy and clean. Now Skipper is died， he saw himself a sinner， and the world filthy mendacity. Consequently， as a member of sexual minority， Brick performs self-negation by excessive drinking. He is alienated from inside.

3. An alienated patriarch： Big Daddy

Big Daddy is a native-born Mississippi plantation landlord， another alienated character. He is alienated because of his vulgarity and rudeness. In act two， when Big Daddy was not aware his death is near， he was leading a luxurious life. He confessed to Brick that he never loved Big Mama， instead he wanted to have fun at all expenses no matter how violent and vulgar he needed to be. He confessed that he wants to sleep with a beautiful woman， and “smother her in minks”， “choke her with diamonds”. Big Daddy materializes woman and is alienated from the world of civilization.

Big Daddy is an alienated patriarch in the family. On the one hand， he ignores the woman who loves him： Big Mama. On the other hand， he adores his daughter-in-law Maggie， who only flatters him for his property. In addition， the barrier between him and Brick makes him unable to develop a healthy father-son relationship.

Fortunately， because his industry is based on the land of a gay couple， Big Daddy eventually shows understanding for Brick， which brings a faint hope to the family.

Conclusion

In Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof， Maggie， Brick and Big Daddy are all alienated to some extent. They were alienated for overwhelming desires， self-negation and distorted value. In this play， Pollitts is a rich family but those people in it are not happy. Their unmet desires lead them to the alienated situation. Luckily， their problems may be solved in the end since Big Daddy understands Brick and his desire.

References：

[1]Dong，Yan.“An Analysis of Brick in Cat on the Hot Tin Roof”[J].Overseas English，2015，（08）：147-150.

[2]Lahr，John.Tennessee Williams：Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh[M].New York：W.W.Norton&Company，2014.

[3]Ross，Eloise.“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof：Desire in the Unhappy Family”[J].Screen Education，2015，（76）：110-115.

[4]Williams，Tennessee.Cat on a Hot Tin Roof[M].London：Penguin Group，2009.