Cat On A Hot Tin Roof Comparison

Tennessee Williams critically acclaimed play Cat On a Hot Tin Roof explores the mendacity that arises from the wealth and greed of the Pollitt family in the 1950s as well as the damage it causes to the relationship between husband and wife and father and son. The damaged relationships and mendacity by wealth are reflected throughout the adaptations of the play, particularly in the film directed by Richard Brooks. In exploring how the meaning of a texts changes when the form of a text changes, it is worth mentioning how Cat On a Hot Tin Roof meaning is altered by Richard Brooks adaption. The meaning of Brook’s adaption intended to enable a critique of wealth and it’s inability to replace love and happiness as well as it’s inability to hide

Brooks ensures that the film is focused centrally on the conflicted interests of the relationship between Brick and Maggie as a couple in the 1950s, rather than a complex critique of the damage that the social pressures cause individuals] Brook’s adaptation of the text opening scene is with Brick on the athletics track and this puts emphasis on Brick and his desire to fulfil his expected athleticism which is juxtaposed with the alcohol he is drinking, symbolic of his failed career. Brick fulfilled the idea of a 1950’s successful man as he had a strong career as a legendary player for the Dixie Stars, therefore being able to provide for his wife. In Williams play, however, the opening scene is centered around Maggie and Brick’s wilting relationship. Through Williams stage directions, Maggie is shown to be feminine as she has ‘little wordless singing’ [PAGE] and also to be headstrong and opinionated through her characterisation of everyone. Maggie is the central figure in the first Act as she continuously maunders about the other character and Brick merely replies with ‘feigned interest, masking indifference’. This illustrates the distance between the married