Tennessee Williams’ play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” explores ideas around traditional relationships and homosexual frustrations. As Williams writes in the play how homosexuality is endorsed from the characters such as through Big Daddy’s honesty with his previous experiences, he also questions the ideals of a conventional marriage. The 1958 adaptation by Richard Brooks on the other hand, reinforces traditional values and dismisses notions of homosexuality, only implying it subtly. By doing this it alters Williams critiques of marriage dysfunction and instead replaces it with a “happy ending” to please societal norms and disregarding homosexuality.
In the play, Big Daddy tries to get the “truth” out of Brick and provokes him from monotony to violence “as if a quiet mountain blew suddenly up in volcanic flame”. It goes to show that the accusation of homosexuality emotionally affects Brick so much that it gives validation for his behaviour and his rants. While Brick is in complete denial about his sexual orientation, Big Daddy goes into
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The added dialogue states how Skipper had kissed Maggie to prove that their friendship wasn’t as Brick thought it out to be, that Skipper was not the God-like figure Brick leaned on for support. No sexual intercourse occurs between Maggie and Skipper as affairs weren’t accepted during the era of this film, thus Maggie and Brick’s relationship is further justifiable as it gives a hopeful outlook on their marriage. The central conflict of the story is not the homosexuality implied in the play, but the infidelities of Skipper and Maggie. The film deviates from the play’s central idea and replaces it with football, that Brick prioritised his love for the sport- not Skipper, removing the validation of Brick’s drinking in the play, the storyline is confusing, making him pathetic and