Mendacity is the act of lying and being untruthful. Everyone lies some point in their lives either to avoid a certain punishment or for a certain reward. People might also lie about being troubled in order to avoid talking about their issues with other people or because they are worried about their friends and family finding out about their issues. Mendacity is a topic that is explored in the play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Most of the characters, in one way or another, are living a lie. The question is, why are they lying to themselves and each other? Tennessee Williams demonstrates that people lie for various reasons such as to conform to social norms, to keep their identity hidden and to protect other’s feelings.
In the play many characters lie in order to conform to social norms. One specific example would be Big Daddy and his desire for conformity. He reveals to his son Brick that he hates going to church and he hates his wife, and his other son Gooper and he hates almost every aspect of his life but he endures it every day just so that he can conform to social norms.
Think of all the lies I got to put up with! Ain 't that mendacity? Having to pretend stuff you don 't think or feel or have any idea of? Having for instance to act like I care for Big Mama!—I haven 't been able to stand the sight, sound, or smell of that woman for forty years now!—even when I laid her!” (110)
Social conformity is a type of social influence that results in a change in one’s behavior or belief