Cat On A Hot Tin Roof Themes

Spring 2023 Research Paper

Tennessee Williams is a renowned American playwright whose works have captivated audiences for decades. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," one of his most famous plays, explores complex themes of family, identity, and the American Dream. Williams' writing reflects the societal issues, historical events, and literary movements of his time. This research paper will look at how Williams was influenced by his surroundings and how these influences shaped the themes and characters in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and other literary works. This paper will show how Williams skillfully weaves together these influences to create a timeless work of literature by analyzing the play's characters, setting, and symbolism. By exploring the historical

Williams’ play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, written between 1953 and 1955, derived many of its themes from the Cold War. "The Cold War between the US and the USSR was raging, the Soviet Union was developing its own atomic bombs, and America itself seemed riven by internecine suspicions and conflicts surrounding suspected Communist activity" (Tearle, A Summary and Analysis of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof).The fear of communism infiltrating the country led to investigations into government officials' political beliefs, leading to anti-homosexual purges of federal workers, dubbed the "lavender scare" (Course Hero). In the play, Brick expresses his frustration about how his friendship with Skipper was looked on with suspicion, and Williams explores how homophobia and other social mores during the Cold War had a devastating effect on people. Furthermore, the play highlights the pressure to conform to societal norms, such as having a monogamous marriage, and how individuals struggled to navigate these

Williams' signature style of poetic realism is evident in the play's portrayal of the emotional struggles of its characters. Additionally, the influence of Greek tragedy can be seen in the play's structure, with the use of a chorus-like character in the form of the maid, and the portrayal of the decline and eventual downfall of the protagonist. Williams also utilizes colloquial Southern dialect in the dialogue, which helps to establish the play's setting and characters. As R. Palmer notes, "the Williams films were, stylistically speaking, hardly provocative or influential beyond national borders," suggesting that while Williams' work may have been groundbreaking within American literature, its influence on a global scale may have been limited (Palmer