Tennessee Williams is a Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright who struggled with drug use and his dysfunctional family. Williams grew up in the early 1900’s His early life likely influenced his plays, which is reflected in both The Glass Menagerie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In these novels, there are themes of family dysfunction, and often there are similarities to Williams’ own childhood: for example, the frequency of drugs and alcohol and the strange dynamic of the families in the novels. Additionally, both plays are hard-hitting on sexuality and love. All of these are examples of how Williams challengers his time period’s values by writing about controversial issues.
Williams’ Life Experiences
Williams was born in 1911 in Mississippi, but later …show more content…
First, there is a common theme of parent/ child relationships. One source argues that in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, the father/ son relationship between Brick and Big Daddy is narcissistic (AP 2013). Big Daddy has obviously chosen Brick as a favorite son, and from him he desperately wants a grandson. Big Daddy sees himself in his son, Brick, and if given a grandson from him, Big Daddy feels his lineage can survive forever. Soon after, Big Daddy is presented with two obstacles: Brick’s homosexual desires and his inevitable death. Both of which ruin Big Daddy’s chances of his lineage surviving. In the end, Maggie answers Big Daddy’s prayers: she tells him she is pregnant. This lie forces Brick to sleep with Maggie until she becomes pregnant, because this is Big Daddy’s dying wish. Likewise, in The Glass Menagerie, Laura’s mother attempts to model Laura after herself. She wants her to have gentleman callers, conversational skill, and be just as she was at her age. Again, the child gets in the way of the parent’s dream: Laura quits business school and receives no gentleman callers. Much to her mother’s chagrin, all Laura seems to want to do is play records and stare at her glass. All of his families seem share a common tragedy: struggling towards a better life, but finding only inevitable …show more content…
In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Glass Menagerie there is a common symbol of flowers. Given that Williams’ sister is named Rose; the roses in the story could be a representation for her. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof describes the permeating smell of roses (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). In The Glass Menagerie Laura’s nickname “blue roses” could represent mental illness, another controversial issue in Williams’ time. Brick’s crutch in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof represents his masculinity and power. Throughout the play when negotiating with Maggie or Big Daddy, they take his crutch from him: Therefore, emasculating him and having power over him. This may also be a hint at homosexual undertones. The glass menagerie Laura holds so near and dear is representative of her innocence and virginity. Never having had a “gentleman caller” before, she keeps her focus on her glass collection. After her favorite piece, the glass unicorn, loses its horn, this symbolizes Laura’s loss of her innocence and her first loss of love. In addition, the collection being made of glass symbolizes fragility, as Laura is crippled and has a very fragile innocence about
Williams’ Life Experiences
Williams was born in 1911 in Mississippi, but later …show more content…
First, there is a common theme of parent/ child relationships. One source argues that in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, the father/ son relationship between Brick and Big Daddy is narcissistic (AP 2013). Big Daddy has obviously chosen Brick as a favorite son, and from him he desperately wants a grandson. Big Daddy sees himself in his son, Brick, and if given a grandson from him, Big Daddy feels his lineage can survive forever. Soon after, Big Daddy is presented with two obstacles: Brick’s homosexual desires and his inevitable death. Both of which ruin Big Daddy’s chances of his lineage surviving. In the end, Maggie answers Big Daddy’s prayers: she tells him she is pregnant. This lie forces Brick to sleep with Maggie until she becomes pregnant, because this is Big Daddy’s dying wish. Likewise, in The Glass Menagerie, Laura’s mother attempts to model Laura after herself. She wants her to have gentleman callers, conversational skill, and be just as she was at her age. Again, the child gets in the way of the parent’s dream: Laura quits business school and receives no gentleman callers. Much to her mother’s chagrin, all Laura seems to want to do is play records and stare at her glass. All of his families seem share a common tragedy: struggling towards a better life, but finding only inevitable …show more content…
In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Glass Menagerie there is a common symbol of flowers. Given that Williams’ sister is named Rose; the roses in the story could be a representation for her. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof describes the permeating smell of roses (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). In The Glass Menagerie Laura’s nickname “blue roses” could represent mental illness, another controversial issue in Williams’ time. Brick’s crutch in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof represents his masculinity and power. Throughout the play when negotiating with Maggie or Big Daddy, they take his crutch from him: Therefore, emasculating him and having power over him. This may also be a hint at homosexual undertones. The glass menagerie Laura holds so near and dear is representative of her innocence and virginity. Never having had a “gentleman caller” before, she keeps her focus on her glass collection. After her favorite piece, the glass unicorn, loses its horn, this symbolizes Laura’s loss of her innocence and her first loss of love. In addition, the collection being made of glass symbolizes fragility, as Laura is crippled and has a very fragile innocence about