Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

I want to start my blog on this play by saying that Cat On A Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams is thus far my favorite play that we have studied throughout this class time. The entertainment value of the play was remarkable and I imagine this play being produced over and over again around the world. I think Tennessee's writing style really added a flair to the play that I have not seen up until this point in any of the other plays that I have read for this class.

I really enjoyed the small bits of comic relief throughout this very dramatic play. I was very intrigued by the way the playwright tackled social issues with a real sense of reality and rawness. I think this play dug very deep to show how families, especially in the south really handle things and how things are swept under the rug just to save face and not "embarrass" your family. Personally the competition that Gooper and Mae had going on in their own mind with Brick and Maggie reminded me of some of my in-laws and how they act towards my husband and I. That part of the play really hit home for me and drew me in even closer to the play and made me have a connection with this play that I have not had with the others. It was more personal and more relatable to me because it was an experience that I've had before in my life and I was able to see myself in Maggie's shoes.

I think that the southern setting really brought a great feeling to the play, it's something about a southern accent and a big southern home that the entire family lives in that makes me have some sort of feeling of nostalgia. It maybe the fact that my family is primarily based out southern Arkansas and Texas and I have a quiet longing to be back there in the quiet, sweet, hot breeze of those summer nights brewing in me deep down. This play made me feel comfortable and cozy if that makes any sense. I really got lost in their world and was truly enthralled in the play and all that was going on from word to word. It felt so familiar to me and that made it an easy read and a pleasure.

I often found myself smiling first at the mention of the names Big Mama and Big Daddy, mainly because my grandmother on my dad's side is called Big Mama by all her grandchildren and my late grandfather on my mother's side was called Big George. I think it's a southern thing to do and shows a sign of respect for the elders in the family which is something that a lot of today's society is missing. I feel like this play had a ton of hidden messages in it, one being unconditional love. No matter how bad Brick seemed his wife and his parents loved him and were not afraid to let him or anybody else know that they did. I believe that type of love is what helps people out of whatever bad situation they may find themselves in, that's exactly how God loves us and how we are to love one another. That was a great example of God's love for his  children no matter what they have done or what they are doing, he loves us and he wants us as his own just like Maggie wanted Brick and like his parents wanted him. They never gave up on him like God never gives up on us. Another lesson that I gathered from this play was that of knowing who you are and being confident in that and not letting people tell you what and who you are. For example, when Brick spoke of his friendship with Skipper he said it was pure and clean but that Maggie had put the thought in Skipper's head that it was something else between them and once that happened their friendship fell apart and then Skipper died and Brick became an alcoholic. I have found that people will try to make you what they perceive you to be to please their own thoughts and notions but once you know who you are and what God has made you for you are to be strong in your faith in you and your purpose so that your thoughts wont be tainted and you won't lose sight of what God has for you because of other people. Be strong in your conviction and don't let the thoughts, words or actions of others move you.

I could go on and on about this play because I really enjoyed and connected with it but I will just say that it was a very well written play and it leaves the mind wandering a little at the end which is to me a great thing. When you encounter art that has you thinking about it when it's over and even making up additionally parts to it, I think it means it touched your spirit and the artist did their job portraying their message in a way that was relatable and enjoyable. A job well done.