Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof is the story of
a Southern family in crisis, especially the husband Brick and wife Margaret
(usually called Maggie or "Maggie the Cat"), and their interaction
with Brick's family over the course of one evening's gathering at the family
estate in Mississippi. The party is to celebrate the birthday of patriarch Big
Daddy Pollitt, "the Delta's biggest cotton-planter”, and his return from
the Ochsner Clinic with what he has been told is a clean bill of health. All
family members (except Big Daddy and his wife, Big Mama) are aware of Big
Daddy's true diagnosis: he is dying of cancer. His family has lied to Big Daddy
and Big Mama to spare the aging couple from pain on the patriarch's birthday
but, throughout the course of the play, it becomes clear that the Pollitt
family has long constructed a web of deceit for itself. Maggie, determined and
beautiful, has escaped a childhood of poverty to marry into the wealthy Pollitts,
but finds herself unfulfilled. The family is aware that Brick has not slept
with Maggie for a long time, which has strained their marriage. Brick, an aging
football hero, infuriates her by ignoring his brother Gooper's attempts to gain
control of the family fortune. Brick's indifference and his drinking have
escalated with the suicide of his friend Skipper. Maggie fears that Brick's
malaise will ensure that Gooper and his wife Mae end up with Big Daddy's
estate.
Through the
evening, Brick, Big Daddy and Maggie—and the entire family—separately must face
down the issues which they have bottled up inside. Big Daddy attempts a
reconciliation with the alcoholic Brick. Both Big Daddy and Maggie separately
confront Brick about the true nature of his relationship with his pro football
buddy Skipper, which appears to be the source of Brick's sorrow and the cause
of his alcoholism. Brick explains to Big Daddy that Maggie was jealous of the
close friendship between Brick and Skipper because she believed it had a
romantic undercurrent. He states that Skipper took Maggie to bed to prove her
wrong. Brick believes that when Skipper could not complete the act, his
self-questioning about his sexuality and his friendship with Brick made him
"snap". Brick also reveals that, shortly before he committed suicide,
Skipper confessed his feelings to Brick, but Brick rejected him.
Disgusted with
the family's "mendacity", Brick tells Big Daddy that the report from
the clinic about his condition was falsified for his sake. Big Daddy storms out
of the room, leading the party gathered out on the gallery to drift inside.
Maggie, Brick, Mae, Gooper, and Doc Baugh (the family's physician) decide to
tell Big Mama the truth about his illness and she is devastated by the news.
Gooper and Mae start to discuss the division of the Pollitt estate. Big Mama
defends her husband from Gooper and Mae's proposals. Big Daddy reappears and
makes known his plans to die peacefully. Attempting to secure Brick's
inheritance, Maggie tells him she is pregnant. Gooper and Mae know this is a
lie, but Big Mama and Big Daddy believe that Maggie "has life". When
they are alone again, Maggie locks away the liquor and promises Brick that she
will "make the lie true".
