Cat On A Hot Tin Roof Alcoholism Essay

In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Brick grapples with alcoholism which he uses to try and escape the life that he hates. Author Signi Falk, even goes as far to say that, “He{Williams}says candidly that Brick drinks continually because he is trying to obliterate his disgust with himself” (Falk 108). This further proves that the consumption of alcohol helps Brick numb the pain of his detestable life. Brick drinks constantly throughout the whole play, and it is even the topic of many arguments between Brick and Maggie, and Brick and Big Daddy. In act two, during one of their conversations, Brick even says to Big Daddy, “A drinking man's someone who wants to forget he isn't still young and believing” (Williams 114). The true reasons behind Brick’s alcoholism becomes abundantly clear after he outright admits that he is dissatisfied with how his life has come to fruition, and wishes to numb his pain that is incited by the lies that he is
Brick is not intimate with his wife Maggie, which creates conflict within their already failing marriage. However, during the nineteen fifties, homosexuality was not acceptable, so if Brick was in fact gay, his shame and guilt would be immense, “Brick’s resentment of it {homosexuality} being brought out into the open, and Margaret's understanding . . .” (Falk 105). During Brick and Big Daddy’s conversation, the sensitive issue of Brick’s ambiguous sexuality is brought up. Immediately on the defense, Brick proclaims that he and Skipper were not in a relationship and that Skipper’s feelings for Brick were not reciprocated. “Oh, you think so too, you call me your son a queer . . . You think so, too? You think so, too? You think me an' Skipper did, did hdid!—sodomy!—together?” (Williams 117-19). Brick’s always denies any homosexuality and continues his defensive attitude toward the