Kay Webster

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Big Daddy and Bricks relationship throughout Act 2 is like a roller coater one minute they are fighting the next they are having a father son conversation and then once agin their fighting. Tennessee Williams character Bid Daddy is a dominant character in the play his loud; BIG MAMMA,WILL YOU QUIT HORSIN? and aggressive attutude towards the people around him allows the audience to recognise his type of character and relationship towards others in the play. We see from the stage direction that Big Daddy is socialable but has to dominate the conversation. For instance his interjection between Gooper and Reverend Tookers conversation, he mocks the Reverend [uttering a big laugh which is far from truly mirthful]. Big Daddys son Brick could be argued as the opposite of his father as hes not sociable (aloof); Brick remains unengaged, leaning upon the liquor cabinet with his far away smile. Brick doesnt even seem to be able to convers with his own family unless its just a single sentence or a word or two; Tell Big Daddy Im crippled. When Brick does talk its with a vague smile while from behind the screen of his liquor as if he is mocking the person, which is similar to Big Daddys personality. In Act 2 there is a confrontation between Big Daddy and Brick. Tennessee Williams presents this confrontation between father and son like a ticking time bomb. The audience see how the scene progresses to conflict through the building rage within Big Daddy. Williams uses repetition to show Big Daddy being assertive and his growing emotions e.g. shut up, shut up, shut up! he also uses swearwordsa and crudeness; poon-tang, rut, goddam, crap, son of a bitch giving Big Daddy more voice and more force behind his speech. Big Daddy is seen as very blunt and speaks his mind;goddam lies and liars that I have put up with, and all the goddam hypocrisy that i lived with all these forty years that we been livin together!. He is a frequentley informal; Aint that so, Ida?, Williams uses ellisions like aint, spyin, sneakin to enforce Big Daddys informal speech to make more realism in the actors voices. Big Daddy also

has a southern dialect using words like You all. There also non standard accent features e.g. faw, watcha, wint and gunna , this reflects what the author knows about spoken english particulary Southern dialect.