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Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
by
Tennessee Williams
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Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
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Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
The Crutch
Maggie's Diana Archery Trophy
Cancer
The Doorway
The Fireworks
The Phone
The Clock
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Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory
Sometimes, there’s more to Lit than meets the eye.
The Crutch
Crutches are used when things, namely bones, are broken. This crutch is a multi-tasking, Swiss-army knife of a tool – it's a means for Brick to move, get to his Echo Spring, and escape when h...
Maggie's Diana Archery Trophy
Diana is the goddess of the hunt and of the moon. Hmm...do we know any hunters in this play? Aha! There certainly are some treasure hunters. What the hay do you think Maggie, Gooper, and Mae are do...
Cancer
The European treasures in the cellar, the ghost of Skipper haunting Brick, the stain of slavery on the history of the plantation, Big Daddy's kidney/liver cancer…as we've said before, somethi...
The Doorway
Brick often stands in the doorway to the gallery, neither inside nor outside, but just chillin' in between the two. This behavior reinforces our idea that Brick is stuck in purgatory and indecision...
The Fireworks
Fireworks erupt at all the right times, punctuating the fury of Big Daddy and the rage of Brick as they unpack the mendacity in their lives in Act II. The fireworks also evoke the sounds of a battl...
The Phone
We never see the phone, since it is somewhere offstage in the hallway of the Pollitt house. The constant ringing and calls from distant relatives help to punctuate the steady encroachment of death...
The Clock
The clock, bought in Europe by Big Daddy and Big Mama, says that yes, you've got time. It chimes, and Brick says, "nice peaceful-soundin' clock, I like to hear it all night…" (II.85.515); in...
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