Dealing Problems by Drinking Alcohol

Dealing Problems by Drinking Alcohol

  • Submitted By: Guyashabd
  • Date Submitted: 05/25/2011 7:08 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 891
  • Page: 4
  • Views: 1

Every family goes through hardships of some kind, and people handle them in different ways. In the play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, by Tennesse Williams, the main character Brick deals with his problems by drinking alcohol and isolating himself from his family. Brick’s wife Maggie yearns for his attention and love, but never receives it. Brick began doing a lot of his drinking after his friend died. There are many other factors that play into Brick’s drinking habits. Brick’s father who runs the house was diagnosed with cancer, so his family members handle the situations differently. Brick has a lot of different problems which contributes to his drinking. There were two versions of act III and the second version of act III was more effective.
The first and the second versions of act III had many similarities, but the differences among them make the second act III more effective. Two major changes made the second act III better than the first act III. One major difference was that in the first act III Big Daddy, who was a very important character, disappears. After Big Daddy talks to his son about his drinking problems, he disappears, and all that is heard of him is a cry. In the first Act III Williams writes, “I think Big Daddy was just worn out. He loves his family, he loves to have them around them, but it’s a strain on his nerves. He wasn’t himself tonight, Big Daddy wasn’t himself, I could tell he was all worked up” (103). Everyone was looking for Big Daddy frantically, but no one knows where he is, so Big Mama decides to reassure everyone by explaining to everyone that he was tired. Unlike the first Act III, in the second Act III Big Daddy returns to the scene slightly after Maggie announces that she is pregnant. In the second Act III Big Daddy says, “I heard some mighty loud talk. Sounded like something’ important was being discussed. What was the powwow about?” (163). Big Daddy senses the tension in his house, and he returns to see what...

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