Richard Brooks Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Words: 930
Pages: 4
Open Document
EXTENSION ESSAY - Mei Yan
Literature is a window into the author's era. When we study texts from the 1950s we are able to recognise the values they both challenge and reinforce.

Literature allows us to develop a deeper understanding of the era in which they were composed in by exploring a broad range of the values and concerns of that period. The values of the 1950s can be explored in Richard Brooks’ film adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) (hereby after Cat), which challenges the gender binary principles in society as well as exposes the false perception of the idealistic family, reflecting the disillusioned values of a 1950s family. Isaac Asimov’s short story, The Last Question (1956) (hereby after Question), further extends our understanding …show more content…
Maggie epitomises the “ideal woman” aesthetically, derived from the male gaze, shown by several point of view shots where she is seen preening herself in the mirror. This reflects the accepted value of the 1950s objectified woman: a woman’s worth gauged only by her aesthetics.However this is challenged as Maggie struggles to gain social acceptance of being the ideal wife as explored in Jennifer Holt’s article, The Ideal Woman where the women were considered “domestic caregivers, with sole responsibility for the home and child rearing”. A female’s ability to serve her husband is a value firmly reinforces in Big Daddy’s rhetorical question, “but does he love you?”. Maggie’s incapability to procreate is also heavily scrutinised and demonstrated by Big Daddy’s euphemism for children as “the living proof”. Maggie is judged solely on her inability to make Brick happy or bear children as she is seen “alone for the duration of the play and cannot leave” as described by Niki Fellows when analysing the film, mirroring the 1950s patriarchal society where women are conditioned to
Show More

Related Documents: Richard Brooks Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Analysis Of Ted Hughes 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof'

specifically underpinning the sense of conflict, both the constant conflicts of contrasting ideas as well as differing perspectives of marriage between Plath and himself, in his two confessional poems, Minotaur and Red. Similarly, Richard Brooks’ film adaption of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), also depicts the family’s constant tension and conflicting perspectives throughout the text. Both these texts broadens and furthers the reader’s insight on the intrinsic…

Words 611 - Pages 3

Essay on Summary of History of Graphic Design by Meggs

exception of Celtic pattern-making, book design and illumination had sunk to a low in most of Europe. - Many people feared that the year 1000 AD would be the end of the world. - On New Years Ever, 999 AD, many people stripped naked, and lay on their roofs waiting for final judgment. - By 1150 AD, Bibles were becoming massively produced. - During the 1200’s, the rise of universities created an expanding market for books. - The Book of Revelation had a surge of unexplained popularity in England and…

Words 14951 - Pages 60