'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof' by Tennessee Williams

[Quico Millá Martínez]

My literature teacher chose to work with this book. I didn't really understand her, I didn't even knew the book. However I really enjoyed it. It soon became a really polemic book, upon which we debated fiercely.

-Brick's homosexuality (Some people still say he's heterosexual)

-The film adaptation (I extremely disliked it)

It isn't a well-known book, but I would like to share experiences if someone has been working with it too

[Hannah.M]

I didn't work with it in English, but we're doing a Tennessee Williams unit in Drama class. So I've read the play and seen the movie.

I definitely think Brick was homosexual. That was the way Tennessee intended it to be. He always incorporates bits of his own life into the characters of his play. For example, he - like Brick - was a heavy drinker, and like Skipper he was homosexual. Plus it adds way more depth to multiple relationships and adds a whole new layer of complication, which I find almost necessary to make this play have the same impact.

I didn't "extremely dislike" the movie. I didn't think it was the best, but I think that for a film adaptation of such a strange play they did a good job. I'm not really a big fan of any of the film adaptations of Tennessee's plays. Because they're plays filled with raw emotion, and supposed to be entirely method acting, I don't think the same emotion can transfer through a screen. It just sort of makes the whole thing seem a lot more fake.

However Mae/Sister Woman certainly played her role well, because I definitely wanted to punch her right in the face.

[Grumps]

I don't think the point of the play was for people to decide whether Brick was gay or not. I don't think his homosexuality was the point and I don't think it was wholly confirm-able based on the play. I think the point was simply that he had a measure of unexpressed emotion towards his friend. He might very well have been gay but really it's meant to be a quantum state of sexuality, IMO. In fact, IRL sexual preference isn't a binary function, it's more of a gradient. You're not just gay, straight or bi, there are numerous levels of in between.

Anyways it was a really cool play; never saw the movie adaptation though.