The play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a dramatic tragedy. The play's cat is Maggie, an extremely amusing, unhappy woman who stands before a "brick" of a man. Maggie's isolation, a solitude that lies in Brick's refusal to be responsive to her desire, has made her a cat. She has become a cat for the reasons that she is firm due to Bricks neglect, tense from her never-say-die attitude, and bitter from Brick's mendacity.
Maggie has developed into a very firm person because of the solitude Brick makes her feel. For example (22-23), Brick asks Maggie, "Did you say something?" Maggie replies, "I was goin't say something: that I get-lonley. Very!" Brick says, "Everybody gets that." Maggie firmly replies, "Living with someone you love can be lonelier-than living entirely alone!-if the one that y' love doesn't love you." This quote hints at how Maggie has developed into a very firm person from the solitude Brick makes her feel every day. Brick acts this way because he deep down doesn't have the legit feelings for Maggie. Maggie does indeed have a right to be firm. Considering how today's society works, generally few would accept solitude from a loved one. Most readers would agree that Maggie and Brick do not have good chemistry. Brick's behavior has not only made Maggie very stiff, but it also has made her very tense.
Maggie's firm behavior also has an uptight side. For example (31), Maggie says, "Oh, brick! How long does it have't go on? This punishment? Haven't I done time enought, haven't I served my term, can't I apply for a-pardon?" Brick replies, "Maggie, you're spoiling my liquor. Lately your voice always sounds like you'd been running upstairs to warn somebody that the house was on fire." This quote obviously shows how Maggie has become extremely tense. Generally, two things happen to someone in Maggie's tense situation with Brick. They quit, or keep trying. As Sigmund Freud would say, "There are two dogs in this world.
