The characters of Maxine Faulk and Hannah Jelkes in Tennessee Williams play The Night Of The Iguana contrast each other of many different levels except for their mutual desire for Shannon to overcome "his spook". .
The character of Maxine only gets Larry Shannon physically that is why she hates Ms Hannah Jelkes. Hannah Jelkes gets Mr. Shannon not only physically but as well is emotionally connected to Mr. Shannon. Ms. Hannah Jelkes leads Mr. Shannon to still waters.
Maxine is the proprietor of The Costa Verde, a cheap Mexican hotel. Her character is established from the first few moments of the play along with her Mexican "night-swimmers." Their personalities exude an odd mixture of promiscuity, loneliness, and satisfaction. Maxine is a street-smart woman who needs male affection, "I know the difference between loving someone and just sleeping with someone - even I know that. We've both reached a point where we've got to settle for something that works for us in our lives - even if it isn't on the highest kind of level" (II, 86).
When Maxine was first introduced in the play she was described as " a stout, swarthy woman in her middle forties - affable and rapaciously lusty. She is wearing a pair of levis and a blouse that is half unbuttoned" (II, 9). Maxine is addicted to sex and physical contact. At any cost she was trying to seduce Shannon into a friendship with benefits. One of the methods that she used was sitting down on Shannon while he was in the hammock so Shannon says, " Get off my pelvis before you crack it. If you want to crack something, crack some ice for my forehead" (I, 15).
Another method that Maxine used in order to get close to Shannon was by dressing Shannon with her dead husband, Fred's clothes and shoes. She also offers him Fred's room to which he says, " you want me in his socks and his shoes and in his room next to you? [He stares at her with a shocked surmise of her intentions towards him, then flops back down in the hammock with an incredulous laugh.
