Mendacity is the trend to lie. In the case of A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, the Pollitt family is living in deception. Living in mendacity can cause competition in between family. The Pollitt are an un-united family. They don’t have communication, the family lacks honesty. Mendacity plays a big role in Brick’s life; on the play he blames falsehood for the cause of him becoming an alcoholic and marrying Maggie under certain circumstances.
Big Daddy the wealthiest man in town needs to play the good man, lying that he stills loves Big Mama. There’s no communication neither love in their marriage. “That’s right, a ball a ball! Hell! I slept with Big Mama till, let’s see, five years ago, till I was sixty and she was fifty eight, and never even liked her” (Williams 70). In a trip with Big Mama to Europe where wanted to buy everything, made him feel uncomfortable about her behavior. As well in that trip he encountered a five years old girl, who went to zip his pants for money and which made him feel disgusted. Big Daddy knowing he is sick, he plays around making everybody thinks he is fine. “Who said I was leaving this place to Gooper or anybody? This is my sixty-fifth birthday! I got fifteen years or twenty years left in me! Ill out live you! I’ll bury you an’ have to pay for your coffin” (Williams 94). Big Daddy prefers Brick instead of his other son Gooper. Even though, Big Daddy and his son have no communication. He tries to have a conversation with Brick the day of his birthday of what had happen with his friend Skipper, Brick will just try to ignore him. He had mention since life gave him another opportunity not only will he “buy a beautiful woman, but he will smother her in minks, choke her with diamonds” (Williams).
Brick married Maggie with conditions; not sleeping with each other or having kids. The marriage lacks communication. “I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do; you keep forgetting the conditions on which I agreed to stay on living with you” (Williams 28). Bricks an alcoholic; he drinks because he is full of disgust. He uses his crutches for a symbol of need of liquor. He had forgotten Big Daddy birthday and he refused to pretend he had forgotten and sign the card to the present that Maggie had bought; “I didn’t remember his birthday” (Williams 27). When Big Daddy pressed him about his friend death he tells Daddy, he told him their talks never occur, “Something’s left out of that story what did you left out” (Williams 92). He confessed to Big Daddy that he had hanged the phone on his friend Skipper that night he had called him to explain to him what had happen. Brick blames Maggie of what had happen with Skipper; he feels like they both betrayed.
Maggie the Cat is an unhappy woman married to the man she love’s but he doesn’t. “They’re impossible conditions” (Williams 28). She’s making everything possible for Brick to love her. “I don’t mind making a fool of myself over you!”(Williams 32). She can no longer deal with their relationship; she feels all the time like “a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. Maggie tries to make everybody think that Brick hasn’t forgotten about Big Daddy birthday by buying a card for Brick to sign and giving it to Big Daddy “You know this is Big Daddy birthday!”(Williams 27). Mae and Big Mama questioning Maggie why doesn’t Brick and her have children, instead if judging Mae and Gooper kids. Maggie loves kids but it’s impossible to have kids with Brick because his marriage conditions; no sexual interactions or communication, “I do so like children adore them! Well brought up!” (Williams 34). Maggie had something with Brick best friend Skipper to trying to get him away from Brick. She thought that by breaking Skipper and Brick friendship, her marriage with Brick would be perfect. Brick suggests that she jump off and take a lover. Maggie, however, wants only Brick. She prays for him to get fat and ugly so she can stop being obsessed with him.
In the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, mendacity plays a large role in the Pollitt family. The lies that they live in makes them lack trust and have no communication. Brick’s life is to be a blur due to mendacity; he drinks and hides his feeling. Maggie is affected by mendacity through Brick. Her own husband makes her life a living hell but she still loves him. Big Daddy’s marriage with Big Mamma is a lie as well, there’s no love. In both of these marriages mendacity plays a big role; lacking honesty and unable to express themselves.