Homosexuality the Problem in Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Brick is the hero of the drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof because the play is about him, even though the title doesn't indicate him. He is a homosexual representing the homosexuals of the nineteen fifties, so he also represents the social victims that the homosexuals of the time were. The play concentrates on the plight of Brick whose life and difficulties symbolize the crisis of the mid-century homosexual culture.

Brick's story of conflict, suffering and the mind-breaking impact of social stigma is the problematic of the play. His paradoxical situation, and his inability to speak out and to live a normal life, is supposed to 'expose' the problem of the lives of homosexuals of the time, rather than illustrate or suggest a solution.

He is somewhat bisexual and somewhat narcissistic. He is also a schizoid who is psychologically and morally paralyzed. This is basically due to the impact of social stigma (hatred), and in the final analysis, all the psychological problems mentioned here are in turn cause by the social stigma. Brick's conflict with the expectation, attitude and oppression of the family and social environment are all caused by his homosexual orientation; and thus, every other theme can be and should be related to the theme of homosexuality, or at least, the rising homosexual orientation in Brick that faces a fatal blow, destroying all his life and prospects of happiness. In a general view, this central theme of homosexuality has to do with the crisis of the homosexual minority culture in the mid-twentieth century America.

Much critical interest has focused on the Brick's errant behavior, his relationship, his drinking, and his concern for truth on mendacity. Brick is a kind of prodigal son who started out as the apple of his father's eye. The star of his high school football team, he went astray when his friend Skipper died. Brick's descent into alcoholism makes him a weak candidate to manage the estate. He is the wayward son, still loved, but unable to assume his father's position because he is "throwing his life away" in the drink. Mae and Gooper count on Brick's continued drinking, which will put Gooper in contention for the inheritance. They draw attention to Brick's alcoholism at every opportunity. Big daddy refuses to give up on his son, however, just as Maggie and Big Mama continue to hope and to nag at Brick.

Brick could have been a fully homosexual personality, if he was not too sensitive about his social image. He married Maggie in a hurry just to prove that he was not the homosexual that people thought him to be: but even just after his marriage, he seems to have been rather very passive in his heterosexual relationship with Maggie. Maggie mentions that he was slow, indifferent and calm in his sexual intercourse, and though she says she like that sort of sex, we doubt that he was passive and indifferent because of the hangover of his homosexual relation and yearning for Skipper. But, later when Skipper made a long distance call and openly proposed to Brick to leave his wife and join him, he did not talk any more on the phone. He hung up the phone. If he fully loved his wife and enjoyed sex with her, he would say no to Skipper, and if he hated it and also had the courage to face the society, he would say yes. But he could say neither. This means that Brick is a homosexual, but he wanted to play a double-role and be both a homo and heterosexual! He can compromise neither with his social image, nor with his platonic ideal. He represents the homosexual personality of the era of its transition, and thus also its failure and crisis. The author has only been able to present the debate before us, and not advocate for or deny this new phenomenon of homosexuality.

Brick is narcissistic to a great extent. The discussion of his dual orientation in sexuality can be taken to be caused by his self-centered behavior. He could neither love Skipper whole-heartedly, and nor could he love Maggie, who loves him so passionately, so truly and so faithfully. The name of his wine "Echo Spring" is an indication that Brick is Narcissus. The mythical self-lover ran away from Echo (Maggie) and reached a spring well where he saw his own image and madly fell in love with it. Perhaps, Brick's finds his own image, in the experience of the 'click' caused by his alcohol.

To some extent, Brick is a schizoid; and his being a schizoid is also caused by his hostility towards a family and society that is hostile against the very idea of homosexuality. Such persons with schizotypal personality disorder engage in odd thinking and behavior. They feel very uncomfortable with close personal relationships and tend to be suspicious of others. It doesn't seem that Brick is cured even at the end, even under the loads of social and psychological pressures.

Another problem related to and caused by his homosexuality is that of being psychologically and morally paralyzed. The consciousness of the social stigma attached to homosexuality breaks down Brick's mind and spirit. The appearance of his being physically crippled is an indication of his mental breakdown. He is not only psychologically broken, but also morally deranged in the eyes of his family and society. Round and round, each of these and all other problems boil down to the homosexuality and its social and psychological impact on Brick. Thus, it would not be an exaggeration to say that homosexuality is the crux of all the problems of Brick's life'.

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