Power And Sexuality

Produced in the 1950's America—a time when homosexuals were persecuted under unwarranted grounds by the McCarthyite government, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof depicts how homosexuals adjust themselves to the hostile society by means of denying their real sexual desire. The two protagonists, Big Daddy and Brick are to be examined within the context of what Foucault defines "modern power discourse", a discourse that can be interpreted as power which aims to discipline and regulate any sexuality aberrant from the socially sanctioned procreative sexuality. On the basis of the examination, this paper intends to argue that the life of homosexuals in disguise in the society is in itself mendacity.This paper will be organized in four parts. Chapter one "Literature Review" introduces the readers to both the criticism of the play and Foucault's notions of discourse, power and sexuality. This part lays sound theoretical bases for the ensuing interpretations of Big Daddy and Brick's sexuality in the next two sections. Chapter two follows with a Foucauldian power analysis of Big Daddy's sexuality to prove his restrained, mute and subservient sexuality in a society dominated with procreative sexuality, which will be echoed in Chapter three that is devoted to the analysis of Brick's problematical sexuality. On the basis of the previous two chapters, Chapter Four concentrates on mendacity—the problem that both men have been complaining about. This section will emphasize that mendacity is a dilemma that what they have to confront as homosexuals in essence. Finally a terse conclusion is brought about with Williams's own dilemma as a homosexual playwright. And it is expected that this paper can offer the reader a new perspective to achieve a better understanding of Williams's sexually ambiguous characters.