Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Characters & Cast

To win back her husband's love, secure their rightful place in Big Daddy's will, and ensure she never returns to the agonizing poverty of her childhood.

Maggie begins as a frantic, neglected wife fighting a defensive battle against her scheming in-laws while begging for her husband's affection. By the end of the film, she takes control of her destiny by boldly lying about being pregnant, turning a desperate falsehood into a catalyst that finally wins back Brick's love and respect.

To escape the "mendacity" (hypocrisy) of the world and numb the agonizing guilt he feels regarding the death of his best friend, Skipper.

Introduced as a detached, apathetic alcoholic hiding from his guilt over his friend's suicide, Brick is forced to tear down his emotional walls during a brutal confrontation with his dying father. He ultimately shatters his dependency (his crutch) and chooses to stand by Maggie, accepting her "desperate truth."

To ensure his massive 28,000-acre empire is left in the hands of his favored son, Brick, rather than the sycophantic Gooper.

Big Daddy starts the evening believing he has beaten a health scare, full of vulgar vitality and plans to live luxuriously. When he discovers the truth of his terminal cancer, he undergoes a profound existential crisis, eventually finding solace in a moment of genuine, stripped-down honesty with his favored son, Brick.

To take legal control of the Pollitt estate and finally step out of the shadow of his favored younger brother.

Gooper spends the film desperately trying to prove his worth through societal milestones—becoming a lawyer, marrying, having children—only to realize that Big Daddy's love cannot be earned through obedience or contracts.