Similarities Between Cat On A Hot Tin Roof And The Great Gatsby

Tennessee Williams play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby are both excellent examples that demonstrate an accurate description of success or “The American dream”. The image of success in Cat on the Hot Tin Roof is based on money and family more specifically children. While in The Great Gatsby the image of success is defended by money, and opportunity (The American dream).
During the course of the play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof the main cast is trying to get hold of Big Daddy’s money. We learn early on that Big Daddy is dying and has not left the plantation to anyone specific, which is why the whole family is there for his birthday (to insure they get the plantation). One reason the main characters are trying to

insure they get his money is because at this point in time having money meant you were successful. As such society would treat people who had money differently, based on the simply fact that they have money. In the case of Big Daddy, he was so wealthy that governors would send him Happy Birthday wishes in hopes that he would help them later on. On the flip side of this coin is Margaret (Bricks wife who is one of Big Daddy’s sons) who has been poor all of her life. Throughout the play she talks about having to suck up to her “No good rich cousin” (Williams,20). She describes how her life was as “Having to suck up to relatives that you hated because they had money and all you had was a bunch of hand-me-down clothes and a few old moldy three-cent government bonds” (Williams,119). Based on how Margaret’s life has been thus far it is not hard to believe that she will do anything to insure Big Daddy leaves his money to her and Brick. A critic from The Lit Charts Study Guide agrees stating “Margaret, in particular, mentions that she has been poor before, and that avoiding that states is the source of her desperation” (5). The critic also points outs that “Wealth is the biggest issue for Margaret, Mae and Gopper, bringing them together for Big Daddy’s Birthday celebration” (5). During the course of the play the audience gets the impression that this is one of the only times the whole family has come together for an event.
Another image of success that is present is the idea of family or children. Success is defined by having children, in this cause in order to obtain Big Daddy’s plantation and money the predecessor needed to have children in order for Big Daddy’s legacy to live on. The main characters that have children (besides Big Mama and Big Daddy) are Gopper and his wife Mae. Who have five children and soon six all to get Big Daddy’s money. Mae makes sure that her children butter up Big Daddy by singing and entertaining him none stop “Why they have those children doin tricks all the time” (Williams,35). When Gopper and Mae are not having their children perform they are gossiping about Bricks drinking problem and Margaret’s lack of children, “It goes on all the time along with constant remarks and innuendos about the fact that you and I have not produced any children, are totally childless and therefore totally useless” (Williams, 35). The fact that Brick and Margaret have no children makes them less likely to inherit Big Daddy’s planation because they would not be able to carry on the family bloodline. This, according to a critic on Lit Charts Study Guide this is why Margaret lies about being pregnant at the end of the play “Margaret desperately tries to keep the family from judging Brick’s alcoholism and her own childlessness so that Big Daddy will choose to hand his land over to his favorite son, Brick” (6).
The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald presents success as being associated with money.

Much like in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, society treats views and treats people with money differently than those without it. For example, Tom and Daisy get away with the death of Tom’s mistress because of their wealth “His family was enormously wealthy – even in collage his freedom with money was a matter for reproach” (Fitzgerald,23). Further the reason that Daisy had not married Gatsby all those years ago was because he was poor, it was not until he had an enormous house and lots of money “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me” (Fitzgerald ,367). It was not until Gatsby became wealthy did Daisy want to marry him “After she was free, they were to go back to Louisville and be married from her house” (Fitzgerald, 311). Moreover, Gatsby’s own personal success was based on how Daisy perceived his house “He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well loved eyes.” (Fitzgerald, 260). Critic Karielle Stephanie Gam agrees with this view of success “His wealth is never cloaked; from the mansion, to the weekly parties, to the countless dress shirts and expensive cars, it is evident that Gatsby is rich as sin and is initially, though his inclusion in the nouveau riche, the epitome of the American dream.” (Karielle Stephanie

Gam,1).
Lastly, success in The Great Gatsby is based on opportunity. Gatsby as shown in the book started out poor and gained the opportunity to become rich when he encountered Dan Cody (a rich man that took interest in Gatsby). Further Gatsby learned all he knew about business from Meyer Wolfshiem “I made him! I raised him up out of nothing right out of the gutter. I saw right away he was a fine appearing, gentlemanly young man” (Scott Fitzgerald, 481). This business opportunity gave him the ability to make his fortune and by a house right across the bay from Daisy “Gatsby bought that house to that Daisy would be just across the bay” (Scott Fitzgerald,224). A critic from Themes and Construction expands on this point “Gatsby represents the American dream of self-made wealth and happiness, the spirit of you and resourcefulness, and the ability to make something of one’s self, despite one’s origins. He achieved more than his parents had and felt he was pursuing a perfect dream, Daisy, who for him embodied the elements of success. (Themes and Construction, 1).
In conclusion, both Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Great Gatsby are excellent example of success based on wealth, family and opportunity. In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof success is based on wealth and family. While in The Great Gatsby success is based on wealth and opportunity.