Quotes and themes:

Mendacity (Lies and Deception)

• “I had a friendship with Skipper. - You are naming it dirty!” - Brick speaking to Maggie - act one

• “I’m takin’ a little short trip to Echo Spring” Brick talking about having a drink - act two

• “tight mouth” - said by Brick and Big Daddy - act two

• “lying and liars” - Brick, act two

• “This disgust with mendacity is disgust with yourself. You! - dug the grave of your friend and kicked him in it!” Big Daddy to Brick, talking about Skipper - act two

• “mendacity is a system that we live in. Liquor is one way out an’ death’s the other…” - Brick, act two

• “CHRIST - DAMN - ALL - LYING SONS OF - LYING BITCHES” - Big Daddy when he finds out he does have cancer, act two

• “I didn’t lie to Big Daddy. I’ve lied to nobody, nobody but myself, just lied to myself.” - Brick, Broadway act three

• “poisons, poisons, venomous thoughts and words!” - Maggie, Broadway act three

• “I do love you, Brick I do!” - Maggie

  Wouldn’t it be funny if that were true?” - Brick - act three

Repression and Repressed Sexuality

• “I had a friendship with Skipper. - You are naming it dirty!”- Brick talking to Maggie - act one

• “Now, hold on, hold on a minute, son. - I knocked around in my time.” - Big Daddy talking to Brick - act two

• “you call me your son and a queer.” - Brick to Big Daddy - act two

• “ducking sissies? queers?” - Brick to Big Daddy - act two

• “unnatural thing” - Brick to Big Daddy - act two

• “This disgust with mendacity is disgust with yourself. You! - dug the grave of your friend and kicked him in it!” - Big Daddy to Brick - act two

Family and Inheritance

• “no-neck monsters” - Maggie referring to Mae and Gooper’s children - act one

• “monster of fertility” - Maggie talking about Mae - act one

• “Somethings not right! You’re childless and my son drinks!” - Big Mama to Maggie - act one

• “Bossing. Talking. Sashaying your fat old body around the place I made! I made this place!” - Big Daddy talking about Big Mama - act two

• “lying and liars” - Brick - act two

• “I want Brick! Where’s Brick? Where is my only son?” - Big Mama - act three

• “Cooper and I think - Mae

  Shut up, Mae!” - Gooper trying to speak about inheritance - act three

• “Mama, those tests are infallible!” - Gooper - act three

• “Eventualities have to be considered and now’s the time” - Gooper - act three

• “poisons, poisons, venomous thoughts and words!” - Maggie - Broadway act three

• “Which stawm are you talkin’ about - th’ one outside or th’ hullaballoo in here?” - Big Daddy, Broadway act three

Marital Conflict and Desire

• “if the one that y’ love doesn’t love you…” - Maggie to Brick - act one

• “We occupy the same cage.” - Maggie to Brick - act one

• “I feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof” - Maggie - act one

• “Somethings not right! You’re childless and my son drinks!” - Big Mama to Maggie - act one

• “When a marriage goes on the rocks, the rocks are there, right there!” - Big Mama to Maggie - act one

• “Bossing. Talking. Sashaying your fat old body around the place I made! I made this place!” - Big Daddy talking about Big Mama - act two

• “If you don’t like Maggie, get rid of Maggie!” - Big Daddy to Brick - act two

• “that woman” - Big Daddy about Big Mama - act two

• “I haven’t been able to stand the sight, sound, or smell, of that woman for forty years now!” - Big Daddy about Big Mama - act two

• “[her great, almost embarrassingly true-hearted and simple-minded devotion to Big Daddy]” - stage direction about Big Mama - act three

• “how are you going to conceive a child by a man in love with his liquor?” Brick to Maggie - act three

• “I do love you, Brick I do!” - Maggie

  Wouldn’t it be funny if that were true?” - Brick - act three

• “what’s wrong with that long, thin woman over there” - Big Daddy talking about Big Mama - Broadway act three

• “truth is something desperate, an’ she’s got it” - Brick about Maggie - Broadway act three

• “I admire you, Maggie” - Brick - Broadway act three

Death, Illness, and Mortality

• “thought I was dying… you can stop… i’m not gonna die, you can just stop now” - Big Daddy talking to Brick, Big Mama, Maggie - act two

• “Ignorance - of mortality - is a comfort” - Big Daddy - act two

• “CHRIST - DAMN - ALL - LYING SONS OF - LYING BITCHES” - Big Daddy when he finds out he does have cancer, act two

• “It’s all a mistake. I know it’s just a bad dream.” - Big Mama after finding out about Big Daddy’s cancer - act three

• “look over my kingdom before I give up my kingdom” - Big Daddy - Broadway act three

Masculinity and Expectations

• “I don’t want to lean on your shoulder, I want my crutch!” Brick to Maggie - act one

• “You look so cool, so cool, so enviably cool.” - Maggie to Brick - act one

• “Somethings not right! You’re childless and my son drinks!” - Big Mama to Maggie - act one

• “you - superior creature! - you godlike being!” - Maggie to Brick - act one

• “[Brick remains unengaged… faraway smile]” - stage directions - act two

• “If you don’t like Maggie, get rid of Maggie!” - Big Daddy to Brick - act two

• “I’m takin’ a little short trip to Echo Spring” Brick talking about having a drink - act two

• “you call me your son and a queer.” - Brick to Big Daddy - act two

• “I know he’s drinkin’. You all don’t have to keep tellin’ me Brick is drinkin’. Cain’t I see he’s drinkin’ without you continually tellin’ me that boy’s drinkin’?” - Big Mama - act three

Loneliness and Isolation

• “if the one that y’ love doesn’t love you…” - Maggie to Brick - act one

• “We occupy the same cage.” - Maggie to Brick - act one

• “I feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof” - Maggie - act one

• “you - superior creature! - you godlike being!” - Maggie to Brick - act one

• “[Brick remains unengaged… faraway smile]” - stage directions - act two

• “I’m takin’ a little short trip to Echo Spring” Brick talking about having a drink - act two