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Symbols
Brick’s crutch can take on several symbolic meanings. One explanation is that the crutch represents Brick’s dependency on alcohol; he relies heavily on both items to “maneuver” through the play. He also uses the crutch to throw up a defense against Margaret in the first scene, wielding it like a weapon—just like he uses alcohol as a defense against family, drinking to escape the family’s confrontations. The crutch can also symbolize Brick’s nostalgia and longing for the past, since he acquired his injury while jumping hurdles on a high school track field. Finally, critics have also noted that Brick’s crutch represents his sexual power or lack thereof, in the moments when Margaret and Big Daddy take his crutch away or threaten to.
Brick’s Crutch Quotes in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Cat on a Hot Tin Roof quotes below all refer to the symbol of Brick’s Crutch. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 2
Quotes
Jumping the hurdles, Big Daddy, runnin' and jumpin' the hurdles, but those high hurdles have gotten too high for me, now.
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Brick’s Crutch Symbol Timeline in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The timeline below shows where the symbol Brick’s Crutch appears in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1
...her, as Margaret informs him that the “laws of silence don’t work.” Brick drops his crutch, and when Margaret tells him to lean on her instead, he loses his temper, yelling...
(full context)
...and the girls were chaperoning. Brick interrupts the memory, threatening to hit her with his crutch. He says that his friendship with Skipper was the one true thing in his life,...
(full context)
Brick continues to try to attack Margaret with his crutch as she tells this story. She says that she knows what she did was wrong,...
(full context)
...he tried to kill her Aunt Margaret, but failed, and asks Dixie to fetch his crutch for him. Margaret explains that Brick broke his ankle trying to jump hurdles on the...
(full context)
Act 2
...this talk is like all the others they’ve had, going nowhere. Big Daddy seizes Brick’s crutch and tosses it across the room. Big Daddy continues to talk about his test results...
(full context)
...out, sobbing. Brick attempts to hobble towards the gallery again, but Big Daddy takes his crutch again. Big Daddy demands to know why Brick drinks and refuses to return the crutch...
(full context)
...Skipper to a pair of dirty old men like Ochello and Straw. Brick drops his crutch and falls without noticing the pain, while Big Daddy helps him up, trying to calm...
(full context)
