Explore the theme of femininity through the character of Maggie in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'

Maggie is the female protagonist of Tennessee Williams' southern Gothic play, 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', and can be seen to both embrace and reject the traditional notions of femininity during the 1950s in the Southern states of America. She is sexualised by the male characters in the play, in particular, Big Daddy Pollitt, which could be microcosmic for the sexualisation of all females by the hegemonic class during this period. Occasionally, Maggie allows herself to be sexualised in this manner, and uses her feminine beauty as a tool to obtain power in the family dynamic setting here. This could be seen as an act of early first wave feminism, presenting the theme of femininity as almost politically charged within the play. Maggie could also be interpreted as a relatively gender neutral character in the play, as she does not conform to masculine or feminine gender stereotypes. This can be demonstrated through the 'Diana trophy' that Maggie owns, as Diana, in Roman mythology, is the goddess of the hunt. This, juxtaposition between Maggie and Diana manages to align them, therefore presenting Maggie as dynamic, aggressive and violent. These are not traditionally feminine traits, therefore the theme of femininity is presented as non-stereotypical and rather complex by Williams in the play.