Suddenly Last Summer: Analysis of Major Characters
"Suddenly Last Summer" is a play by Tennessee Williams that explores the complex dynamics between its major characters, primarily focusing on Violet Venable, Catharine Holly, and Doctor Cukrowicz. Violet, a wealthy Southern matron, is deeply affected by the death of her son, Sebastian, and is determined to protect his legacy, even at the cost of truth. Catharine, Sebastian's cousin, is portrayed as a young woman who struggles for attention and affection, having faced neglect from her family. Following Sebastian's tragic death during a summer excursion, Catharine's recounting of the events threatens to unravel Violet's carefully maintained facade.
Doctor Cukrowicz, a young physician engaged in experimental procedures, becomes entangled in Violet's desperate plan to silence Catharine through a lobotomy, reflecting the moral dilemmas of medical ethics. Other supporting characters, such as George Holly and Mrs. Holly, further complicate the narrative as they navigate their interests in the aftermath of Sebastian's death and the family’s financial implications. The interplay of these characters raises questions about truth, memory, and the impact of societal expectations, making "Suddenly Last Summer" a poignant exploration of grief and the lengths to which individuals might go to shield themselves from painful realities.
Suddenly Last Summer: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Tennessee Williams
First published: 1958
Genre: Play
Locale: New Orleans, Louisiana
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: The mid-twentieth century
Violet Venable, a wealthy Southern matron of the New Orleans Garden District, mother of the late Sebastian Venable. She is an aging woman of fading beauty, with light orange or pink hair. She wears a lavender lace dress and has a starfish of diamonds pinned over her “withered bosom.” She has devoted her life to her late son, even refusing to return to her critically ill husband so that she could stay with her son and keep him from becoming a Buddhist monk. She and her son traveled every summer, and with her encouragement he wrote one poem each summer. Having suffered a stroke that slightly paralyzed one side of her face, she was rejected as a traveling companion on her son's last and fatal summer voyage and was replaced by her husband's niece, Catharine Holly. Violet is devastated by Sebastian's rejection and death and most of all by Catharine's story of what happened that last summer, a story that is destroying the legend of everything for which Violet has lived. She has proposed to fund young Doctor Cukrowicz's experimental work in exchange for his performing a lobotomy on Catharine to silence her horrible stories. Violet has been accustomed to getting her own way and will use any means at her disposal to get it.
Catharine Holly, the young and beautiful cousin of Sebastian Venable. She wears a suit that was bought for her by her cousin Sebastian, and her hair has been done in a beauty parlor. She is quite nervous, moving about with quick, dancelike movements. She attempts to smoke cigarettes, which her nun attendant does not allow but the doctor permits. She is the niece of Violet's husband and is strongly disliked by Violet. She, her mother, and her brother are dependent on Violet for financial support. Ignored by a weak, indulgent mother and egotistical, self-indulgent brother, Catharine is starved for attention and affection. She is outgoing, aggressive, and unconventional. When her cousin Sebastian shows an interest in her, she accepts his invitation to travel with him. After Sebastian is killed while on their excursion, Catharine tells a story of horror to authorities and is flown home by Violet and committed to a mental hospital. When Catharine continues to repeat her story, despite shock therapy, injections, and other treatments to cure insanity, she is taken to her aunt's home with the intention of having her committed to another sanatorium to undergo a new experimental treatment, a lobotomy, which Doctor Cukrowicz would perform. In Sebastian's jungle garden, she tells her story of moral degradation and cannibalism to the doctor and her family, including Violet.
Doctor Cukrowicz (kew-KROH-vihts), whose surname means “sugar” in Polish, a young, blond physician. He is extremely handsome and possesses icy charm. He tells Violet that she can call him “Doctor Sugar.” He is engaged in experimental brain surgery on mental patients but has a very small budget. He needs money for a separate ward for his patients, for trained assistants, and for a large enough salary to support a wife. He also wants patients in addition to the criminal psychopaths that the state sends to him. He attempts to be fair; he is kind and listens to all sides with an open mind. Violet offers him a subsidy from the Sebastian Venable Memorial Foundation to perform the lobotomy on Catharine Holly, plainly stating that if he refuses to perform the operation, there will be no subsidy.
George Holly, Catharine's brother. A typically handsome man, he is tall, with an elegant figure. He has the best looks in the family. He is ambitious, petulantly spoiled, and concerned about what people will think when they learn that his sister is in a mental hospital. He is also afraid that he will not get his share of Sebastian's money.
Mrs. Holly, the mother of Catharine and George and sister-in-law of Violet Venable. Mrs. Holly is a “fatuous Southern lady who requires no other description.” She is upset with her daughter's behavior because she is afraid that Violet will break Sebastian's will, which left money to them. She asks Catharine not to “invent” terrible stories about what happened to Sebastian.
Miss Foxhill, a private nurse for Violet. She moves about nervously in rubber-soled white oxfords and fears displeasing her employer.
Sister Felicity, an attendant nun for Catharine, from the mental hospital. She is dressed in a starched white habit and has difficulty keeping Catharine under her control.