Sex and Sexual Desire
From the opening scenes of The Night of the Iguana, much of the play’s plot is driven by either the characters’ need for sex or the consequences of having sex. Throughout The Night of the Iguana, Tennessee Williams, the author, constantly focuses on the sexual relations that Shannon, the main male character, participates in and the consequences of his actions. At the beginning of the play, Shannon is chastised by Miss Judith Fellowes, one of the tourists on his tour, for having sex with a young seventeen-year-old woman named Charlotte. Shannon initially denies these claims, but he eventually admits to the allegations in Act Two in a casual conversation with Hannah Jelkes. Shannon also admits that he was originally fired from his position as a minister because he had sex with a young Sunday school teacher at his church. Even though Shannon lost his position because of his desire to fornicate with young women, he still attempts to have sex with the young women on his tour, which displays that Shannon has not learned from the consequences of his actions.
At the beginning of Act Three, Maxine tells Shannon that she has heard from Fred how Shannon’s mother beat Shannon after catching him masturbating and made him repent; she then states that she believes that it has a connection to Shannon’s eventual distrust of God. However, Faulk also notes that she believes that Shannon starts to have sex with young girls, so he can get revenge on his mother for forcing him to hide his desires. It is also implied that Shannon punishes the young girls for having sex—much like his mother punished him. When Charlotte approaches Shannon about their one-night stand, she notes that after making love, Shannon struck her in the face, twisted her arm, and made her pray for forgiveness. Moreover, Shannon admits in Act Two that after having sex with the young Sunday school teacher, he also slapped her. Shannon is trying to replicate the procedures of his mother, and he is attempting to make others feel ashamed for their sexual desires. While Shannon is the main focus of the sexual themes within the play, The Night of the Iguana also focuses on the sexual adventures of Maxine Faulk, Miss Judith Fellowes, and Hannah Jelkes. From the beginning of the play, Faulk displays her open-minded sexual mindset. In the opening scene, Faulk is seen wearing “a pair of levis and a blouse that is half-unbuttoned.” Conversely, before Shannon even initially appears, the reader learns that Faulk has casual sex with one of her employees, Pedro; over the course of the play, Faulk admits that she has sex with more of her employees than just Pedro. Faulk constantly remarks that Fred, her dead husband, had not had sex with her for years, and she frequently tries to seduce Shannon in an attempt to get him to stay with her. Faulk is extremely proud of her sexuality, and she shows no shame as she throws herself at Shannon; contrarily, Shannon obviously tries to repress his perverted sexual desires in order to appear normal.
Miss Judith Fellowes and Hannah are the antithesis of Faulk and Shannon in the play. After discovering that Shannon has had sex with Charlotte, Miss Fellowes unleashes a verbal tirade on Shannon, and she berates him for attempting to quench his desires. Fellowes almost acts as a living portrayal of Shannon’s mother—she either tries to prevent characters from having sex, or she punishes them for their actions.
Hannah Jelkes also struggles with her sexuality throughout the play. In a conversation with Shannon, she admits that she lives a life of chastity—except for two instances where one man tried to molest her in a movie theater while another Australian man satisfied himself by holding one of her garments as they sat on a beach together. When viewing the second incident, it is intriguing to note how the event ties Hannah and Maxine Faulk together in terms of sexuality. Hannah accepted the man’s desires—just as Faulk accepts her own sexuality as if it was natural. Hannah’s choice to accept the moment showcases that while she might repress her desire to have sex, she is certainly open with her opinions on the matter.
Mental Illness
Much like many of Tennessee Williams’ plays, The Night of the Iguana features the theme of mental illness; however, the theme is not as prominent as it is in some of his other plays. During the play, Shannon frequently showcases that he is on the verge of a mental breakdown. In fact, in the initial description of Shannon, Williams notes that “His [Shannon] nervous state is terribly apparent; he is a young man who has cracked up before and is going to crack up again—perhaps repeatedly.” As the play progresses, Shannon’s mental state seems to be on the verge of deteriorating. In the final act of the play, Shannon finally snaps after being relieved of his duties as the tour guide of Blake Tours. Shannon threatens to swim to China, which is an essence his way of stating that he is going to kill himself. Faulk even notes that she might have to place him in the mental asylum if he does not calm down—thus indicating that Shannon has had multiple mental breakdowns. Like many other characters in Williams’ plays, Shannon seems to always be teetering on the verge of insanity. Throughout the play, he finds himself at a loss for words, or he has to remind himself to try to stay calm and relaxed. However, one could make the argument that Shannon is breaking down because of the internal stress placed on him by his sexual desires and his newfound sobriety.
Loneliness
Another premier theme in The Night of the Iguana is loneliness. Although it seems as if every character in the play is lonely, Maxine Faulk and Hannah Jelkes are certainly the loneliest characters in the play. Before the events of The Night of the Iguana, Faulk's husband, Fred, dies because of an infection, which causes Faulk to begin sleeping with her employees. Although one could view this as Faulk exploring her sexual desires, it is also an indicator of her loneliness. Even though Faulk did not have an intimate relationship with Fred, she needs someone to keep her company after he passes away. Furthermore, Faulk's loneliness is present at the end of the novel when she tells Shannon, "No, I just want you to stay here, because I'm alone here now and I need somebody to help me manage the place." Faulk confirms that Shannon would be allowed to sleep with any women he wants--as long as he stays with Faulk.
Hannah Jelkes also displays loneliness throughout the play. In Act Three, Jelkes informs Shannon that she has never had sex with anyone else, which is a staunch difference from Shannon's sexual history. However, Hannah notes that she had a sexual encounter with a man who held her undergarments as he masturbated. When Shannon asks Hannah about this "love episode," she states she felt, "Confused, I...a little confused, I suppose...I'd known about loneliness--but not that degree or...depth of it." Although Hannah is referring to the man's sexual desire, it can also be gathered that she is referring to her own loneliness in relation to love. One of the only sexual encounters she has had left with a sense of longing that could not be achieved due to her "lovers" selfish desires. Moreover, Hannah consistently travels around the world with her grandfather, Nonno, which prevents her from ever establishing a steady relationship.
Confinement/Being Bound
The Night of the Iguana also features another theme that relates to confinement--whether that confinement is physical or mental. The three main characters, Maxine Faulk, Larry Shannon, and Hannah Jelkes, all experience some form of confinement throughout the play. From the opening scenes of the play, it is apparent that Faulk is confined to her hotel, the Costa Verde. Despite the fact that Faulk's husband recently passed away and the hotel is failing financially, Faulk refuses to leave the hotel to pursue other business opportunities. Although she notes that she considers moving to Texas to rent out cabins, she refuses to move from the location, which is a clear sign that she is physically confined to the Costa Verde.
In relation to Shannon and Jelkes, though, their aspect of confinement is much more emotional. By the end of the play, it is revealed that Shannon obviously struggles to not pursue the sexual temptations of young, unmarried women. Even if the women are underage, Shannon cannot prevent himself from pursuing them sexually, which gets him into trouble frequently over the course of the play. In Shannon's instance, it is apparent that he is confined to his own sexual desires. No matter what Shannon tries to do to free himself from his sexual desires, he consistently finds himself giving into them.
Jelkes also struggles with confinement as she is bound to her grandfather, Nonno. At the beginning of the play, Jelkes notes that she is a struggling artist while Nonno is a poet, looking to write one final poem. However, it is apparent that Jelkes is simply a caretaker for Nonno. Early in the play, Jelkes states that she and Nonno barely have money, which indicates that it would be nearly impossible to put Nonno is a form of retirement home; moreover, it is clear that there are no other family members to take care of Nonno besides Jelkes. Even though Jelkes is a woman who could be exploring aspects of her romantic life, she cannot pursue this option because she is bound to her grandfather due to the fact she needs to take care of him.
