The controversial and passionate Greek tragedy “View
from the Bridge” was written in 1955. The drama
revolves around the deteriorating relationship of Eddie
and Beatrice which catalysts because of Beatrice’s
beautiful niece Catherine, and Eddie’s incestuous
relationship. This is what imposes all of the driven
sensations, causes characters to evolve drastically and
ignites Eddie’s jealousy and disloyalty ensuing
catastrophic circumstances in the Carbone household.
•“you’re walkin’ wavy”- Eddie notices Catherine’s provocative body language hinting an incestuous
undertone, pg 14
•“ heads are turning like windmills”-Eddie is aware of Catherine’s effect on men hinting incestuous
undertone. This quote also signifies Catherine’s attraction pg 14
•“ Beautiful”- she’s an attractive young lady who is oblivious of her own beauty. pg 13
•“ You been givin’ me the willies the way you walk down the street, I mean it”- Eddie is sexually
attracted to Catherine, further suggesting incestuous undertone. Pg 14
• “ there is too much love for the niece”- Alfieri suggesting to Eddie that he loves Catherine in a
different non family like way, he is attracted to her. Pg 48
•“here I’ll light it for you!”-she strikes a match and holds it to his cigar. Catherine performs all of
Eddie’s wife chores. This highlights the incestuous relationship shared by the two. pg 25
“The girl is gonna be eighteen years old, it’s time already” –Beatrice pg 36
Catherine has to start becoming independent, and end her and Eddie’s incestuous relationship.
“Why don’t you talk to him, Eddie? He blesses you, and you don’t talk to him hardly.”
This quote refers to the theme Justice as Eddie is unable to be just and accept Rodolpho for his niece.
“Now I turn around you’re a big girl.” Eddie Pg. 40
Striving for indepnendance.
“He loves me” pg 41
Romance
“if you wasn’t an orphan” – Eddie pg 40
Catherine is an orphan, which suggest a neglective or abandoned theme.
She is puzzled and surprised.
Catherine was unaware of Eddie’s incest love for her.
“How am I gonna do that? He thinks I’m a baby.” Pg 42
Striving for independence.
“You still walk around infront of him in your slip” – Beatrice pg 43
Catherine still acts like she’s a young girl with Eddie walking around him in her undergarments, further highlighting the
incest undertones.
“You sit on the edge of the bathtub talk’ to him when he’s shavin’ in his underwear” – Beatrice
pg 42
Signalling incest undertones.
“You’re not a baby anymore” – Beatrice pg 42
Catherine needs to become independent.
“I don’t know B. It just seems wrong if he’s against it so much” pg. 42
Showing Catherine’s naïve and innocent traits, and her love for Eddie.
“When he comes home sometimes you throw yourself at him like when you was twelve years
old” – Beatrice pg 43
Incestuous undertone, as Catherine still acts as a twelve year old in front of him.
“Well I like to see him happy”
Showing the love and care for eachother.
“You’re gonna end up an old maid here” – Beatrice pg 44
Ambition, independence.
“You’re a grown woman and you’re in the same house with a grown man” – Beatrice pg 44
Incestuous Undertone.
“There is nothing wrong with a girl falling in love with an immigrant:- Alferi pg 45
Law. Justice.
•(To Rodolpho)- “ you married too? No. pg 30
Showing Catherine’s lively, and flirtatious character.
•“Oh sure I’m crazy for paper doll”-to Rodolpho when he asks if
she likes paper doll? Pg 32
“You wanna dance, Rodolpho?”- She has a flirtatious nature. pg
54
“I’m the best student in the whole class”suggests that she is smart and ambitious, pg 18
“If I was a wife I would make a man happy instead of going’ at him all the time. Pg 62.
“Hold me” pg. 63
“I’ve been here all my life.. Every day I saw him when he left in the morning and when he came
home at night. You think it’s so easy to turn around and say to a man he’s nothing to you no more?”
pg. 62
“Eddie I’m not gonnna be a baby anymore!” pg. 64
“I think I have to get out of here, Eddie” pg. 64
“She goes around shakin’ all the time, she can’t go to sleep! “pg 68
“You got no more right to tell nobody nothing” pg. 80
“Eddie! Give him a chance” pg 82
“You want somethin’ else, Eddie, and you can never have her!” – Beatrice pg 83
“Eddie, I never meant to do nothing bad to you” pg 84