By: U-Nice & Sam,Well
➔ Honour is a something that is mostly embodied by the male
characters of the play.
◆ Means a lot for the male characters to have respect
➔ To be honourable is to be respected and have a good
reputation
➔ Codes of honour bind families and the whole
neighbourhood. Everyone should look out for one another
and to betray someone is the most dishonourable action
imaginable.
Eddie - Family honour is something that matters a lot to eddie,
such as keeping the reputation of your families name high
would be honourable of you. He also follows the honour code
to not snitch, because snitching is for yuck.
Vinny Bolzano - Vinny is ironically the opposite of eddie. Vinny
dishonours his family by snitching on them to the
immigration, therefore having the family except vinny,
arrested. Eddie then goes on to say how a boy like that
wouldn’t dare show his face around these parts again. This is
because people who snitch are considered extremely
dishonourable, therefore if anyone recognised vinny, he’d
have the risk of being killed on the streets.
Marco - Marco leaves his family of 3, his wife, and his
hometown in sicily to move to New York for what he plans to
be a maximum of 6 years to be able to pay for his childrens
education and food. Rodolpho says smiling, “He trusts his
wife”, showing that there is enough family honour within
Marco’s family for him to trust his wife not to go with another
man, as what Marco doing is very honourable; leaving his life
to allow his children to live.
“Catherine, i don’t want to be a pest, but I’m tellin’ you you’re
walking wavy!” - Eddie. (p.4)
If Katie were to walk around ‘wavy’, she would be dishonouring
the Carbone name by dressing and walking inappropriately,
insinuating she is something she is not.
“It’s an honour, B. I mean it”- Eddie (shows that it’s an honour
for a man to come into a different country and have someone
offer them a place to live in.)
Story of Vinny Bolzano- shows the significance of honour and
that no matter what age you are, honour still applies.
“The kid snitched?”- Catherine (shows that no matter how
young you are, honour still matters)
“And they spit on him in the street, his own father and his
brothers.”- Beatrice (if you snitch on your family members,
it’s dishonourable and you will lose your name and respect
from anybody in the neighbourhood. You will be severely
punished by your family members and disowned- shows the
importance of honour and respect amongst the
neighbourhood and families.)
“She nods. He kisses her hand.”- stage directions (shows the
respect and honour that Marco has towards the Carbone
family that have taken them in.)
“Mr Alfieri, they’re laughin’ at him on the piers. I’m ashamed.
Paper Doll they call him. Blondie now.”- Eddie (shows the
uncomfort that Eddie has with Rodolpho’s ways at the piers.
He feels that with Rodolpho acting this way, it brings shame
to his family as Rodolpho is constantly being laughed at, and
since Rodolpho and Marco are staying with the Carbone
family, they’re immediately associated with them, causing
Eddie to feel as if the people on the pier are laughing at him
when they are laughing at Rodolpho.)
“Katie.. if you wasn’t an orphan, wouldn’t he ask your father’s
permission before he run around with you like this?”- Eddie
(shows that Eddie wants Rodolpho to respect him and doesn’t
feel like he’s getting it from Rodolpho)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/
dramaviewbridge/4drama_viewbridge_themerev3.shtml
https://wikis.glowscotland.org.uk/0001083/A_View_From_The
_Bridge/Themes_and_Topics/Honour_and_Respect
http://www.shmoop.com/view-from-the-bridge/respectreputation-quotes.html
http://www.slideshare.net/JXS1/honour