A View from the Bridge by Arthur
Miller. Eddie Carbone
To what extent is Eddie Carbone responsible for his own fate?
There is no doubt that Eddie Carbone suffers an unfortunate end
especially when we think that he is being shown as a, hard working, lawabiding citizen at the beginning of the play. The play starts to unravel
Carbone’s character by showing how circumstances can control the
actions of a human being to the extent that wrong-doing becomes
justified in the person’s own mind.
This is what happened to Eddie Carbone and his unchecked behaviour
leads sadly to his ultimate death. His obsession with Catherine and his
opposition to her needs as a human being, eventually destroys him.
It starts from small criticisms relating to her appearance and attitude:
‘Where are you going all dressed up?’ and ‘you are walking wavy’ and
‘bringing attention to yourself’. (Act1 pp13/14), and ends with him
refusing to recognise her as his ‘daughter’.
The play circles around Eddie’s wife Beatrice, who realises how fortunate
she is to live in the USA. She wants to help her relatives in Italy who are
living in poverty at the end of the Second World War. This dates the play
to the end of
...
They have looked after Catherine since she was young and brought her up
as their own daughter.
When he eventually betrays his own family he does so in his desperation
to stop Rudolfo marrying Catherine. He can justify his actions in his own
mind because he feels that he has been betrayed himself by Catherine
and Beatrice’s cousins.
Eddie has no right to influence Catherine in this way because she has no
experience of life yet and cannot make important distinctions, and as
Alfieri says,’ it is against natural laws’.
Arthur Miller with the assistance of the narrator Alfieri makes all of this
clear and in the early part of the play gains the sympathy of the
audience/reader for Eddie. What if he should lose his reputation as a lawabiding citizen? The audience/reader has some sympathy with this point,
but when it becomes clear that Catherine is in love with Rudolfo, the
sympathy turns to doubt. He has lost Catherine in every respect and
although his wife may still love him she has lost a great deal of respect
for him too.
Eddie’s determination to stop this from happening leads him to tell the
immigration authorities about the two men. “You lied about me Marco,
Now say it, come on say it!’. As a final act of remorse he ends his own
mental torture at the point of a knife and at the same instant seeks
absolution from his wife with a word of love. They are both young men and
the older of the two, Marco, needs to earn money to support a wife and
children back in Italy. She thinks that this is possible because Eddie has
shown himself to be a good family man caring for her and Catherine. At
this stage the audience is on Eddie’s side and feels sorry for him. Other
problems follow but they are all related to his changed relationship with
Catherine.
Arthur Millers A View From The
Bridge ResponseAnalysis
My initial reaction to the play was absolutely hideous, and my malcontent
was vibrant. I felt that reading A View From The Bridge was a tedious
waste of time and that the play itself was a trivial piece of literature. I
found the play to be neither intriguing nor interesting in the tiniest
fashion. The only aspect that I found mildly intriguing was the character
of the protagonist, Eddie Carbone, as it miraculously appealed to my
passion for psychology. Unfortunately, this enigma of Eddie’s constitution
only guided me through the first act, where after, I was completely
annoyed and jaded.
The two-act horror is centered on the self-delusion of Eddie Carbone, as
he is thrust into a continuously evolving world in which he will not
conform. As his environment is morphing with the times, Eddie feels
compiled to halt it, as his pathetic temperament will not wallow him to
cope with the change, or behave in an orderly fashion. Eddie begins to veil
himself from his love for his eighteen-year-old niece, Catherine, near the
commencement of the play, whence he begins to criticize her and her
perfectly norm
...
Though the character of Alfieri aided me the most, I found the most
effective character in the play to be the devil’s spawn himself, Eddie
Carbone, as the play is portrayed mainly through his eyes. This brief
moment of diversion is endured whence they realize that on some
proverbial, undefined level, they are able to connect with the characters
and their emotions and therefore understand the concepts and ideas of
the play. For instance the character of Marco helped me grasp a stronger
understanding about personal honor and standing by your beliefs, as his
character exemplified this trait. In one way or another, everyone
experiences a hint of self-delusion or a pinch of personal honor in their
everyday lives. In my opinion, these vapid aspects were completely
pathetic, yet in an uncanny manner, extremely human. ”(Page 66)
These aspects are portrayed thoroughly expansively in this horrible
excuse for a play, and have a strong effect on the reader. I despise this
pathetic excuse for English literature and wish for it to blaze in Hades. I
also enjoyed the character of Alfieri, as I found that from his distant
pint of view, he empowered me to understand all the various ideas
portrayed in the play from an unbiased point of view.
“Now don’t aggravate me, Katie, you are walkin’ wavy! I don’t like the looks
they’re givin’ you in the candy store. This is apparent when Alfieri tells
Eddie the consequences to him calling the Immigration Bureau:
“You won’t have a friend in the world, Eddie! Even those who understand
will turn against you, even the ones who feel the same will despise you! Put
it out of your mind. The main ideas are compiled into one story line, and
the play is absent of much needed sub-plots. Due to the sense of
humanity and realism in Arthur Miller’s catastrophic blunder of a play, the
un-enthused un-amused reader is able to experience a pang of
refreshment. Another element in Eddie’s constitution is his personal
honor, which he tosses aside whence he takes it upon himself to call the
Immigration Bureau to reveal his nemesis and competitor for Catherine’s
love, Rodolpho, to the police.
A view from Bridge Catherine
Essay
How does Catherine develop in the play? Describe how she matures: What
does she gain and what does she lose by the end of the play?
Catherine’s position in the beginning of the play is a loving daughter to
Eddie and Beatrice. Catherine loves Eddie he took her in and brought her
up as his own daughter they have a good father daughter relationship.
Eddie notices every thing about Catherine like her hair and her new outfit
in the beginning scene and she is pleased, but unaware of his secret
desire for her. Beatrice notices this when her cousins arrive. This is when
we see another side of Eddie when he becomes extremely jealous of
Rodolfo and Catherine. Eddie becomes infatuated with stopping Catherine
from going out with Rodolfo; this puts a strain on their relationship but
because of Sicilian values she respects his decision. Catherine isn’t full
Italian she is also American and this is a major difference between the
family values and American culture. If she was American she could stand
up to her father but Sicilian communities have far to much respect for a
man of the house. By the end of the play after all the commotion and the
tragic death of Eddie. Catherine doesn’t hate Eddie but I think she is
deeply s
...
For example; when she wanted to go to work and Eddie said no she backed
off. She just wanted her father to be happy for her, and she dreamed of
this. Beatrice wants Eddie back for herself and some attention because
she is lacking from the attention that is being diverted to Catherine.
Beatrice tells Eddie he is just jealous, but she really means it. When
Beatrice says he’s just jealous she actually means Eddie is jealous of what
Rodolfo has and he knows he can never have it.
Catherine questions Rodolfo about living in Italy she does this because
she still has doubts about what Eddie said (Eddie claimed he just wants to
get citizenship. Beatrice then face’s facts and put both hands on
Catherine’s shoulders, and turns her around abruptly and tries to stop
her.
Beatrice becomes Catherine’s voice because she stands up for Catherine
and can accept adapting or changing. It also causes conflict between
Catherine and Beatrice because Beatrice wants Catherine to stand up for
herself and not to listen to what Eddie says.
Eddie would go through a lot to keep Catherine beside him. In the eyes of
Eddie Carbone, men were the manly figure, the macho type. She also tells
him she doesn’t understand him sometimes. Eddie becomes so envious of
Rodolfo he starts to say impetuous things about him. He also believes the
family ought to help one another out, try not to let each other down or,
‘snitch’
on one another as we see Eddie do to Beatrice’s Italian cousins at the end
of the play. She almost flirts with him without knowingly doing it.
View From The Bridge Critique
Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge is a modern tragedy set in 1950’s
Brooklyn about a man’s obsession with his niece, and what that obsession
ultimately brings about. Eddie Carbone, the protagonist of the play also
happens to be the antagonist, because he ultimately is fighting against
himself with his desires for his niece. I believe that this play was very
predictable from the start; this is why I really did not enjoy it all that
much. A View from the Bridge had some interesting parts but to me it
was really boring and just didn’t go anywhere.
To me this play did not go anywhere because I did care for any of the
characters. The way that Arthur Miller wrote this play makes it hard for
you to care about any of the characters; therefore I also do not care
what happens to them. There is Eddie, who comes of as arrogant to me;
he is the one that I disliked the most. I really saw no point to his
behavior, if Miller had given us more of a reason as to why he had such
strong feelings toward Catherine then at least we could have learned
what made him tick, but as it is I can not see that. I see no purpose for
Alfieri; I think that this play could go on just fine without him. I do see
the need for a narrator, but I don’t thi
...
The way that Rodolpho acted made me not care about his fate. The
Catherine character was likeable but I believe that she is a big reason
why Eddie self-destructs. I liked the way that he carried himself
throughout the play, until he accuses Eddie of “killing his children”. In the
first act Eddie tries to prevent Catherine and Rodolpho from falling in
love. The events in characters in this play were just a little too
convenient for me. He was being a little too dramatic for my tastes, also
he really had no proof that Eddie had turned them in. This is the action
that ultimately set in course the final set of events. I have read some of
Miller’s other plays such as The Crucible and Death of a Salesman; I
believe this play to be below those standards. I think that part of
Rodolpho loved Catherine, while another part loved the idea of becoming a
citizen. There are many spots in this play that have symbolism in them.
Marco had no significant action in the play until the end. This is
undoubtedly a symbol of his own self-destruction. The way that Miller
sets this up with two climaxes is done very well, and is one of the highpoints of this entire work. In the first act the climax comes when Eddie
decides to “teach” Rodolpho how to box, and he beats him up a little, then
Marco picks the chair up over Eddie’s head and holds it like a weapon, but
gives him smile, this event is a precursor to what happens in the second
act. In the second act Eddie finds that he has failed at this, and thinks
his best course of action would to call the INS and report Marco and
Rodolpho.
A View From The Bridge
The opening section of the play ‘A View from the Bridge’ by the well
known playwright Arthur Miller is a plays a very important part in the
story. It introduces us to the style, setting and characters that feature
in the play. In this essay I intend to show how this introduction is
particularly valuable in giving the reader imperative information about the
main characters and clues as to how the story may unfold. This is
expertly prepared with the use of the structure, characterisation and
the setting.
Eddie Carbone is forty and a longshoreman working on the docks near
Brooklyn Bridge. Eddie is married to a woman called Beatrice. Catherine is
Beatrice’s niece. She lives with Eddie and Beatrice. She announces that
she wants to leave school as she as has been offered a job in a plumbing
company as secretary. Eddie is very protective of Catherine and wants
her to stay on and get an education. The section goes on with various
arguments between characters.
The play begins with a speech from a pivotal character; Alfieri. He
narrates the story, effectively splitting up the scene changes and adding
structure to the play. He communicates with the audience with short
speeches that enlighten them and lay clues as to how the play w
...
The it was
gonna be when she learned stenographer, so she learned
stenographer. From his first few words in the play, he seems very
friendly, chatting with a friend from work. Alfieri tells it like it is, in
America at that time, law wasn’t always justice and justice wasn’t always
law. I think that Alfieri’s opening speech and the introduction of Eddie’s
and Catherine’s relationship are the most memorable parts of the play. ’
Next, we are introduced to the main characters of the play, in particular
the protagonist, Eddie. Eddie is worried as he will not be around to
protect her when she is working. Eddie tells us about what happens if you
break the biggest moral rule in their society. And they spit on him in the
street’
Needless to say, Vinny was never seen again. We learn from him that the
story we are about to become accustomed to is set in Red Hook,
‘The slum that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge. So
what are we gonna wait for now?’
This quote clearly tells us that this has been an ongoing issue in their
marriage. He betrayed his family and he was tortured…
‘…pulled him down the stairs – three flights his head was bouncing like a
coconut. We know that he is a honest living Italian because he tells us
that being a lawyer he believes in justice like all Americans at that time.
If you betrayed your family, you would either be killed or disappear never
to be seen again. Beatrice tells us that he ‘went away’.
A View from the Bridge
How does Arthur Miller build the drama to the climax at the end of Act
1?
At The Beginning of “A view from the bridge” by Arthur Miller Alfieri
enters and immediately creates the atmosphere. The atmosphere of a
place where crime was once set in the heart of the neighborhood. Alfieri
tells us the audience about the importance of justice and how justice is
often administrated outside rather than inside the law. He Mentions Al
Capone and Franky Yale and, later he starts that the conflict, like all the
others, is beyond the power of anybody to stop it. He says most of the
time there is a veneer of respectability; most of the time people are
quite civilized.
Throughout the play, there are certain levels of tension and change of
character that can be analyzed in further depth. This is all included in
the way Arthur Miller builds the drama from the start of Act 1 to the
end.
The play opens with Alfieri’s analysis of the situation in Brooklyn. He
speaks in an easy conversational style. Law and justice are important
themes that run through the play. The story is told in a series of
flashbacks with Alfieri in control.
Eddie enters and speaks to Catherine. Eddie is very pound of the way she
...
Rodolpho is full of the joys of life.
The arrival of the cousins casts a gloom over the three of them. Rodolpho
explains that he is too poor to marry and he unlike Marco would wish to
stay in America and get a powerful motorbike. Eddie jokes and Catherine
responds in a way that confirms she is not in total ease with the situation.
The relationship between Catherine and Eddie appears open and sincere
but there is uneasiness in the air. After a bit of arguing he persuades
Beatrice that he is a very generous person. Alfieri feels helpless, he
knows that Eddie is about to destroy himself and those near to him. All
three characters show their refuels towards the act of betrayal.
Alfieri enters and suggests that Eddie’s life will never be the same again.
“Him? You’ll never see him no more, a guy do a
Thing like that? Hows he gonna show his face”?
Notice the importance of the story about the informer. Eddie takes
control and attempts to calm her down but then adds to her tension and
guilt that when he reminds her that she promised to cover and chair. He
regards Rodolpho “like a weird” and something other that a “real man”.
Alfieri is very puzzled to see Eddie come to him. Beatrice makes it
obvious that she feels Eddie is jealous of Rodolpho.
A view from a bridge
When Arthur Miller writes a play, he tries to develop a modern tragedy.
Miller successfully depicts a tragic hero in his play A View From the
Bridge in the character Eddie Carbone.
As head of the household and a respected part of his community, Eddie
embodies magnitude. His passion for his adopted daughter leads him to
commit a tragic act. Eddie recognizes his love for his adopted da
...
As Eddie debates what to do with Rodolpho, the audience fears the
worst.
At first the audience pities Eddie, for he does not acknowledge his love
for his adopted daughter. After Eddie turns the immigrants in, fear of
what Marco will do to Eddie sets in.
Miller successfully represents the main characteristics of a Greek
tragedy in this play, except for order being restored after the tragic
hero’s death. Even as the lawyer warns him to not turn in the immigrants,
as a chorus would in a Greek tragedy, Eddie does because of his tragic
flaw, wrongly loving his adopted daughter. Eddie loses respect of his
family and his community as a consequence of his actions. Then the
adopted daughter is pitied for she cannot happily marry her love with
Eddie’s blessing. Eddie has magnitude and recognizes his tragic flaw that
leads him to commit a wrongful act that ripples on the community, which
involves fear and pity for the audience. This inexcusable act effects not
only the immigrant that loves his adopted daughter but also two other
immigrants and Marco.
To what extent does Arthur Miller
make us agree with Alfieri
At the end of the play, Alfieri says of Eddie that despite “how wrong he
was…I think I will love him more than all my sensible clients”.
To what extent does Arthur Miller make us agree with Alfieri?
The opening of the play “A View from the Bridge” sets the tone of a
strong Italian- American community in Red Hook on the seaward side of
Brooklyn Bridge. The play is set in the 1950’s around the Red Hook slum in
Brooklyn where there was a strong belief in the catholic culture. Families
were living in inferior standard houses with poor heating and bathrooms
and employment was low. Despite this some men worked on the docks for
a reasonable pay and this is also where Italian immigrants worked when
they would illegally migrate to find a better way of life and try to raise
money to send home to their families in Italy. The catholic community of
red Hook was surrounded by a legal system which they didn’t understand
or trust and this gave rise to issues of loyalty and justice. Miller explores
these issues throughout the play through the character of Eddie, who is a
typical male stereotype with strong beliefs in tradition and respect,
however as a consequence to his actions he gets stripped of his pride and
dignity.
...
If Beatrice wasn’t there for Eddie to ask things of then he would no
longer have the higher status. However at the end , the audience has to
make a final judgement, Eddie’s character appeals to the heart, but
Alfiieri’s words bring back snese and judgement . Eddie dies in denial, as
he believes what he did was morally right, however the fact that Eddie
sticks to his beliefs causes the audience to feel a sense of respect for
the character. This behaviour partly comes from his jealousy, as he knows
Catherine has taken fondly to Rodolpho, and he soon becomes obsessed
with keeping them apart. powerless as I and watched it run its bloody
course” (Alfieri)
Miller enables us to see Eddie differently throughout the play and it is
difficult to decide whether we should feel love or hatred towards this
character. Alfieri acts as a suitable substitute to a chorus as he too
reacts to situations in the play and the way he interprets the action
enables the audience to agree with him. This is where Eddie makes his
biggest mistake which probably costs him his life. Marco does not like
Eddie taking advantage of Rodolpho and therefore challenges him to a
task which involves physical strength. As Alfieri is used to set the scene,
when he is used to express opinion , the audience tend to follow his lead.
Eddie also sees himself to have manly pride and respect within the
community and would not like this to be questioned Miller uses Eddie’s
position of a man to make the audience sympathise with him. By showing
us this cruel side of Eddie, Miller is giving us a taste of what is yet to
come from the character and creates a feeling of dislike towards him.
When Beatrice’s cousins arrive, Eddie immediately takes a disliking
towards Rodolpho and this becomes clear from his harsh words and
unjustified opinions.
A View from the Bridge
The structure of the play is very important to the content of the play.
The story is set out in two very definite acts. This is important to the
audience and their understanding of the play. The events of Act 1 are
mirrored in Act 2, although in a more serious manner. For instance, in Act
1 we hear of Vinny Balzano, the young boy who was disowned by his family
after reporting his own uncle to the Immigration Bureau. Also, the recital
of “Paper Doll” by Rodolfo early on in Act 1 has significance later on, being
the record to which the ‘couple’ dance to (in direct defiance of Eddie).
The end of Act 1 prepares the audience for the important events that will
take place later on.
The closing scene in Act 1 is set in the living room, to add to the feeling
that this is a domestic situation. It also adds plausibility to the scene, the
setting making it seem more believable and realistic. Alfieri’s opening
speech also refers to the ordinariness surrounding this situation, “This
one’s name was Eddie Carbone,” suggesting that this was no freak
occurrence, the events described taking place more often than people
would like to admit.
The scene is made dramatically effective by many different techniques.
As this is
...
This event gives a very memorable and incredibly tense close to the
scene. The audience are increasingly aware of the growing tension
between the two (mainly coming from Eddie) and so can see that Eddie’s
intentions are not totally innocent as appearances suggested. ” There is an
incredible amount of tension during the chair lifting. Catherine becomes
far sterner towards the end of Act 1, where she directly goes against
Eddie by asking Rodolfo to dance. Even though merely a single word is
spoken, it is very effective dramatically; the tension is beginning to
increase between Eddie and the cousins. ” The way in which Eddie
addresses Catherine early on in the play, as “Madonna” incline us to the
belief that our presumption is correct.
This clarifies for the audience why Eddie has such a deep and immediate
mistrust towards Rodolfo, the fresh faced, handsome young immigrant,
with aspirations of riches (and a blue motorcycle). He is basically always
trying to put Rodolfo down, for one (in Eddie’s eyes, effeminate) trait or
another. However, Eddie does not see it like this and becomes very
defensive, saying “I didn’t say nothing about lemons,” indicating that he
feels that Rodolfo is mocking him: taking them all (especially Catherine)
for ‘a ride. The way in the characters address and communicate with each
other show what state relations are in. However, the audience later
realises that because Eddie’s feelings are not totally innocent, it is more
fear that Rodolfo will take her away. The beginning sees everyone
seemingly happy and contented in their lives (Marco is liked by Eddie as
he is a strong, focused, hard worker).
As well as language being important throughout the final scene, the
syntax also plays a part in adding to the effectiveness of the scene. Yet
again, Marco is perplexed, until Eddie adds, “I heard they grow, like,
green”. It is a fitting climax and suggests more struggles will take place in
the following Act, with perhaps Marco playing a more central role.
A View from the Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from A View From the Bridge)
Jump to: navigation, search
A View from the Bridge is a play by Arthur Miller originally produced as
a one-act verse drama on Broadway in 1955. It was based upon an
unproduced screenplay that Miller developed with Elia Kazan in the early
1950s, entitled The Hook, dealing with corruption on the Brooklyn docks.
On the Waterfront, written by Budd Schulberg, used similar ideas.
Though the 1955 one-act production was not successful, it was revised in
1956 to become a more traditional prose play in two acts, and it is
through this version that audiences are most familiar with the work
today. Interestingly, the play was adapted into an opera in 1999 by
William Bolcom, thus bringing the story back into verse.
Contents
[hide]








1 Plot summary
2 Setting
3 Context
o 3.1 McCarthyism
o 3.2 Miller, Kazan, and the Blacklist
4 Sources of suspicion in the play
o 4.1 Sexual Betrayal
5 Cast of Characters
6 Original Cast
7 External links
8 Sources
[edit] Plot summary
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The main character in the story is Eddie Carbone, an Italian American
longshoreman, who lives with his wife Beatrice and orphaned niece
Catherine. His feelings for Catherine, however, develop from 'overprotective' into something more than filial as the play develops. These
feelings are brought into perspective by the arrival from Italy of
Beatrice's two cousins, Marco and Rodolfo. They have entered the
country illegally, hoping to leave behind hunger and unemployment for a
better life in America, and to help build a better life for those they've
left behind. Rodolfo is young, good-looking and charming; Catherine
instantly falls for him.
Predictably Eddie sets about pointing out all of Rodolfo's flaws and
persistently complains that Rodolfo is "not right" (by which he means
homosexual). He uses Rodolfo's effeminate qualities, such as dressmaking, cooking and singing, to back up his argument.
In the end Catherine decides to marry Rodolfo and Eddie sees he has no
choice but to confess to The Immigration Bureau that he is harbouring
two illegal immigrants. He takes this action regardless of his earlier
assertion that "It's an honour" to give the men refuge. His betrayal of
the two men causes Eddie to lose the respect of his neighbours, his
friends and his family.
In the final pages of the play the sense of crisis climaxes with a fight
between Eddie and Marco which results in Eddie’s death. Eddie
brandishes a knife which goes against his ideals of honour. He attacks
Marco but Marco turns the blade onto Eddie. This could be seen
symbolically as a projection of Eddie's self-destructive tendencies, as his
sense of self-worth and his honourable character finally reach the
bottom of their downward spiral.
In the final pages of the play, Miller uses stage directions more often to
convey the sense of crisis and drama. Miller uses stage directions when it
would be difficult to interpret what emotions should be shown. An
example of this is when Eddie concedes to let Catherine work. The stage
directions indicate that he relents with "a sense of her childhood, her
babyhood and the years". Miller also uses his stage directions as a means
of making clear to the production company his intended symbolism.
[edit] Setting
The play is set in New York, in the Red Hook neighbourhood in the
borough of Brooklyn. Red Hook is a homogeneous community of Italian
immigrants. Most of the people in Red Hook originate from Sicily and the
Sicilian code of honour is a running motif in the play. Italy represents
homeland, origin and culture to the citizens of Red Hook. But, Italy
represents different things to the main characters in the play. For
example, Catherine associates Italy with mystery, romance and beauty.
Rodolpho, on the other hand, is actually from Italy, and thinks it is a place
with little opportunity, and a place that he feels justified in escaping
from. All of the characters appreciate the benefits of living in the U.S.,
but still strongly hold to Italian traditions and identify it as home. Italy is
the basis of the cultural traditions in Red Hook, and it serves as a
touchstone to unite the community, with their own laws and customs.
[edit] Context
Miller's plays tend to be contemporary commentaries upon the major
political issues of his time, told in allegory or metaphor. It is instructive
to consider the playwright's motivations in writing this play.
[edit] McCarthyism
Any reading of this play needs to be done in the context of the activities
of the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC), as it is a direct
response to the divisions that the HUAC created in American society, and
between old friends, Miller and Elia Kazan.
The threat of Communism in the post-war era (that is, during the Cold
War) created an environment where the pragmatics of the politics of
fear empowered governments in Western nations to seek out Communists
operating in the community. The HUAC encouraged members of the
enterainment industry to turn over colleagues whom they suspected of
being Communists.
The penalty for being discovered to be a Communist was to be
'blacklisted' - meaning that their name appeared on a list of people who
were never allowed to work in the industry again.
Supporting McCarthyism was seen by some as a deep betrayal, and by
others as one's natural duty as a citizen. Miller was of the former opinion.
Though Senator Joseph McCarthy is often credited with being a member
of the HUAC, he was not affiliated with it. The HUAC was a committee in
the House of Representatives, while McCarthy was a member of the
Senate. McCarthy's organization had a simiar aim - to expunge America of
Communism - but he focused his investigation on the army and other
areas of American culture. Still, the general term "McCarthyism" is used
to describe the feeling of agressive anti-Communism that overtook
American politics during the early 1950s.
[edit] Miller, Kazan, and the Blacklist
As mentioned in the introduction, On the Waterfront by Elia Kazan tells a
story similar to Miller's "A View from the Bridge". In fact, On the
Waterfront is believed to be Kazan's response to Miller's implicit
commentary on those who assisted with the efforts of the HUAC.
Kazan himself, of course, named names for the HUAC, seeing it as his
duty to inform on suspected Communists. Miller was outraged by this,
seeing it as a dishonourable act by his former collaborator. Miller,
suspected of being a communist sympathiser, refused to name names, and
risked imprisonment for his ideals.
Thus, in Miller's play, Eddie Carbone is degraded from a respectable man
to a shameful animal because of his wild mistrust of Rodolfo, a mistrust
that lead to his turning in of Rodolfo and Marco to the Immigration
Bureau. Carbone here is clearly representing the actions of Kazan in
turning friends in to the HUAC, and Miller is giving his opinion on what he
considers a shameful betrayal.
On the Waterfront tells a similar story, but the analogous protagonist
(Terry Malloy) is portrayed as a hero who does his duty for the greater
good. Kazan is defending his honour through this character.
Miller's The Crucible is considered the first of the three exchanges in
this very public dispute over allegations of dishonour and duty.
[edit] Sources of suspicion in the play
With this play, Miller hoped to explore the origins of suspicion in the
human heart. It is, in a way, a meditation upon how the 'witch-hunts' of
McCarthyism could have been supported by men who would normally think
of themselves as honourable.
[edit] Sexual Betrayal
Suspicion often arises from a fear that one will be betrayed, or the
feeling that one has been betrayed without one's knowledge. Betrayal,
then, is a major causal factor in suspicion, and central to the concept of
betrayal in human relations is sexual betrayal.
A number of times we see insinuations of sexual infidelity. Marco's wife
back home in Italy, for example, has the cloud of suspicion cast upon her
by association, and in an almost off-hand way.
EDDIE: I betcha there's plenty surprises sometimes when those guys get back there,
heh?
MARCO: Surprises?
EDDIE (laughing): I mean, you know - they count the kids and there's a couple extra
than when they left?
By contrast, Eddie establishes his 'ownership' of Catherine, in much the
same way an Elephant Seal protects his 'harem' - by bluster:
EDDIE: (rises, paces up and down): It ain't so free here either, Rodolfo, like you think. I
seen greenhorns sometimes get in trouble that way - they think just because a girl don't
go around with a shawl over her head that she ain't strict, y'know? Girl don't have to
wear black dress to be strict. Know what I mean?
The chiefmost sexual betrayal, though, is clearly the courtship of
Catherine by Rodolfo. Eddie, who has grown an unwholesome affection for
his adopted 'daughter', resents being replaced in her affections by
someone he sees as an unworthy interloper, and he suspects Rodolfo's
motivations as well: he feels that Rodolfo is using Catherine to gain
citizenship.
When Eddie returns home to find Rodolfo emerging from Catherine's
bedroom, she having just emerged before him, straightening her dress,
he suspects they have been engaged in intimacies, loses his temper, and
orders Rodolfo out of his house.
This culminates in Catherine's 'declaration of independence' - she is so
fearful of Eddie now that she feels she has to escape him.
CATHERINE: (trembling with fright): I think I have to get out of here, Eddie.
EDDIE: No, you ain't goin' nowhere's, he's the one.
CATHERINE: I think I can't stay here no more.
At this point, Eddie explodes. The violence that erupts is a realisation of
implied violence in the scene in the previous Act where his barelycontained suspicions of Rodolfo's homosexuality were exposed in
accusation after accusation:
EDDIE: (to BEATRICE): He's lucky, believe me. (Slight pause. He looks away, then back
to Beatrice.) That's why the water-front is no place for him. (They stop dancing.
RODOLFO turns off phonograph.) I mean like me - I can't cook, I can't sing, I can't
make dresses, so I'm on the waterfront. But if I could cook, if I could sing, if I could
make dresses, I wouldn't be on the water-front. (He has been unconsciously twisting the
newspaper into a tight roll. They are all regarding him now; he senses he is exposing the
issue and he is driven on.) I would be someplace else. I would be in a dress store...
He then challenges Rodolfo to attend a boxing match, assuming this will
expose him, as he believes no effeminate person would be interested in
the manly sport of boxing. He uses this topic as a pretext to punch
Rodolfo, while 'teaching him a lesson', ostensibly a lesson about boxing,
but actually about who is the alpha male. This symbolic beating will turn
into a true beating in the next Act.
It has been asserted by some commentators that there are homo-erotic
tensions between Eddie and Rodolfo. This stems from when Eddie kisses
Rodolfo. He claims to have done this to prove that Rodolfo is homosexual,
or “not right” as he puts it. He did this to prove that Rodolfo could have
no sexual desires for Catherine and was only marrying her to live in
America.
Clearly, however, the kiss is intended to mock Rodopho, not to express
any latent sexual feelings for him. Taken in the context of the
belittlement that Eddie is dealing out to Rodolfo, the kiss can mean
nothing other than a slight on his masculinity, and therefore on his right
to claim Catherine.
Such is his contempt for Rodolfo's (he believes) feigned sexual conquest
of Catherine, that Eddie reduces the dispute to simple "bestial
dominance" - he, Eddie, is the bigger animal, and he therefore deserves
the prized female.
This need for "bestial dominance" is clearly desperation, and lacks the
nobility of the show of strength by Marco, who raises the chair in a show
of stength to put Eddie in his place. The desperation arises not only from
the sexual betrayal that he feels he has suffered, but also from the fact
that Eddie sees himself as the patriarch, and yearns for control of every
situation and everyone around him. Note that all the conflicts in the play
escalate whenever Eddie loses control. This hypothesis is further
supported in the final pages when Marco repeatedly calls Eddie an
“animal”.
There are several suspicions which at first the characters suppress, but
then, during the course of the play, were forced into revealing.An
example of this is that Beatrice’s loyalty is divided between Eddie and
Catherine. Beatrice desperately wants to be closer to Eddie because she
has sensed a rift forming between them, and the only way she feels she
can break this is if Catherine matures and leaves.She tries to bring this
about herself, by telling Catherine that she needs to act more like a
woman and to stop acting like a child around Eddie. She also defends her
getting married to Rodolfo in order to get her away from the house. She
is most likely pursuing this course of action because she is jealous of
Catherine becoming so (inappropriately) close to Eddie, and she is blaming
Catherine for all of the marital problems she and Eddie are experiencing.
[edit] Cast of Characters






Eddie Carbone- The hardworking, blue collar lead of the play. Eddie
is an Italian-American longshoreman (dockyard worker) who
provides food on the table for his family, a roof over their heads,
and an education for his adopted niece, Catherine. But underneath
Eddie's average guy personality is a conflicted man whose love for
his niece may be deeper than just paternal, but an incestuous
desire. He calls the Immigration Bureau to inform on Rodolfo and
Marco, which produces dire consequences. Killed by his own knife at
Marco's hands when trying to attack him, he dies in Beatrice's
arms at the end of the play.
Catherine Carbone - The sweet, naive young girl and female lead of
the play. Catherine is a stenographer fresh out of high school and
relatively new to the world. She develops an attraction to her
cousin, Rodolfo, which is the complication that sets in action the
story of the play.
Beatrice Carbone - Eddie's put-upon spouse and aunt of Catherine.
She serves ultimately as a champion of her niece and tries to
protect her when she can. Beatrice is also aware of Eddie's real
feelings for his niece, and strives to manipulate circumstances to
remove Catherine from Eddie's grasp.
Rodolfo - Beatrice's cousin from Italy. He falls in love with
Catherine. He tries unsuccessfully to prevent the fight between
Eddie and Marco by making a truce.
Marco - Rodolfo's older brother and a man of few words. Like
Rodolfo, he came to America illegally, but not to be a citizen. His
plan was to make money to support his family back home in Italy,
which was still suffering post-war Europe's crippled economy. He is
very grateful to be given a chance to prosper in America. Following
his betrayal by Eddie, he kills Eddie (arguably in self defense) in a
fight over the breaking of an unspoken law about always being loyal
to one's family.
Alfieri - The narrator of the play and a family friend of the
Carbones. Alfieri is the wise attorney who dispenses legal advice to
Eddie. Essentially, Alfieri is the proxy, the representative of the
Red Hook neighborhood, completely familiar with its turf and its
inhabitants. He tries to warn Eddie about turning on his family. His
function in the play can be compared to that of the Chorus in Greek
theatre.






Louis - Eddie's co-worker buddy, who like his other friend Mike,
can't resist mocking Eddie for taking in his cousins, who seem to
overshadow Eddie. Along with Mike, tries to prevent Eddie from
fighting Marco.
Mike - Another co-worker to Eddie, who travels in pairs with Louis.
Ribs into Eddie for taking in his cousins for a source of humour
between he and Louis. Along with Louis, tries to prevent Eddie from
fighting Marco.
Immigration Officer 1 - A stern Manhattan immigration officer
who takes Rodolfo and Marco away, after Eddie's anonymous phone
call.
Immigration Officer 2 - The second officer working with the first
officer, who helps him round up the illegal immigrants.
Mr. Lipari - A neighbour and local butcher hiding an illegal
immigrant family member away.
Mrs. Lipari - Mr. Lipari's wife and relative of the illegal immigrant
they are assisting in safe passage from Italy.
This guide is written for teachers and students who are studying Arthur
Miller's play A View from the Bridge. The guide is written specifically for
students in the UK, but I hope it may be helpful to users from other
parts of the world. For a student commentary on the significance in the
play of the song Paper Doll, click here.
Introduction
This guide is written to help you, but is no substitute for knowing the
text. Either read this to yourself, as you would a prose work (it is quite
short) or read it aloud. If you can get hold of a taped version you could
listen to this, or you could make a tape of some key episodes. Mark your
copy of the play with underlinings and bookmarks. The Heinemann edition
of the play has a good general introduction, and you should certainly read
this.
This play can be discussed in many different ways, but among the ways
you can study a play are character, action, dramatic devices and dramatic
structures.
Back to top
A short history of the play
I am grateful to Nicole de Sapio, who has provided this account.
A View from the Bridge has an unusually complicated performance
history. It was originally a screenplay called The Hook, written by Miller
with assistance from Elia Kazan, who had previously directed the
playwright's All My Sons and Death of a Salesman. The script, dealing as
it then did with "waterfront corruption and graft" was eventually
withdrawn by Miller in response to the Hollywood studio's complaints that
it was un-American (this was, of course, the age of McCarthy - the early
1950s). The Hook's basic themes would nonetheless resurface in Kazan's
1954 film, On the Waterfront.
Inspired now by the true story of a Brooklyn dockworker who informed on
two illegal immigrants, Miller reconceived The Hook as A View from the
Bridge. The play, a one-act verse drama, was a mild failure on Broadway in
1955; critics found its austere style uninvolving. Miller had wanted to
create a play that would simply tell the tale he himself has heard, with no
attempt to gain audience sympathy for Eddie's - or anyone else's - plight.
Consequently, nothing was allowed onstage that did not directly
contribute to the action. But Miller ultimately found that he had created
a cold play, rather than a fascinating and suspenseful one.
Back to top
In 1956, A View from the Bridge was revised for a new London
production. The verse became prose, the length was expanded to two
acts, and the characters were allowed to speak more - thus becoming
more human and more sympathetic. While we may not identify with the
Eddie Carbone of the final version, we are better able to understand what
motivates him and therefore to sympathize with his basic dilemma: how to
"let go" of the niece he has raised and loved as a daughter. As Miller
writes in his introduction to the published revision,
"Eddie Carbone is still not a man to weep over...But it is more possible now
to relate his actions to our own and thus to understand ourselves a little
better, not only as isolated psychological entities, but as we connect to
our fellows and our long past together."
Back to top
Eddie Carbone, a representative type
Western drama originates in the Greek tragedies of Sophocles, Aeschylus
and Euripides, all of whom wrote in Athens in the 5th century B.C. Drama,
theatre, actor and tragedy are all Greek words. In these plays the tragic
hero or protagonist (=first or most important actor) commits an offence,
often unknowingly. He must then learn his fault, suffer and perhaps die.
In this way, the gods are vindicated and the moral order of the universe
restored. (This is a gross simplification of an enormous subject.)
These plays, and those of Shakespeare two thousand years later, are
about kings, dukes or great generals. Why? Because in their day, these
individuals were thought to embody or represent the whole people.
Nowadays, we do not see even kings in this way. When writers want to
show a person who represents a nation or class, they typically invent a
fictitious "ordinary" person, the Man in the Street or Joe Public. In Eddie
Carbone, Miller creates just such a representative type. He is a very
ordinary man, decent, hard-working and charitable, a man no-one could
dislike. But, like the protagonist of the ancient drama, he has a flaw or
weakness. This, in turn, causes him to act wrongly. The consequences,
social and psychological, of his wrong action destroy him. The chorus
figure, Alfieri, then explains why it is better to "be civilised" and "settle
for half", thus restoring the normal moral order of the universe.
Back to top
If Eddie is meant to represent everyman, does this mean that Miller
believes all men love their nieces (those who have nieces)? Of course not.
What Miller does suggest is that we have basic impulses, which civilisation
has seen as harmful to society, and taught us to control. We have selfdestructive urges, too, but normally we deny these. Eddie does not really
understand his improper desire, and thus is unable to hide it from those
around him or from the audience. In him we see the primitive impulse
naked, as it were: this explains Alfieri's puzzling remark that Eddie
"allowed himself to be perfectly known".
Clearly, Eddie is, in the classical Greek sense, the protagonist of the play.
Alfieri tells us this at the end of his opening address: "This one's name
was Eddie Carbone..." Eddie is the subject of Alfieri's narrative, and all
other characters are seen in relation to him. We are shown at first a
good man who seems perfectly happy: he has the dignity of a job he does
well, he is liked in the close-knit community of Red Hook, he has the love
of wife and foster-daughter/niece, and his doubts about Catherine's
prospective job are not very serious.
Back to top
Showing a happy domestic scene is a favourite device of Miller's. Next a
catalyst is introduced, and we see, by steady and inexorable stages how
the happiness is destroyed. A catalyst is literally something which speeds
up a chemical reaction; in this play it refers metaphorically to Rodolpho,
one of Beatrice's illegal immigrant cousins. Catherine's attraction to him
brings Eddie's love for his niece into the open. This unlawful love first
appears in Eddie's obsessive concern with Catherine's appearance and
way of dressing: "I think it's too short," he says of a dress. He goes on:
"Katie, you are walkin' wavy! I don't like the looks they're givin' you in
the candy store. And with them new high heels on the sidewalk - clack,
clack, clack. The heads are turnin' like windmills".
Back to top
Later, as Catherine is attracted to Rodolpho, Eddie tries to discredit his
rival: he first implies that Rodolpho is not serious, merely in search of
American citizenship. When this fails he comes to believe that Rodolpho
is a homosexual, and tries to show up his lack of manliness. The failure of
this in turn causes him to betray Rodolpho and Marco, a futile gesture, as
Rodolpho is allowed to stay. Indeed, his marriage to Catherine is brought
forward to secure his staying in the country. Marco's accusation of Eddie
leads him, in the latter stages of the play, to an impossible effort to
recover his good name in the community. In his doomed attempt to force
Marco to take back his accusation, Eddie dies.
This general outline of Eddie's declining fortune in the play can now be
seen in more detail. When Eddie meets the brothers he is friendly to
both, but he warms quickly to Marco, a man's man, and superficially like
Eddie. When Marco "raises a hand to hush" Rodolpho we read that Eddie
"is coming more and more to address Marco only". He is made uneasy by
the talkative young man with his unusual blond hair.
Back to top
Eddie will seek to discredit any rival. In Rodolpho's case, he quickly finds
a "reason" for this. Rodolpho is slightly-built, blond, a good singer and
dancer, and he can cook and make dresses. Moreover, Mike and Louis
seem to share this view: "He comes around, everybody's laughin' ," says
Mike. The stage directions indicate seven times that Mike and Louis
laugh; finally, they "explode in laughter". After this, Eddie abuses his
trust as a wise father-figure to persuade Catherine that Rodolpho is a
"hit-and-run guy" and "only bowin' to his passport". She protests disbelief
but is clearly shaken until Beatrice reassures her.
Eddie tells Alfieri of Rodolpho, that "he ain't right", and that "you could
kiss him, he was so sweet", but Alfieri advises him that there is nothing
he can do. In the conclusion to the first act, we see how Miller has
choreographed the action.
Back to top



First, Rodolpho dances with Catherine, symbolically taking her from
Eddie. Eddie's bitter response is three times to repeat the
formula: "He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses...I can't cook,
I can't sing, I can't make dresses, so I'm on the water front. But
if I could cook, if I could sing, if I could make dresses, I wouldn't
be on the water front". The stage direction tells us that Eddie has
been "unconsciously twisting the newspaper" and that he senses "he
is exposing the issue".
In the second movement, Eddie tells Rodolpho about boxing
matches and offers to teach him to box. After allowing Rodolpho to
land some blows, Eddie strikes him harder: "It mildly staggers
Rodolpho". The three onlookers all see what Eddie is trying to do,
but his attempt to make Catherine think less of Rodolpho has
failed.
The third, and final movement comes from Marco, who invites
Eddie to lift a chair by one of its legs. When Eddie fails, Marco
lifts the chair, and raises it "like a weapon over Eddie's head".
Once more, the other characters watch the action attentively.
Back to top
The second act opens with an episode which relies equally on the stage
action, as the drunken Eddie kisses both Catherine (to show her how a
"real man" kisses) and Rodolpho (partly to show Catherine that he enjoys
it, and that his failure to resist it is significant; partly, just to humiliate
Rodolpho). The first kiss (which is near-incestuous) and the second
(because a man kisses another) will repel the audience.
In 1955, when the play was first performed, the double kiss would have
been utterly shocking. Eddie has lost the audience's sympathy, and loses
it yet further when he calls the immigration authorities. At the time, we
see how the phone-booth gradually lights up, symbolizing the triumph of
Eddie's desperation over his conscience.
Back to top
Earlier in the play, Eddie has told the story of Vinnie Bolzano, precisely to
show us his belief in loyalty to family and community. There is also irony
in Eddie's doing exactly the same thing of which he has spoken with such
horror. Eddie has warned Catherine that "you can quicker get back a
million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away". Now he
find this to be true: his feigned horror on finding the Liparis have
relatives sharing with Marco and Rodolpho, and his suggestion that they
are being tracked, coming just before the immigration officers arrive, is
a giveaway. Eddie tries to outface Marco, but the accusation is believed.
Lipari and his wife, Louis and Mike, the stage representatives of the
wider community, one by one leave Eddie alone, symbolizing his isolation.
Back to top
The climax of the play is like the "showdown" at the end of a western.
Marco is coming to punish Eddie; Eddie in return will demand his "name"
back. Marco believes it is dishonourable to let Eddie live, but has given his
word not to kill him. Eddie's pulling a knife means that Marco can see
justice done, while keeping his word. Again the action is symbolic of the
play's deeper meaning. Eddie literally dies by his own hand, which holds
the knife, and is killed by his own weapon; but Eddie also metaphorically
destroys himself, over the whole course of the play. And this is what
Alfieri introduces to at the play's opening: the sight of a man destroying
himself, while those around him are as powerless as a theatre audience to
prevent it.
Back to top
We have considered Eddie in terms of what he does and says, but we
should also consider how we are meant, finally, to see him.
Alfieri's speeches generally explain Eddie's actions and Alfieri's own
inability to save him. But his last speech tries to explain the mystery of
Eddie's character. Most of us, says Alfieri, are "civilized", "American"
rather than Sicilian. Most of us "settle for half", and this has to be a
good thing. (He has earlier told us with relief of the passing of the
gangster era, and that he no longer keeps a loaded gun in his filing
cabinet). But although Eddie's death was "useless", yet "something
perversely pure calls to [Alfieri] from his memory - not purely good, but
himself purely, for he allowed himself to be wholly known". Most of us,
says Alfieri, being more educated, more sophisticated, more in control,
can either hide our feelings or, better, overcome them.
Back to top
Eddie is a suitable subject for a modern tragedy because the potential
for self-destruction, which is in all of us, in Eddie's case has destroyed
him. And apart from this improper love, Eddie is a good man; and this love
has its origin in the quite proper love of father for child, and Eddie's
sense of duty to his family and community. This is shown in the early part
of the play in the love and trust Catherine and Beatrice have for Eddie,
and of what we learn of his hustling for work when Catherine was a baby.
Eddie is a very ordinary man, a decent and well-liked man, and yet the one
flaw in his character forces those around him and Alfieri to watch
"powerless" (as does the audience) as the case runs "its bloody course".
Back to top
Alfieri
After Eddie, Alfieri's is probably the most important rôle in the play. He
is, of course, in some (not much) of the action, as Eddie consults him. This
is essential, as it explains how he has come to know the story. Miller has
said that he wanted to make this play a modern equivalent of classical
Greek tragedy. In the ancient plays, an essential part was that of the
chorus: a group of figures who would watch the action, comment on it, and
address the audience directly.
In A View from the Bridge, Alfieri is the equivalent of the chorus. He
introduces the action as a retelling of events already in the (recent) past.
By giving details of place, date or time, he enables the action to move
swiftly from one episode to another, without the characters having to
give this information. This is often skilfully mixed with brief comment:
"He was as good a man as he had to be...he brought home his pay, and he
lived. And toward ten o'clock of that night, after they had eaten, the
cousins came". Because much of this is fact, we believe the part which is
opinion.
Back to top
We also trust a lawyer to be a good judge of character and rational,
because he is professionally detached. Alfieri is not quite detached,
however. His connection with Eddie is slight: "I had represented his
father in an accident case some years before, and I was acquainted with
the family in a casual way". But in the next interlude, Alfieri tells us how
he is so disturbed, that he consults a wise old woman, who tells him to
pray for Eddie. You should consider what Alfieri says in each of the
interludes, and you must be able to find them quickly.
In the brief scenes in which Alfieri speaks to Eddie, we gain an insight
into his idea of settling for half. He repeatedly tells Eddie that he should
not interfere, but let Catherine go, "and bless her", that the only legal
question is how the brothers entered the country "But I don't think you
want to do anything about that".
Back to top
As Eddie contemplates the betrayal, Alfieri reads his mind and
repeatedly warns him: "You won't have a friend in the world...Put it out of
your mind".
Alfieri as the chorus/narrator need never leave the stage. Stage
directions refer not to exits and entrances but to the light going down or
coming up on Alfieri at his desk, as we switch from the extended bouts of
action (flashbacks to Alfieri) to the interludes which allow him to
comment, to move forward in time, and give brief indications of
circumstantial detail, such as the source of the whisky Eddie brings home
at the start of Act Two. Alfieri's view is also the "view from the bridge"
of the title. To those around Eddie, those "on the water front", the
events depicted are immediate, passionate and confused. But the
audience has an ambiguous view. In the extended episodes of action we
may forget, as Marco lifts the chair, or as Eddie kisses Rodolpho, that
Alfieri is narrating. What we see is theatrical and exciting; we are
involved as spectators. But at the end of the episode, as the light goes up
on Alfieri, we are challenged to make a judgement. If Eddie, as we see
him, appeals to our hearts, Alfieri makes sure we also judge with our
heads.
Back to top
Catherine and Beatrice
Both Catherine and Beatrice are very likeable characters. Miller
deliberately developed the part of each in revising the play for its London
production (and this is the version he has chosen to publish). In studying
Catherine you should consider how Eddie sees her, and how she sees him.
In the course of the play the second of these changes considerably. What
are the key events that cause this change? Beatrice is a much more
stable character. Where the young Catherine is uncertain, Beatrice is
mature and has a clear view of matters. Eddie's ceasing to have sexual
relations with her, of course helps her see his problem. She talks to
Eddie and to Catherine, but her relationship to Eddie seems more that of
a friend than that of wife and lover.
Back to top
Eddie has a more obvious relationship with Catherine. We watch her
gradually free herself of dependence on him, as she moves closer to
Rodolpho, but Eddie's kiss accelerates the process. She is bitter in her
condemnation of Eddie after he has betrayed Marco and Rodolpho, but
she shows she still cares for him when she says: "I never meant to do
nothing bad to you", as he dies. The two women have a good relationship
with each other; this is never as intense as Catherine's relationship with
Eddie, but it outlasts it.
Beatrice has reason to be jealous but is generous to Catherine at all
times. She knows Eddie has done a terrible thing in calling the
authorities, but stands by him. Both women are present as Eddie dies, and
their concern makes Alfieri's plea for our sympathy more persuasive. You
should know in which episodes each appears, and what both say.
Back to top
Look at Catherine's relations with Eddie, with Beatrice and with
Rodolpho; look at Beatrice in relation to her niece and husband. Is
Beatrice's childlessness significant? Look at Catherine's actions which
show her closeness to Eddie. She brings him a beer or lights a cigar;
Beatrice tells us that she sits on the edge of the bath while Eddie shaves,
and walks around in her slip (we do not see this), and Catherine explains to
Rodolpho how she can sense Eddie's moods: "I can tell a block away when
he's blue in his mind and just wants to talk to somebody..." Catherine's
part is ambiguous in several ways: she is, at seventeen, but socially
inexperienced, both little girl (Rodolpho calls her this) and adult woman;
to Eddie she acts both as daughter and as lover; she is a simple, pretty
girl from Brooklyn but Eddie sees her as a "Madonna". (This has nothing
to do with the celebrated singer, who was not even born in 1955. It
refers to the Virgin Mary as she is depicted in Old Master paintings of
the nativity. Madonna literally means "my lady", in Italian - the language
of Eddie's native land.)
Back to top
Marco and Rodolpho
In the play the brothers, widely separated by age, are usually referred to
in this order, but Rodolpho is more prominent in the first act and at the
start of the second, while Marco becomes more important towards the
end of the play. Make sure you know why this is. In every sense except
their being brothers, the two are unalike. This is not just a subtle matter
of character, but is shown in ways which are obvious in a theatre. They
look different, they act differently and their speech differs.
Rodolpho is slender, graceful and (unusually in a Sicilian) blond-haired
(Eddie nicknames him "Danish"); he is strong enough to work, but weaker
than the thick-set Eddie. Marco is not simply strong by contrast, he is
unusually strong by any standard, and excites admiring comment from
Mike. Marco is dark and powerfully built.
Back to top
Where Rodolpho speaks almost incessantly, Marco is often silent. He has
some difficulty speaking English, but this is not his only reason. He is very
attentive to what is going on and being said, he thinks and then speaks,
and he clearly believes actions speak louder than words, whether in
unloading a ship or threatening Eddie. In the latter case, as he raises a
chair like a weapon, he is able to express an idea which he would not wish
to put into words as it would seem to show ingratitude to his host.
Rodolpho is an enthusiast for all things American.
This explains why he spends money on fashionable clothes and records, of
which Eddie so disapproves. He loves Catherine but is appalled at her
suggestion that they return to Italy. Marco, on the other hand, clearly
misses his family and has only come to the U.S.A. out of love for them.
Rodolpho has learned, presumably from tourists, records and books, how
to speak fluent English. Marco speaks more slowly and less correctly, but
with simple dignity and clarity. Because there is no regular paid work in
his home country, Rodolpho has learned other ways to support the family:
there is nothing so odd in his singing, cooking and dress-making skills. But
in a world where there is work, and men's and women's tasks are clearly
defined, as in Red Hook, these talents are suspect.
Back to top
Both Rodolpho and Marco are proud, but Marco has a stronger sense of
the traditional values of the community. When Eddie attempts a joke
about the "surprises" awaiting men who return from working in the U.S.A.
for several years, Marco corrects him, while appearing not to see
anything funny in the suggestion. It is Marco who tells Alfieri that at
home Eddie would already be dead for his betrayal: he feels even more
strongly than Eddie does the values which Eddie expresses in telling the
story of Vinnie Bolzano. Rodolpho, on the other hand, tries to calm his
brother, and offers Eddie a chance to make peace, a chance which Eddie
spurns.
Marco feels a sense of responsibility for his brother (he tells him to
"come home early") but also feels responsible to the community, and
ready to punish the one who has injured its unity, Eddie. It is Rodolpho
whom Eddie seeks at first to eliminate (by showing Catherine he is
homosexual, then by betraying him and Marco to the authorities). But
after Marco spits in his face and announces: "I accuse that one", Eddie's
quarrel is with the elder brother. He will barely speak to Rodolpho and
refers to him in the third person when he is present: "He didn't take my
name; he's only a punk. Marco's got my name." Eddie understands that, in
effect, a challenge has been issued by Marco; contradicting Marco is
Eddie's only way of trying to recover the lost name, but is as impossible
as it is for him to have Catherine as a lover.
Back to top
Dramatic techniques
You should read the comments on xiv - xix of the Hereford Plays edition,
and note the discussion above of Alfieri's function as narrator and
commentator. How the playwright tells the story on stage is a matter of
dramatic technique. To give an essay on the subject some kind of plan, you
need to write a section on as many of the following as you think you
understand: the structure of the play in episodes and interludes; the rôle
of Alfieri; action, as shown in stage directions; the set and other
properties, including effects of sound and lighting; the language of the
dialogue, and symbolism.
Back to top
Structure
The structure of the play is quite simple. Originally a one-act drama, the
play was extended to allow an expanded part for Catherine and Beatrice.
At this point an interval became necessary, and Miller used the two acts
to mark a division in Eddie's story: in the first act, he tries to keep
Catherine from falling in love with Rodolpho; in the second, he finds he
has failed in this, and first throws Rodolpho out of the house, then tries
to have him deported as an illegal immigrant, which provokes the fatal
confrontation with Marco, as Eddie tries to recover his name. Within each
act are clear episodes; you should know what these are, and find the
interludes of comment and narration from Alfieri which mark where each
begins and ends.
Back to top
Action
Action is most important in this play. Because of Eddie's and Marco's
limitations as speakers, and because some matters cannot be openly
discussed, ideas are often shown in gesture and action. Sometimes this is
apparently minor detail, but at times it is highly symbolic. When we see
Catherine serve food (p. 11) or offer Eddie a beer (p. 5) or light a cigar
for him (p. 15), when we hear of how she sits on the bath as he shaves and
walks around in her slip, we are being told about their relationship.
Without being lovers, they have the kind of intimacy only lovers should
have. For a 1950s audience, familiar with the image from hundreds of
films, the lighting of the cigar would be the most suggestive action,
probably.
Later in Act One, we see Eddie sitting, reading the paper, while Marco
reads a letter; Rodolpho helps Beatrice stack the dishes and then reads a
movie magazine with Catherine. What does this suggest? At moments of
high drama or climaxes, we often see some very striking action.
Back to top
The climax of Act One is beautifully choreographed by Miller: Rodolpho
teaches Catherine to dance, the action allowing physical closeness; Eddie,
to "win back" his beloved, humiliates Rodolpho in a boxing "lesson"; but
the final action trumps Eddie's, as Marco, who has silently watched what
is happening, shows Eddie the danger he invites by threatening Rodolpho.
Politeness does not permit Marco to say anything, and the gesture is far
more effective as the audience sees the chair "raised like a weapon" over
Eddie's head, symbolizing the destruction he will shortly bring on himself.
The two kisses at the start of Act Two are equally effective on stage:
one with its suggestion of incest and the other illustrating Eddie's
mistaken belief in Rodolpho's homosexuality. When Marco is arrested he
shows his condemnation of Eddie before he speaks it, as he spits in his
face. The final action of the play is where Eddie dies by his own hand (a
metaphor of his self-destruction) and his own weapon (perhaps a
metaphor for his sexuality).
Back to top
Set, properties, sound and lighting
The set of the play is not (or should not be) naturalistic (closely or
exactly resembling what it depicts). The building is "skeletal" but the few
props (properties - objects used on stage) are authentic-looking. The
arrangement enables the inside of the apartment, the street outside and
Alfieri's office all to be represented without any scene changes. The area
in use will be lighted when needed, otherwise dark. Alfieri can remain on
stage throughout, if need be: the light can go up or down as required.
Props may be as simple as the coins Mike and Louis pitch, or Eddie's
pocket knife for cutting an apple. One very important prop is the
phonograph (record-player) which is used in the dancing episode, to play
Paper Doll. At the start of the play a foghorn tells us where we are.
Lighting is used theatrically, as the phone booth glows brighter and
brighter, signalling Eddie's idea, then determination, to call the
immigration officials.
Back to top
Language
The device of depicting Italian and Sicilian immigrants, enables Miller to
make them more or less articulate in English. Only Alfieri, is a properly
articulate, educated speaker of American English: for this reason he can
explain Eddie's actions to us, but not to Eddie, who does not really speak
his language. Eddie uses a naturalistic Brooklyn slang ("quicker" for "more
quickly", "stole" for "stolen" and so on). His speech is simple, but at the
start of the play is more colourful, as he tells Catherine she is "walkin'
wavy" and as he calls her "Madonna".
Catherine's speech is more often in grammatically standard forms, but
not always. Her meekness is shown in the frequency with which her
speeches begin with "Yeah", agreeing with, or qualifying, Eddie's
comments.
Rodolpho speaks with unnatural exactness. The words are all English but
the phrases are not always idiomatic. He recalls vivid details of his life in
Sicily, and he is given to poetic comparisons, as when (p. 46) he likens
Catherine to "a little bird" that has not been allowed to fly.
Marco has to think before he can speak in whole phrases or sentences;
this means he says little, which, on stage, reinforces two ideas: that
Marco is thoughtful, and that he is a man of action, rather than words.
Back to top
Symbolism
Symbolism is most often found in the action, and has been discussed
above (the dancing, the chair-as-weapon, Eddie's dying by his own hand).
The set as well as accommodating the action is symbolic of Eddie's world
and values: the apartment (home, where the family is) and the street (the
wider community, where he meets friends).
The story of Vinny Bolzano is a parable about the need for solidarity and
loyalty in the community (this ranks even above family ties, it seems), but
also is prophetically symbolic of Eddie's own act of treachery.
Finally, there is symbolism in the play's title. After we see have seen the
play, we wonder why the play is so named. We are made to think of the
more panoramic view, which sees things, from afar, in relation to each
other. It is not the view from ground level or the "water front", but a
detached and objective view. This is the view we should have of Eddie,
the view of Alfieri, the view that is "civilised" and will "settle for half".
Back to top
An outline of the play
Act One










Prologue: (Spoken by Alfieri); pp. 3,4*
Episode 1: Eddie, Catherine and Beatrice look forward to the
arrival of Beatrice's cousins; pp. 5-15
Interlude: (Alfieri); p. 15
Episode 2: Later the same evening the cousins arrive; pp. 16-22
Interlude: (Alfieri); p. 22
Episode 3: Some weeks later Catherine and Rodolpho have been to
the cinema; pp. 22-31
Interlude: (Alfieri); p. 31
Episode 4: Eddie consults Alfieri; pp. 31-35
Interlude: (Alfieri); p. 35
Episode 5: A domestic scene; dancing, boxing, chair-lifting; pp. 3542
Back to top
Act Two








Interlude: (Alfieri); p. 43
Episode 6: December 23rd; Catherine and Rodolpho; the two
kisses; pp. 43-48
Interlude: (Alfieri); p. 48
Episode 7: December 27th; Eddie visits Alfieri, warned against
phoning; pp. 48-49
Episode 8: Same day; Eddie and Beatrice; Marco and Rodolpho
arrested; Eddie accused; pp. 50-58
Episode 9: Some days later (wedding day); Alfieri counsels Marco;
pp. 58-60
Episode 10: Just before the wedding; Eddie confronts Marco, who
kills him; pp. 60-64
Epilogue: (Spoken by Alfieri); p. 64
* Page numbers are as in the Hereford Plays (Heinemann) edition.
Back to top
You can see from this outline that each act contains the same number of
episodes, but that these vary in length, while the first act is roughly
twice the length of the second. There are interludes in which Alfieri
addresses the audience directly, between all the episodes in the first act.
In the second act, the interludes are not maintained, but there are
episodes of action in which Alfieri is present. We know when the action
ends, but not when it begins. References (by Alfieri) to weeks passing and
"many afternoons" suggest a fairly long time. In the first episode,
Catherine has a chance to "save" most of the academic year, while Mike
and Louis pitch coins; later Eddie sits on an iron railing. This would
indicate that the cousins come some time in the summer.
Back to top
Detailed commentary on the play
Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 |
Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Episode 9 | Episode 10
Episode 1
The dialogue suggests initially a happy family atmosphere, though we
wonder if Eddie is over-protective of Catherine. There are
undercurrents, however: of tension between Eddie and Beatrice, and of
unnatural closeness between Eddie and Catherine. Catherine and Beatrice
must persuade Eddie to allow Catherine to take her job; at last he agrees,
but warns Catherine not to trust people because "most people ain't
people". We then discover that Beatrice's cousins are coming to stay,
which gives Eddie the chance to tell the tale of Vinny Bolzano. This is
ironically prophetic of his own treachery later. Note the stage directions,
also. Exits and entrances allow Miller to have different pairs in
conversation. Catherine runs her hands down her dress to show it off,
walks Eddie to his chair, and sits on her heels beside him. There are
repeated references to the facial expressions of the characters. While
Beatrice rebuts Eddie's charge ("You're the one is mad"), Catherine gives
Eddie a cigar and lights it. The speech hints at the trouble in his marital
relations, while the action indicates its cause (in films of an earlier period
the gesture was often used to suggest sexual attraction or something
deeper; here it is as if Eddie and Catherine play at being lovers).
Back to top
Episode 2
Marco and Rodolpho arrive. Marco speaks simply of the poverty at home
while Rodolpho, whose blond hair arouses surprise and amused comment, is
exuberant in his stories of his singing and his plan to buy a motorbike.
Rodolpho's singing of Paper Doll delights Catherine, who is already
obviously attracted to him. Eddie sees with regret that Catherine is
already slipping from him. The singing is the most obvious theatrical
feature in this episode. Eddie's objection to it is really the expression of
his fear of losing Catherine. Within minutes of the cousins' arrival Eddie
begins "more and more to address Marco only". He asks Catherine: "What
happened to the coffee?" (to remind her of her duty; but her reply, " got
it on", annoys him, as she continues to hang on Rodolpho's words). Eddie
objects to Catherine's high heels, so she changes her shoes, but he
cannot object as she "pours a spoonful of sugar" into Rodolpho's cup: we
are reminded of her attentions in the previous scene to Eddie.
Back to top
Episode 3
Eddie and Beatrice argue about Rodolpho; Eddie continually shifts his
ground: when Beatrice reminds him of "Whitey Balso", Eddie attacks
Rodolpho's singing; when Beatrice says this may be normal in Italy, Eddie
illogically asks why Marco does not sing. When Beatrice asks Eddie "when
am I gonna be a wife again?" we realize the strength of his desire for
Catherine.
Mike and Louis joke about Rodolpho to Eddie. They are amused by his
unconventional manner but do not agree quite with Eddie's defensive
claim that he is funny. It seems to Eddie that Mike and Louis share his
idea of Rodolpho's effeminacy but dare not say so directly. As the lovers
return, Eddie insists on speaking alone with Catherine, trying to persuade
her that Rodolpho is just "bowin' to his passport". Though her instincts
tell her to trust Rodolpho her respect for Eddie makes this hard.
Back to top
When Eddie leaves her with Beatrice to "straighten her out", Beatrice
does just this, but not in the way he hopes, as she explains to Catherine
the need to become independent of Eddie, an idea later echoed by
Rodolpho (Act Two) in his metaphor of the "little bird". It is here that
Beatrice tells us how Catherine still behaves as she did when a child,
walking around in her slip, entering the bathroom when Eddie is shaving,
throwing herself at him when he comes home. Beatrice is not jealous by
temperament but is mature enough to see the effect this has on a man. In
theatrical terms we should note how movement into the street and back,
as well as natural exits and entrances, allows Miller to achieve different
groupings of characters to suit the dialogue, which dominates the
episode.
Episode 4
This takes place in Alfieri's office; Eddie is less at ease in neutral
territory. Eddie explains his case to Alfieri, who tries gently to suggest
that his conclusions are far from reasonable. Alfieri tells Eddie of the
only law which can help him, but he is not (yet) desperate enough to do so.
Finally, Alfieri points out that Catherine "wants to get married" but
cannot marry him. This is the second time (coming after Beatrice's
"troubles") that Eddie has been given a hint of his improper desire. Again,
he seems offended and puzzled, but dare not consider the idea further,
as we can tell from the pause which follows Alfieri's ultimatum: "I gave
you my advice...That's it".
Back to top
Episode 5
This episode leads to the climax with which the first act ends. Eddie
feels he has lost face. He tries to hit back by his sarcastic comment
about the "surprises" which meet returning immigrant workers. Without
taking offence, Marco politely points out that this does not happen. But
Rodolpho's "It's not so free" attracts a sarcastic response from Eddie.
It is Catherine, not Rodolpho who takes offence, and puts on Paper Doll
and insists that Rodolpho dance. This leads in turn to the boxing lesson
and Marco's trick with the chair.
In this episode, the action dominates the dialogue. The three stages of
action - dancing, boxing, chair-lifting - and the way in which Eddie,
Catherine and Marco all see and react to what is going on in the scene
make this a very theatrical episode. Eddie sees Rodolpho dancing away
with his beloved; he tries to win her back with manly action while
humiliating Rodolpho, but is in turn made ridiculous by Marco's action.
Marco, who will not allow any harm to his family, neutralizes the one
tactic (physical violence) Eddie can use on Rodolpho. The chair held "like a
weapon" over Eddie's head symbolizes his impending judgment and
punishment, and anticipates the way in which Marco, rather than
Rodolpho, is to become Eddie's chief adversary.
Back to top
Episode 6
Alfieri's remark about the whisky prepares us for the appearance of the
drunken Eddie. The set design allows us to see him before his
confrontation with Catherine and Rodolpho. It prepares us for some
outrage, but not perhaps of such an extreme character as occurs. Before
it we see the only extended episode of tenderness and romantic love in
the play (we know Catherine has spent time with Rodolpho but we have not
seen them alone together, and this is the first time they have been
together in the house).
From this mood of delicacy and tenderness (true love) we move to a
shocking and violent parody of love, with overtones of incest and
homosexual rape. Eddie's kissing Catherine and Rodolpho shocks a modern
audience; in 1955 it was electrifying. The playwright's sense of theatre is
shown in this use of contrast and action. The dialogue before Eddie's
arrival confirms Rodolpho's maturity and love for Catherine. We learn of
Catherine's near telepathic understanding of Eddie but cannot agree with
her criticism of Beatrice.
Back to top
Eddie's drunkenness might appear to mitigate his actions but does not
really do so; rather, his loss of control enables him to show how he truly
feels. And what we see disgusts us as much as it does Catherine. Perhaps
he has drunk to summon up the bravado for what he is about to do. We
might wonder why Marco does not do anything about the treatment of
Rodolpho, but it seems he is not told of it (ALFIERI: "I guess they didn't
tell him"...EDDIE:"I don't know..."). Eddie crows over the beaten
Rodolpho, but his is a hollow and pathetic victory. In this episode the
stage directions are of the greatest importance, even in little details
such as Eddie's seeing "pattern and cloth" on a table or Catherine's
adjusting her dress "under his gaze". Even as Eddie laughs at Rodolpho,
the young man stands "with tears rolling down his face".
Episode 7
In this brief episode, Alfieri counsels Eddie to no avail. Alfieri does not
repeat his earlier comment on the only law which can help Eddie, but sees
that desperation will lead him to betray Marco and Rodolpho, and
repeatedly warns him against it. The "darkness" into which he follows
Eddie may symbolize Eddie's being in the dark morally and psychologically.
The glowing of the phone booth clearly indicates in visual theatrical terms
how the idea first occurs to Eddie, then becomes irresistible.
Back to top
Episode 8
We do not know if Louis and Mike notice where Eddie has been. They
might wonder what reason he has to use the phone. But after the arrest,
the timing of the call should seem much more sinister, and will be
circumstantial evidence to support Marco's accusation.
As Beatrice and Eddie argue about Eddie's conduct, we note that the
audience shares with Eddie the knowledge that the immigration officers
are about to arrive. Beatrice, ignorant of this, bitterly points out, but
takes no pleasure in it, that Eddie has now "got [his] respect". When
Eddie says, "I done what to him?" he may betray what he has just done by
his reaction. Beatrice means the kiss, of course, but Eddie may think for
a split second that she has guessed what he has since done to Rodolpho.
Back to top
Eddie seems relaxed until he learns of Mrs. Dondero's other lodgers,
Lipari's relatives. He is made anxious by a fear that he will be responsible
for the betrayal of another family (as if he could be excused the
treachery to his own, actually his wife's) and at the same time sees a way
to throw off suspicion by alleging that Lipari has enemies who will betray
him and thus land Marco and Rodolpho in trouble. He at once insists on
moving these men out.
The set design again allows the audience to see how futile this is, as the
immigration officers are already entering the building. We feel revulsion
as Eddie invites Catherine to consider whether or not he has ever told
her anything that was for her good. He has done this, for honourable
motives, in the past, but he is now appealing to the trust he has so
horribly betrayed.
Back to top
Marco twice breaks free from the arresting officers: the first time, he
faces Eddie and spits at him; the second time, in the street, he cries out
his accusation of Eddie. The stage directions indicate the response of
those around; one by one, they turn their backs on Eddie, thereby
showing their readiness to believe the accusation. Eddie is left to shout
defiant threats to Marco. We know that the accusation is fair, that
Marco will not "take that back", and that Eddie will not kill him.
Back to top
Episode 9
In this brief episode, Alfieri counsels Marco. Though Eddie would die for
such a betrayal in Sicily, Alfieri will only put up bail for Marco if he gives
his word not to harm him. Unlike Eddie, Marco is "an honourable man", who
will keep his word. Although certain to be deported, Marco has the
chance to work for five or six weeks, and Rodolpho, by marrying
Catherine, will be able to stay. This makes the betrayal utterly futile.
Moreover, the threat of deportation ensures that the marriage takes
place at once. Marco agrees to Alfieri's request, in order to be able to
attend his brother's wedding. He is reminded that strong though his hand
is, it "is not God" and "only God makes justice".
Back to top
Episode 10
Beatrice is torn between loyalty to Catherine, whose wedding she feels a
duty to attend, and to Eddie. She wishes to stand by Eddie, as all others
have deserted him. Catherine calls him a "rat", who bites and poisons and
belongs in the garbage, but she is weeping as she says it. Rodolpho comes
to warn Eddie of his brother's approach and vengeful intention, and also
to propose a reconciliation. Moved by generosity (and perhaps an
understanding that his bride still loves Eddie) Rodolpho proposes a
solution. He apologizes to Eddie and suggests that Marco may be placated
if he can believe that Eddie and Rodolpho are friends now.
But Eddie has no interest in this offer. He calls Rodolpho "a punk" and
"kid". What he wants is his name, and only Marco, who has taken it, can
return it. What he is asking is an impossibility. Earlier, speaking of Vinny
Bolzano, Eddie has said that you can more easily retrieve a million dollars
"that was stole than a word that you gave away".
Back to top
Now Beatrice suggests that what Eddie really wants is something quite
different, but just as obviously unattainable: "You want somethin'
else...and you can never have her!" Eddie cannot admit this, but is driven
by Beatrice's remark to a display of defiance. He demands that Marco
retract his accusation and restore to him his good name and status in the
community, without which his life is of no value. Marco calls Eddie an
"animal" and strikes him, at which Eddie pulls a knife on him. Marco seizes
Eddie's arm as he lunges with the knife, and turns it back on him.
In this short episode we see the whole play recapitulated in some ways, as
Eddie confronts in turn Beatrice, Catherine, Rodolpho, Beatrice again and
Marco. Eddie is supported by the two women as he dies. He is killed by his
own hand, an obvious metaphor for his self-destruction. All that remains
is for Alfieri to explain how Eddie "allowed himself to be wholly known".
Back to top
The interludes
The function of these is generally discussed above in the account of
Alfieri's rôle. It can be noted briefly here that these are used to mark
the divisions between the episodes, which may be hours or weeks apart,
and to supply linking narrative or background details. Within each act the
episodes and interludes give a structure to the narrative, while the latter
also allow Alfieri in his rôle as chorus/commentator, to explain and
interpret the action for the audience.
Back to top
The play in performance


To show your understanding of how the play should be a
performance (not a book to read in class), explain and describe how
you would present it for a given medium (stage, film, television or
radio). You may do this for the play generally or for a specific
episode.
Comment on your ideas for costume, props, the set, lighting, music,
sound FX (effects), casting, direction and anything else you think
interesting or relevant.
A View from the Bridge Onstage
Nicole De Sapio has sent this account of a production, in Maryland, USA,
for which she was the dramaturg. It gives a clear sense of how the play
might work in performance. You might like to think about the reasons for
some of the choices Nicole made, and whether you would do likewise, or
something different. I am grateful to Nicole for supplying these notes.
I was recently dramaturg for a production of A View from the Bridge. A
dramaturg is someone who studies the literary aspects of a playscript and
works with the director to make sure that the production is in keeping
with the playwright's intentions. A dramaturg may do research on the
play's period and the circumstances of its creation, give staging
suggestions to the director, discuss the play's characters with the
actors, write program notes, do translations, and give lectures about the
play to the audience.
The performances of A View from the Bridge took place at Cedar Lane
Stage in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. The theater has a relatively small
stage, which is ideal for A View from the Bridge. The small stage gave the
action a cramped feel - which conveyed, in physical terms, the unhealthy
closeness that had developed between Eddie and Catherine.
At the same time, a sense of community was created by having the actors
make some of their entrances from the back of the auditorium. This is
how Marco and Rodolpho made their first entrance, and when Eddie made
his fateful phone call, he was standing near a row of audience seats. The
audience could clearly see his desperate facial expressions as he made
the call; he looked like a man completely mastered by his emotions. The
arrest of the immigrants also took place out in the audience; when Eddie
shouted at Mike, Louis, and Lipari for abandoning him, he directly
addressed the audience, making them the "community".
Back to top
The actor who played Eddie in the production was smaller of physical
stature then one usually imagines Eddie to be. This, and the fact that he
emphasized Eddie's vulnerability in his portrayal, made the character
unusually sympathetic. Consequently, his fate seemed a true tragedy.
Rather than seeming like an incestuous "heavy," this Eddie was a man who
was not overly bright, but who had deep feelings that he could not
completely understand, let alone control. His feelings for Catherine
seemed like unusually strong love and concern, rather than like lust.
Though certainly not incapable of violent emotion, this Eddie was basically
a decent and loving man who - tragically - never really knew himself.
One thing that made this production of A View from the Bridge different
from others is that the Act II scene involving Alfieri, Rodolpho, and
Marco (when Marco is in the prison after his arrest) was performed
partially in Italian. (So that the audience would be sure to understand
what was being said, the English version of the line was usually repeated
afterwards, if it was an important line.) I did the translation myself and
taught the actors how to pronounce it. Doing the scene this way reminded
the audience that all three of the characters in the scene - Alfieri,
Marco, and Rodolpho - had a shared background, though Alfieri had been
in America for a much longer time and had achieved respect and high
standing in the community.
Back to top
Overview and close-up
You cannot possibly write in great detail about everything in this play.
Life (yours and your teachers') is too short. Try to balance general
comment about the whole of the play, its broad themes, characters and
relationships, with detailed and specific explanations of short episodes.
Back to top
Finally, make a judgement
A View from the Bridge is not a very pleasant play. Give your opinion of
the play - what you like or dislike about it. Try to be positive and to relate
your comments closely to the detail of the play.
Back to top
A title for your work
There is no one perfect title, but the title you use should indicate what
you have written about. At the most basic level, you might write about
Character, Action, Dramatic Devices and Structures in A View from the
Bridge. If you were more ambitious, you might take as your title
something like: How does Miller present Eddie Carbone as a tragic hero in
A View from the Bridge? If you concentrate on how to present the play
for performance, your title could reflect this - A View from the Bridge in
performance.
Back to top
Presenting your work
Theatre is a practical art - your work should recognize this. You may want
to include illustrations, sketches, diagrams and plans, to show your ideas
about the set, costume, lighting and so on.
And remember
It's a play. Refer to the audience not the reader. Do not refer to the
book but to the play, performance or production. Make sure you spell
Arthur and author in standard forms - and don't mix them up. Set out
quotations conventionally, using quotation marks.
To understand the context of Arthur Miller's play you need to know a bit about Miller
himself, and some background facts about migration from Italy to the US during the
1950s.
1. Arthur Miller
2. Italian Immigration
Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller, 1915 -
Getty Images / Hulton Archive
Arthur Miller was born to a Jewish family in New York in 1915. His grandparents had
come to America from Poland. When the family business failed, they moved to
Brooklyn, where A View from the Bridge is set. There, Arthur worked in a warehouse
to earn money for his university fees.
He began to write plays while he was a student at the University of Michigan and
continued to do so after he graduated in 1938 and became a journalist. He received
much acclaim from All My Sons in 1947; Death of a Salesman (1949) - which won the
Pulitzer Prize - and The Crucible (1952) confirmed him as a great playwright.
Between his years as a journalist and making his name as a writer, Miller worked in
the Brooklyn shipyards for two years, where he befriended the Italians he worked
alongside. He heard a story of some men coming over to work illegally and being
betrayed. The story inspired A View from the Bridge, which was written in 1955. It
was originally a one-act play, but Miller re-worked it into a two-act play the following
year.
Miller's first marriage ended in divorce in 1956. He then married the actress Marilyn
Monroe, but they divorced in 1961. His third marriage was to a photographer, Inge
Morath.
Most of his work is set in the America of the day and portrays realistic characters and
events. He deals with political and moral issues and weaves in ideas from Greek
tragedy. He is interested in how personal relationships dictate the way one leads one's
life and about people's struggles to do what is right.
Italian Immigration
Italy in 1955 was a very poor country. During World War 2, Italy - ruled by the
Fascist Mussolini - had initially fought alongside Nazi Germany. Yet the Italians
became increasingly anxious about their role in the war and about Fascism, and in
1943, Mussolini was deposed by Victor Emmanuel III, the king of Italy. Italy then
switched sides in the war and supported the British allies, but suffered huge loses in
northern towns and villages as the Nazis tried to take revenge. After the war,
following a referendum, the monarchy was abolished and a republic was established.
However, the economy was slow to grow, especially in the south, which was less
industrialised. With no jobs and no prospects, it was not surprising that many people
decided to try their luck in 'rich' America. There was a thriving trade in illegal
immigration, encouraged by the dockyard owners, who knew that they could get
cheap labour from immigrants until they had paid for their passage over. Once they
had paid their fare, the immigrants were left to make their own way.
When Italy joined the new European Economic Community in 1957, much money
was pumped into Italy to reduce unemployment. One key part of this process was the
establishment of the Fiat factory in Turin: thousands of peasants from the south
moved north to make cars. Sadly, this was just too late for Marco and Rodolpho.
The play is set in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a very poor area, described by Alfieri as the
slum that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge.
Plot
The Carbone family - Eddie, his wife Beatrice and her orphaned niece Catherine - are
poor but content. They live in Brooklyn, where Eddie works at the shipyards.
When Beatrice's Italian cousins, illegal immigrants, arrive to stay, the Carbone
family's life changes forever. Their loves and their loyalties are tested - and tragedy
results.
What actually happens in the play?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Act 1a
Act 1b
Act 1c
Act 1d
Act 1e
Act 2a
Act 2b
Act 2c
Timeline
In 1947, Arthur Miller was doing research on Pete Panto, a young Longshoreman
who was executed by the mob for attempting to revolt against union leadership. He
was told an interesting story about another Longshoreman in the area who had ratted
to the Immigration Bureau on his own relatives. The Longshoreman was attempting to
prevent the marriage between one of the brothers and his niece. The man was scorned
and ostracized in the community and soon disappeared. In the community it was
rumored that one of the brothers had killed him. Eight years later, in 1955, the one-act
version of A View from the Bridge, based on the story of that same Longshoreman,
was produced. The play was presented with another one-act Miller play, A Memory of
Two Mondays.
New York critics poorly received the evening of two plays and the production only
ran for 158 performances. Miller believed the story was so complete and shocking
that he did not wish to adorn the tale with subjective meaning, but rather lay out the
facts in an action-oriented, objective tale. The result, according to critics, was a cold,
un-engaging work. Miller admitted his play was an experiment, an attempt to stray
from the psychological realism that dominated the American theatre, "I wanted to see
whether I could write a play with on single arch instead of three acts I wanted to have
one long line of explosion we have all forgotten that the Greek plays were all one-act
plays, a continuous action." Not just the form, but also the actors were taught to
consciously disengage themselves from the emotion of the work and, in a Brechtian
sense, attempt to reveal abstract ideas about the human condition.
After two years, time that possibly allowed Miller to find an emotional connection
with the work (Miller's condemnation as a Communist in the McCarthy era and his
relationship with Marilyn Monroe), he revised the script. The new version was staged
in London and received rave reviews. Miller enlarged the characters of Beatrice and
Catherine, who played a greater role in Eddie's fate. The set was more realistic, a
Brooklyn neighborhood scene, and Miller eliminated the use of verse. The
relationship between Eddie and Catherine was played down and the final scene
altered. Rather than at the feet of Catherine, Eddie dies in the arms of his wife
Beatrice, and he reconciles the couple's relationship.
In the Paris production, Miller rewrote one more final ending to the play in which
Eddie actually commits suicide. While this ending may be the most dramatically
satisfying, Miller chose to publish the London edition in his collected works.
Arthur Miller was born in was born in New York City on October 17, 1915 to Isidore
and Augusta Miller. At the time, Miller's father owned a successful clothing business
and the family lived in a Harlem neighborhood. In 1929, the family business failed as
a result of the depression and moved to Brooklyn. Miller was a very active child and
hardly spent any time reading or studying. He only took an interest in academics in
his final year of school, too late to make the grades to be accepted into college. Miller
worked various jobs after high school, including one as a salesperson that inspired his
later play, Death of a Salesman. Miller was finally accepted into Michigan State in
1934 and he studied journalism. While in college, Miller won several collegiate
awards for his plays. Out of college, Miller's first successful work was All My Sons,
which opened on Broadway in 1947. Miller is best known works are The Crucible and
Death of a Salesman. In 1956, Miller was asked to testify before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, but heroically refused to name the names of
communist sympathizers. The following year he was charged for contempt, a ruling
later reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals. In 1956, Miller also divorced his college
sweetheart and married Marilyn Monroe.
Alfieri, an Italian-American lawyer in his fifties, enters the stage and sits in his office.
Talking from his desk to the audience, he introduces the story of Eddie Carbone.
Alfieri compares himself to a lawyer in Caesar's time, powerless to watch as the
events of history run their bloody course.
Eddie Carbone walks down the street to his house. As Eddie enters the home two
fellow Longshoremen, Mike and Louis greet him. Eddie's niece, Catherine, reaches
out the window and waves to Eddie and Louis. When Eddie enters the house he gently
scolds Catherine for flirting with the boys so blatantly. Eddie thinks she should be
more reserved and not "walk so wavy." Beatrice, Eddie's wife, is also home. While
Beatrice and Catherine set the table for dinner, they convince Eddie to let Catherine
take a job as a stenographer down by the docks. Eddie informs Beatrice that her
cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, will be arriving early from Italy and will probably be
at the house that night. Beatrice and Eddie plan to hide Marco and Rodolpho while
they work in the country illegally to send money home.
Marco and Rodolpho arrive at the house and have a brief reunion. They are both very
gracious for the hospitality. Marco tells the Carbone's that he has three children and a
wife back home that he will be sending money to. Rodolpho, the young blonde
brother, has no family and intends to stay in the country as long as possible. Rodolpho
entertains everyone with his version of the jazz tune, "Paper Doll."
In the coming weeks, Rodolpho and Catherine spend a great deal of time together,
which worries Eddie. Eddie thinks that Rodolpho is untrustworthy and Eddie becomes
jealous of the time he spends with Catherine. Eddie tells Catherine that Rodolpho just
wants to marry her to become a citizen, but she does not listen. Rodolpho develops a
reputation at the docks for being quite a joker, which further embarrasses Eddie.
Beatrice, more aware than ever of the attention Eddie is giving Catherine, talks to
Catherine about being a woman and tells her she must grown up and make her own
decisions. Beatrice encourages Catherine to get married to Rodolpho if that is what
she wants to do. Catherine agrees to try. Eddie, still frustrated with Rodolpho and
Catherine, even visits Alfieri and asks if there is any way he can get rid of Rodolpho
by law, but Alfieri assures him there is not. Alfieri tells Eddie that he needs to let
Catherine go.
The situation escalates and Eddie becomes increasingly jealous of Rodolpho. Eddie
resents the fact that Rodolpho thinks Catherine is looser than Italian girls. Eddie
threatens Rodolpho in a pretend boxing match held in the living room of the house,
stopped by Catherine and Beatrice.
As Act II begins, Alfieri narrates and it is evident that time has passed. Rodolpho and
Catherine are left alone in the house and have sex in the bedroom. As they are leaving
the bedroom, Eddie comes home drunk. Eddie violently kisses Catherine, pins
Rodolpho to the floor and kisses him also. Eddie visits Alfieri once again, who
repeatedly tells him to let Catherine go. Immediately after leaving Alfieri's office,
Eddie calls the Immigration Bureau and reports Marco and Rodolpho.
Immigration comes and arrests Marco and Rodolpho. As he is being taken away,
Marco spits in Rodolpho's face. Alfieri pays bail for the two men and arranges the
marriage of Catherine and Rodolpho. On the wedding day, Marco returns to the house
for revenge. Eddie lunges into Marco with a knife. Marco turns Eddie's arm and kills
Eddie with Eddie's own knife. Eddie dies in Beatrice's arms.
Character Analysis
Eddie Carbone
Eddie Carbone is the tragic protagonist of The View from the Bridge. He is constantly
self-interested, wanting to promote and protect his innocence. Eddie creates a fictional
fantasy world where his absurd decisions make sense—where calling the Immigration
Bureau in the middle of an Italian community that prides itself on protecting illegal
immigrants has no repercussions. In Eddie's world, he imagines protecting Catherine
from marriage or any male relationship and wants her for himself. While Eddie
wavers and switches between communal and state laws and cultures, his motivations
do not change. Eddie constantly looks out for himself at the expense of others and is
ruled by personal love and guilt.
There are several moments in the text where the audience is given clues that Eddie's
love for Catherine may not be normal. For example, when Catherine lights Eddie's
cigar in the living room, it is an event that gives Eddie unusual pleasure. This possibly
warm and affectionate act between niece and uncle has phallic suggestions.
Depending on interpretation by the actors, this moment many have more or less
sexual undertones. Eddie's great attention to his attractive niece and impotence in his
own marital relationship immediately makes this meaning clear. Although Eddie
seems unable to understand his feelings for his niece until the end of the play, other
characters are aware. Beatrice is the first to express this possibility in her conversation
with Catherine. Alfieri also realizes Eddie's feelings during his first conversation with
Eddie. Eddie does not comprehend his feelings until Beatrice clearly articulates his
desires in the conclusion of the play, "You want somethin' else, Eddie, and you can
never have her!"
Eddie does not realize his feeling for Catherine because he has constructed an
imagined world where he can suppress his urges. This suppression is what devastates
Eddie. Because he has no outlet for his feelings—even in his own conscious mind—
Eddie transfers his energy to a hatred of Marco and Rodolpho and causes him to act
completely irrationally. Eddie's final need to secure or retrieve his good name from
Marco is a result of Eddie's failure to protect Catherine from Marco. Eddie fails in his
life, but seeks redemption and victory in death. By avenging Marco, Eddie believes he
will regain his pride in the community—another wholly self-interested act. Eddie
escaped restraint because he escaped all thoughts of other people or the community at
large. Eddie's "wholeness" is a whole interest in himself. Eddie's tragic flaw is the
bubble, the constructed world he exists within, but is unable to escape or recognize.
Alfieri
Alfieri is the symbolic bridge between American law and tribal laws. Alfieri, an
Italian-American, is true to his ethnic identity. He is a well-educated man who studies
and respects American law, but is still loyal to Italian customs. The play told from the
viewpoint of Alfieri, the view from the bridge between American and Italian cultures
who attempts to objectively give a picture of Eddie Carbone and the 1950s Red Hook,
Brooklyn community. Alfieri represents the difficult stretch, embodied in the
Brooklyn Bridge, from small ethnic communities filled with dock laborers to the
disparate cosmopolitan wealth and intellectualism of Manhattan. The old and new
worlds are codified in the immigrant-son Alfieri. From his vantage point, Alfieri
attempts to present an un-biased and reasonable view of the events of the play and
make clear the greater social and moral implications in the work.
From his narration, it seems that Alfieri has decided to tell the story for his own
reasons as much as anyone else's. He does not find a conclusion after telling the
Carbone story, but tells it nonetheless and he speaks and reveals his honest view of
the facts. He is cast as the chorus part in Eddie's tragedy. Alfieri informs the audience
and provides commentary on what is happening in the story. The description of the
people within the play and narration at the beginning of every scene change helps to
distinguish the short chapters of the tale. Alfieri is fairly inconsequential in the action
of the play in general, but more importantly frames the play as a form of a modern
fairy tale. Alfieri admittedly cannot help Eddie Carbone, but must powerlessly watch
the tragic events unfold before him. There is no illusion of reality, Alfieri purposely
breaks the fourth wall and talks to the audience during the reenactment of the story.
Alfieri is in many ways like Arthur Miller, when he first heard the tale of the
Longshoreman. He is the teller of and incredible story that he cannot change.
Rodolpho
Rodolpho, the platinum blonde is a cooking, sewing, and dancing full-blooded Italian,
and the greatest threat to Eddie Carbone. The play really does not fill out the character
of Rodolpho as an individual, whose motivations are left as unknowns. Unlike
Beatrice and Catherine, who we hear talking together about their thoughts and
feelings, Rodolpho reveals little about himself. There are many questions left
unanswered including his sexuality, his love for Catherine, and whether he actually
forgives Eddie at the play's conclusion. Much depends on the actor playing Rodolpho
to make clear character choices for this character because he is rather vague in the
script.
The audience really never even knows if Rodolpho truly loves Catherine. Their
romance is curiously devoid of passion. Unlike his Italian brother Marco, Rodolpho
does not seek revenge on Eddie for calling Immigration or abusing his fiance in front
of him. It is very clear that Rodolpho wants to be an American citizen at all costs and
there is a great possibility that he does not love Catherine. Like Eddie fears, Rodolpho
may only want to gain citizenship through their marriage. The conversation between
Rodolpho and Catherine in the beginning of Act II does little to clarify this issue.
Catherine does ask him whether he would marry him if they had to move to Italy, but
Rodolpho does not seem sincere. Rodolpho never once describes why he wants to
marry Catherine, he just wants to get married to someone in the U.S. where there is
work. Rodolpho is a complex character and seems more a montage of conflicts to
heighten the action of the play rather than a full person. Rodolpho is constructed as a
foil for Eddie Carbone, but like the women of the play, he has little life of his own.
Themes, Motifs and Symbols
Themes
Naming Names
Arthur Miller was called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities
Committee to name names of communist sympathizers in 1956, the height of the
McCarthy Era. Miller refused to do so and was heralded by the arts community for his
strength of conviction and loyalty. In 1957, Miller was charged with contempt, a
ruling later reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals. Miller, like Eddie Carbone, was
faced with the problem of choosing to be American or not, specifically by naming
names of people who were doing (what were considered then) unlawful acts. Miller's
own struggle with this issue is very present in A View from the Bridge. Unlike Eddie
Carbone, Miller chose to be loyal to his fellow artists, but like Carbone, Miller went
against the cultural consensus at the time. Miller, in the play, has reversed the scene—
rather than the mass culture supporting the extrication of possible communists, Miller
chose to script a community that accepted and protected unlawful people. The
consequences and eventual repercussions of naming names, for Eddie Carbone, are
drastic. Miller used this play to strongly condemn the McCarthy trials and those who
named the names of innocent artists.
The irrational human animal
Eddie looses control of his actions in the play. Driven and possessed by incestuous
love for his niece, Eddie resorts to desperate measures to protect his identity and name
in the community. Alfieri's commentary often remarks on this theme. Alfieri seems
constantly amazed by Eddie's actions and his own reactions to the events of the play.
Alfieri sees his own irrational thinking, just as he recognizes Eddie's irrational
behavior. Irrationality is also how Alfieri defines acting wholly. The human animal
becomes irrational when he acts fully on his instincts—just as Eddie does in the play.
Alfieri proposes that humans must act as a half, or restrain some of our instinctual
needs or wants for reason. Nonetheless, Alfieri still admires the irrational—the
unleashed human spirit that reacts as it will.
Allegiance to community law
There is great conflict between community and American law in the play. The
community abides by Sicilian-American customs protects illegal immigrants within
their homes, values respect and family, is hard working and know the shipping
culture, has strong associations with names, believes in trust and wants revenge when
a member has been wronged. Some of these values, however, come in conflict with
those of the American system of justice. Eddie Carbone chooses to turn against his
community and abide by the state laws. He looses the respect of his community and
friends—the name and personal identity he treasures. Eddie Carbone, with a stronger
allegiance to the community, reverts back to another custom of Sicilian-Americans:
revenge. Not only is Eddie pulled back to the values of his community, but the final
victor of the play is symbolic of community values—the Italian, Marco. Thus, the
small community is stronger than American law.
Motifs
Homosexuality
Although specifically articulated, homosexuality or what makes a man "not right" is a
persistent theme of the novel. Eddie obviously identifies Rodolpho as homosexual
because Rodolpho sings, cooks and sews a dress for Catherine. Eddie also questions
Rodolpho because he does not like to work and has bleach blonde hair that makes him
look more feminine. Eddie gives Rodolpho several tests of his masculinity. In the first
he teaches Rodolpho how to box and the second, more blatantly, Eddie kisses
Rodolpho on the lips. Many critics think that this kiss is a sign of Eddie's own
suppressed homosexual feelings, an easy parallel with his kiss with Catherine. Miller
seems to take no stand either way, and the sexuality of Rodolpho or Eddie is unclear.
However, the stereotypes of the gay man and societal implications of being gay are
obvious. Louis and Mike, when talking about Rodolpho, clearly think there is
something wrong with him and Eddie speaks directly to Alfieri about the specific
things that bother him about Rodolpho.
Womanhood
The idea of what makes a woman or what defines a woman is very prevalent in the
text. Catherine and Beatrice talk specifically about the terms in their conversation in
Act I. Beatrice thinks Catherine needs to grow up and become a woman. To do this
she needs to decide by herself whether she wants to marry Rodolpho. She needs to
stop walking around the house in her slip in front of Eddie, and not sit on the edge of
the tub while Eddie shaves his beard. In essence, being a woman means reserve and
modesty in front of men, and independently making decisions. The idea of
independence or separation from Eddie is coupled with the decision to find another
male to attach to, a husband. Catherine's attempt at womanhood is deciding to marry
Rodolpho and follow his rules rather than Eddie's.
Community
Community is a powerful context for the play; it dictates very specific norms and
rules for the family that controls the actions of the characters. All of the characters are
forced to reconcile between American culture and the Italian community culture that
surrounds. The cultural and moral difference between the two provides one of the
great conflicts in the play. The tight community around them also creates great
tension in the Carbone family because they are constantly being watched. The
neighbors knew when Marco and Rodolpho arrived, saw Marco spit in Eddie's face
and Eddie die by Marco's hand. The community is the watcher; the group controls and
monitors the behavior of every member. Although Eddie takes a substantial turn away
from the community by calling the Immigration Bureau, he still needs acceptance and
spends his last moments fighting Marco for his good name in the community.
Symbols
High Heels
For Catherine, high heels are representative of womanhood, flirtation and sexiness.
She has just started wearing high heels around the community and to school and
obviously enjoys the attention she gets from men. They are also symbolic as a rite-ofpassage to womanhood. As Eddie strongly disapproves of her wearing them,
Catherine purposefully rebels against her uncle every time she puts them on. The high
heels give her sexual power over men—they look, stare and gawk at her beauty. Eddie
thinks the heels are threatening for the same reasons Catherine loves them. Eddie is
fearful that, if she looks attractive, some man will ask her out and she will leave the
house. Eddie has a powerful reaction when she wears the high heels, as if she must
take them off so they do not arouse him or anyone else.
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is symbolic of a pathway of opportunity to Manhattan and also
the linkage between American and Italian cultures. The bridge, which is very close to
the Red Hook community, is a constant reminder of American opportunity and
industry. From the bridge, one can see the community below and, like the title of the
book, one can see the entire community and seek greater abstract meaning from his
viewpoint. Alfieri is symbolic of the person on the bridge looking down upon the Red
Hook community or, perhaps, he is the bridge himself, allowing the people to cross
into Manhattan and modern, intellectual American culture. Alfieri attempts to unite
the American laws with Italian cultural practices and negotiate a place in between the
two. Alfieri, narrating the story from the present looking back to the past, has the
same vantage point as one looking from the bridge. After some time passes, he is able
to process the events and see the greater societal and moral implications it has for the
community as a whole.
Italy
The origin of the majority of the people in the Red Hook community, Italy represents
homeland, origin and culture. What the country means to characters greatly varies.
Catherine associates Italy with mystery, romance and beauty. Rodolpho, on the other
hand, is actually from Italy, and thinks it is a place with little opportunity that he
would like to escape from. All of the characters, as much as love the benefit of living
in the U.S., still strongly hold to Italian traditions and identify it as home. Italy is the
basis of the cultural traditions in Red Hook and unites the community in common
social practices and religion.
Act I
Opening to Eddie telling Catherine to take off her high heels
Summary
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> document.write('<a
href="http://oascentral.sparknotes.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.sparknotes.c
om/drama/viewbridge/1363093979/Middle/sparks.com/200611_AirForceAcad_300_Note_SL/200609_AirForceAcad_300_Note_SL.html/35383662613333643435366236326430?1363
093979" target="_blank"><img
src="http://view.atdmt.com/AST/view/sprknafa0070000016ast/direct/01/1363093979
"/></a>'); </script><noscript><a
href="http://oascentral.sparknotes.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.sparknotes.c
om/drama/viewbridge/1363093979/Middle/sparks.com/200611_AirForceAcad_300_Note_SL/200609_AirForceAcad_300_Note_SL.html/35383662613333643435366236326430?1363
093979" target="_blank"><img border="0"
src="http://view.atdmt.com/AST/view/sprknafa0070000016ast/direct/01/1363093979
" /></a></noscript>
The play opens in Red Hook Brooklyn, an Italian-American community, right on the
New York City waterfront. Two longshoremen pitch coins against a building. Alfieri,
a lawyer in his fifties, enters the stage and goes to his office that is visible on stage.
After fixing some papers on his desk, he pauses and directly addresses the audience.
Alfieri explains that he is a lawyer, born in Italy and that he immigrated when he was
twenty-five years old. He describes the Red Hook neighborhood, the slums on the
seaward side of the Brooklyn Bridge, where Sicilians will now settle for half (they are
forced to accommodate Sicilian culture with American law)—he no longer keeps his
gun in his filing cabinet. Although his wife has warned him that the neighborhood
lacks elegance as it is filled with Longshoremen and their families, Alfieri reminisces
about the rare cases, received every few years, where he can feel great impending
tragedy. Alfieri compares himself with a lawyer in the time of Caesar, powerless to
watch the events of that tragedy run its bloody course.
Eddie walks by the men in the street and up to his apartment on the second floor. As
he enters, his niece, Catherine, waves out the window to him. She is dressed in a new
skirt and has done her hair in a new style. Eddie examines her and tells her she looks
beautiful, but goes on to lecture her about her new wavy walk down the street. Eddie
is disturbed by all the attention the boys are giving her in the community and wants
Catherine to stop waving out the window and be more reserved. Eddie calls his wife,
Beatrice, into the room and announces that her cousins have landed. The cousins have
been smuggled over on a ship from Italy and will be given seamen's papers to get off
the ship with the crew. Since the cousins have arrived early, Beatrice is alarmed
because she thinks the house is not clean enough, but Eddie assures her the cousins
will just be grateful for any place to stay. Eddie teases Beatrice about having such a
big heart that he will end up sleeping on the floor while her cousins rest in his bed.
While Eddie sits at the table and Beatrice and Catherine ready the table for dinner,
Catherine tells Eddie that has been offered a job as a stenographer. Eddie is very
resistant to the idea, but Beatrice finally convinces him to let her take the job. As the
threesome eats dinner, Eddie warns Catherine and Beatrice about housing Beatrice's
cousins. Eddie and Beatrice recall the story of a boy who snitched to the immigration
police about his own uncle staying in the house. The uncle was beaten and dragged
from the family's home.
The stage lights focus on Alfieri, who forwards the time to ten o'clock and reflects on
Eddie as a good, hard-working man. The stage focus switches back to the home where
Marco and Rodolpho have just arrived. The family warmly receives the cousins, who
are two brothers. Beatrice is overjoyed to see her cousin, and Catherine is stunned by
the younger brother Rodolpho's blonde hair. The cousins talk about their lives in Italy
and dreams for living in the U.S. Marco is married and has three children and he
wants to send his earnings home to his children. Rodolpho, unmarried, would like to
become an American and own a motorcycle when he is rich. Rodolpho also brags
about his brief career as a singer and even serenades the house with "Paper Doll."
Eddie is disturbed at Catherine's interest in Rodolpho and suddenly asks her why she
has high heels on and makes her go to the bedroom to change.
Analysis
A View from the Bridge is a play largely concerned with discovery. As Alfieri warns,
no one can ever know what will be discovered. There are two secrets in the play:
Eddie's incestuous desires for his niece and the two illegal immigrants hiding in the
Carbone home, Marco and Rodolpho. The gradual exposition of these secrets destroys
Eddie, as he is incapable of dealing with either discovery. An inarticulate man, Eddie
is unable to realize, speak or understand his own feelings for Catherine and cannot
forgive himself for exposing Marco and Rodolpho. Eddie's feelings toward Catherine
manifest themselves into fierce protectiveness and eventual rage at Rodolpho.
Because of his inability to deal with his feelings, Eddie instinctively reveals his
second secret—Marco and Rodolpho—which completes his undoing.
The relationship between Eddie and Catherine seems very normal at first. Eddie is an
overprotective guardian of his niece. However, through the Eddie's actions and
various clues from other characters, Eddie's romantic feelings toward Catherine are
revealed. The first indication of Eddie's sexual desires is Eddie's delight as Catherine
lights his cigar. The warm and affectionate act between nice and uncle has an obvious
phallic meaning in this context. Depending on interpretation by the actors, this
moment many have more or less sexual undertones. Eddie's great attention to his
attractive niece and impotence in his own marital relationship makes this association
clear. Although Eddie seems unable to understand his feelings for his niece until the
end of the play, other characters have an awareness of his thoughts. Beatrice is the
first to express this possibility in a later conversation with Catherine ("You think I'm
jealous of you, honey?"). Alfieri's also realizes Eddie's feelings during his first
conversation with Eddie, who says, "There is too much love for the niece. Do you
understand what I'm saying to you?" Eddie, himself, does not seem to comprehend his
feelings until Beatrice clearly articulates his desires in the conclusion of the play,
"You want somethin' else, Eddie, and you can never have her!"
Eddie's jealousy of Rodolpho causes him to reveal his second secret. Eddie betrays
Rodolpho and Marco out of his love for Catherine, but will not acknowledge this love.
Because Eddie never completely denies his feelings to either Beatrice or Alfieri, but
rather brushes them off, it seems he may be unconsciously aware of them. This
unconscious knowledge of sexual taboo drives Eddie into a self-serving and
destructive madness that he cannot control. Eddie's greatest fear is not Marco,
Rodolpho, or even the loss of his name. What Eddie fears most is the disclosure of his
secrets—he fears his own being.
Act I (continued)
Eddie telling Catherine to take off her high heels to the end of Eddie's first meeting
with Alfieri
Summary
The lights once again focus on Alfieri, who offers a brief narration and commentary
on Eddie Carbone and the events that follow. As a wise onlooker, Alferi reflects that
the future is always unknown—normal men like Eddie Carbone do not expect to have
a destiny.
Eddie stands at the doorway of the house, looking for Catherine and Rodolpho who
have gone to a movie. Beatrice enters from the street and approaches Eddie. Beatrice
tells Eddie to stop worrying and come into the house. When inside, Eddie tells
Beatrice he is worried about Catherine's relationship with Rodolpho. Beatrice asks
Eddie what is wrong with Rodolpho, and what he wants from him. Eddie responds
that Rodolpho makes him feel odd—he has heard that Rodolpho sings on the ships
and the men even call Rodolpho "Paper Doll." Eddie is particularly disturbed with
Rodolpho's strange blonde hair. Eddie tells Beatrice he gets a general bad feeling from
the boy and cannot understand why she does not feel the same. Beatrice responds that
she has other worries, in particular, Eddie's sexual impotence. Beatrice and Eddie
have not had a sexual relationship in three months. Eddie will not talk to Beatrice
about the problem, and he only says that he is worried about Catherine.
Eddie goes outside for a walk and meets Louis and Mike along the way. Louis and
Mike praise Eddie for keeping Marco and Rodolpho. They tell Eddie that Marco is a
strong worker, but Rodolpho is a big joker on the ships. Louis and Mike burst into
laughter when they talk about Rodolpho and tell Eddie that Rodolpho has quite a
sense of humor. Rodolpho and Catherine finally return from the movie. Eddie is
relieved to hear that Rodolpho and Catherine went to the Brooklyn Paramount, as he
does not want Catherine hanging around Times Square. Rodolpho responds that he
would like to go to Times Square to see the bright lights he had dreamed of since he
was boy.
Rodolpho exits and Catherine and Eddie are left alone. Catherine wants to know why
Eddie will not talk to Rodolpho. Rodolpho asks why Catherine will not talk to him.
Catherine attempts to convince Eddie that Rodolpho likes him and that he should like
Rodolpho. Eddie tells Catherine he is worried about Rodolpho. Eddie suspects that
Rodolpho only wants to have a relationship with Catherine to get a green card and
become an American citizen. Catherine will not listen to Eddie's accusations,
exclaims that Rodolpho loves her, and rushes into the house sobbing.
When inside the house, Eddie shouts again that Rodolpho is no good, and leaves the
house. Catherine and Beatrice are left alone. Beatrice is alarmed at Eddie's passionate
fury and talks directly to Catherine. Beatrice tells Catherine that she is a woman and
must make her own decisions about marriage. Beatrice also reminds Catherine that to
be a woman she must act like a woman—she cannot walk around in front of Eddie in
her slip or sit on the bathtub while he is shaving in his underwear. During the
women's conversation, Beatrice suggests that Eddie might think she was jealous of
Catherine, but assures Catherine she is not. The idea of jealousy between she and
Catherine over Eddie is a great surprise to Catherine. Catherine vows she will try to
be a woman make up her own mind, and finally say good-bye to her girlhood.
Eddie makes a visit to Alfieri to ask if there is any way that he can prevent Catherine
from marrying Rodolpho. Eddie claims that Rodolpho is only marrying Catherine to
gain citizenship, but Alfieri tells him he has no proof and the law is not interested in
such things. Eddie begs Alfieri and desperately suggests that Rodolpho might even be
homosexual. Alfieri implores Eddie to "let Catherine go," as he has too much love for
her and must wish her luck and let her marry Rodolpho. Helpless and near to tears,
Eddie leaves the office.
Analysis
Although the women of A View from the Bridge were significantly enlarged in
Miller's revised version of the script, Beatrice and Catherine remain weak characters.
In the Italian-American society of Red Hook Brooklyn, Miller portrays the women as
virtually helpless and unable to affect the fate of their husbands or any male figures.
Although much of the action centers on Eddie's love for Catherine, Catherine does not
have a significant impact on the events of the novel. Beatrice, initially more
outspoken than Catherine, also has little impact on the story.
Catherine appears weaker than Beatrice in the play. Catherine is, of course, like a
daughter to Beatrice, but Catherine is unable to properly articulate her feelings and
emotions until the end of the play. Catherine is described as a somewhat flighty girl
and she does not know that it is inappropriate to walk around in her slip in front of her
uncle and watch Eddie shave in his underwear. Until Catherine's relationship with
Rodolpho, she has no great convictions besides wanting to work as a stenographer
before she graduates. Catherine is oblivious throughout the play to Eddie's lust for
her. She constantly seeks his approval and forgiveness, even at the very conclusion of
the play. Catherine only finds her independence from Eddie when she finds another
male patriarchal figure to replace him. Happy and safe with Rodolpho, Catherine can
finally separate herself from Eddie.
Beatrice is the tirelessly forgiving character of the play. Beatrice is the mature female
figure, but requires the same male approval that Catherine seeks. Beatrice is jealous of
Eddie's relationship with Catherine and openly addresses Eddie's sexual impotence
and lack of physical affection for her. While Beatrice seems more aware of her need
for Eddie's approval than Catherine does, she is equally desperate for it. Also different
from Catherine is that Beatrice recognizes this neediness almost to a fault.
Nonetheless, Beatrice's willingness to forgive Eddie leads her to even accept him after
Eddie is disgraced and he admits his desires for Catherine. In the original version of
the script, Eddie dies at Catherine's feet, but Beatrice's greater role in the revised
script makes this an improbable ending—Eddie must return to Beatrice because she is
the only one left who truly needs his approval, since Catherine now has Rodolpho. In
these final moments, Beatrice seems to have power over Eddie—for the first time he
seeks out her forgiveness and love.
While the inner lives of these characters can be extrapolated from the text, Beatrice
and Catherine remain fairly two-dimensional. The women have no apparent inner-life
than their concern with male figures. Miller allows the audience little insight on the
thoughts of Beatrice and Catherine, we are unsure why Catherine loves Rodolpho or
how Beatrice occupies her time outside of cooking and cleaning for Eddie. The
women solely exist to further the dramatic content of the play and have little meaning
or consequence as individuals.
Act I (continued)
End of Eddie's meeting with Alferi to the end of Act I
Summary
After Eddie leaves his office, Alfieri addresses the audience. Immediately in the
present, he tells the audience that from the moment Eddie left his office, he knew
Eddie's tragic outcome. Alfieri claims he could see each step unraveling before him,
and, in retrospect, wonders why he was powerlessness to stop it.
Catherine and Beatrice clear the dinner table while the men finish eating. Catherine
brags to Eddie that Rodolpho has been to Africa. Eddie and Marco describe their
travels on fishing boats. Beatrice asks why they have to go out on boats to fish and
Marco tells her that the only fish she will catch from the beach are sardines. Catherine
and Beatrice muse about the thought of sardines in the ocean. Catherine thinks the
idea of sardines in the ocean is as bizarre as oranges on a tree. Eddie agrees with
Catherine and says he heard they painted oranges to make them look orange because
they grew green on the tree. Rodolpho disagrees with Eddie's thoughts about the
oranges and Beatrice quickly diverts the conflict by asking about Marco's children.
Marco responds that his children are well, but he is getting lonesome. Eddie jokingly
suggests that there might be a few extra children when Marco returns to Italy, but
Marco assures him that he can trust his wife. Rodolpho tells Eddie that it is stricter in
their town and the people are not so free. Rodolpho's remark infuriates Eddie, who
rises and paces about the room. Eddie informs Rodolpho that the women might be
freer in America, but they are not less strict. Eddie is angry because he thinks
Rodolpho is taking advantage of Catherine and is offended that Eddie did not ask
permission to take Catherine out on a date. Marco immediately tells Rodolfo to come
home early, but Eddie is not satisfied. Eddie wants Rodolpho to work and not be out
so much. Masking his real jealousy, Eddie tells Rodolpho that the police will catch
him if he is out too much on the streets.
Catherine asks Rodolpho to dance and he reluctantly joins her. While dancing,
Catherine asks how the men eat on the boats and Rodolpho's cooking skills are
revealed. Eddie, amazed by this new information, tells Beatrice that the waterfront is
no place for Rodolpho. Rodolfo turns off the stereo and listens to Eddie, who has risen
from his seat. Eddie cheerfully asks Rodolfo if he would like to learn how to do some
boxing. Rodolpho reluctantly agrees and the men begin to lightly box. Eddie
encourages Rodolpho, and he tells Rodolfo he is doing well. After encouragement
from Catherine and Beatrice, Eddie and Rodolpho stop boxing.
Marco approaches Eddie and asks if he can lift the chair in front of them. Eddie
attempts to lift the chair, but is unsuccessful. Marco slowly raises the chair above his
head.
In the writing of A View from the Bridge, Miller gave considerable thought to the
elements of Greek drama. In his essay, "On Social Plays," appearing in the published
version of the play, Miller describes the virtues of Greek Drama that have been lost in
modern theatre. Miller distinguishes the concept of ultimate law in Greek drama, "For
when the Greeks thought of the right ways to live it was a whole concept, it meant a
way to live that would create citizens who were brave in war, had a sense of
responsibility to the polis in peace, and were also developed as individual
personalities." What modern drama lacked, wrote Miller, was a sense of the whole
man or whole good. As exemplified in his own behavior during the McCarthy trials,
where he refused to name the names of artists who attended communist support
meetings, Miller sought to find the right, ultimate law that extended beyond that of the
written word. A View from the Bridge was his experiment.
In the introduction to the play, Miller identified the difficulties of writing a drama that
combined the concept of ultimate law with modern living and knowledge. Alfieri was
Miller's original solution to these problems. As the narrator, Alfieri objectively
observes the Carbone family and articulates the larger, universal meaning and context
of Eddie's actions and the family's conflict.
Miller's original production failed to find an ultimate meaning or root out any sort of
ultimate law. There is evidence that Miller struggled to find the central problem of the
story before the production opened and, according to reviews, he never found it. The
production was underwritten and the characters unsympathetic. Brooks Atkinson of
the Times reported, "Eddie's deficiency as a tragic hero is simply that Miller has not
told us enough about him."
In the revised version, written two years later, Miller was able to find more personal
connection to the characters—especially Eddie Carbone. While the characters were
substantially filled out, Miller retained many characteristic elements of a Greek.
Alfieri still acts as a chorus and Eddie fulfills the requirements of a Euripidean tragic
hero—overcome and finally destroyed by his own self-destructive madness. There is a
tragic meaning in man and circumstance in the production. Eddie is weak and
powerless in the face of fate. As sensed by many literary critics, Miller never found
the "ultimate meaning" of Eddie Carbone. Particularly evident in Alfieri's final
speech, Miller is unclear about what ultimate law should have been followed or what
ultimate law should be praised.
Act II
Summary
From his desk, Alfieri once again frames the action of the scene. It is the twenty-third
of December and Catherine and Rodolpho are, for the first time, alone together in the
house.
While Catherine cuts out a pattern of cloth, Rodolpho watches her intently. Catherine
asks Rodolpho if he would still want to marry her if they had to move back to Italy.
Rodolpho, indignant, tells Catherine that he would not marry her if they had to live in
Italy. Rodolpho wants Catherine to be his wife and he wants to be a citizen; however,
Catherine is wrong to think he would marry her just to gain citizenship. Rodolpho
insists the only reason he wants to be an American is to have the opportunity to work,
that is the only advantage. Catherine reveals that she is fearful of Eddie's reaction
toward her marriage and Rodolpho eventually calms her. Catherine weeps in his arms
and Rodolpho takes her to the bedroom.
Eddie, drunk and unsteady on his feet, appears below the apartment on the street.
Eddie enters the apartment as Catherine walks out of the bedroom. Eddie sees
Rodolpho also come out of the bedroom and instantly orders Rodolpho to pack up his
bags and leave the house. Catherine moves toward the bedroom and tells Eddie that
she is the one that needs to leave. Eddie grabs Catherine and kisses her on the mouth.
Rodolpho tells Eddie to respect Catherine, his wife to be. Eddie taunts Rodolpho and
Rodolpho lunges toward Eddie, but is pinned by Eddie. Laughing, holding Rodolpho's
arms, Eddie suddenly kisses Rodolpho. Catherine tears the two apart.
Alfieri's office is once again lit on the stage. It is December 27 and Eddie has come
once again to Alfieri's office for advice. Again, Alferi tells Eddie he must let
Catherine marry Rodolpho; the law cannot help him. After leaving Alfieri's office,
Eddie calls the Immigration Bureau and reports Marco and Rodolpho. When Eddie
returns to the house, he finds Beatrice packing up Christmas decorations. Marco and
Rodolpho have been moved upstairs to live with Mrs. Dondero. Beatrice and Eddie
argue about their relationship and Beatrice tells Eddie that Catherine and Rodolpho
are going to be married next week. Beatrice advises Eddie to give Catherine and
Rodolpho his good word and even attend the wedding. Eddie refuses to talk to her and
moves toward the door. As he does so, Catherine enters the apartment.
Catherine tells Eddie that the wedding is on Saturday and he can come if he likes.
Eddie once again attempts to convince Catherine otherwise, but she is resolved. Eddie
suddenly tells Catherine that she must make Marco and Rodolpho move. Eddie thinks
it is unsafe for them to be living with Mrs. Dondero because she is housing two other
illegal immigrants. As Eddie is speaking, the Immigration police appear outside the
house. Catherine hurries upstairs to try and get Marco and Rodolpho out of the house
before the police enter, but she is unsuccessful. Marco, Rodolpho and the two other
immigrants are taken to jail. As they leave, Marco spits in Rodolpho's face. Alferi
pays bail for Marco and Rodolpho, with a promise that neither will hurt Eddie in any
way. Rodolpho will still marry Catherine and be an American, but Marco will be
deported in a few weeks.
It is Catherine's wedding day and she is getting ready in her bedroom. Eddie still
refuses to go to the ceremony and stubbornly sits in his rocking chair. Eddie has lost
all respect in the community because he called Immigration on Rodolpho and Marco.
Rodolpho enters the room to collect Catherine and Beatrice for the wedding and
suggests that Eddie leave the room because Marco is coming, but Eddie refuses.
Rodolpho apologizes for everything and even reaches to kiss Eddie's hand, but Eddie
pulls it away. Marco appears outside the apartment and calls out Eddie' name. Eddie
and Marco exchange words and Eddie desperately attempts to justify his cause in
front of the crowd of community members that have gathered. Eddie tries to stab
Marco, but Marco grabs his arm and turns the blade inward toward Eddie. Eddie dies
in Beatrice's arms.
Analysis
The central conflict for characters in A View from the Bridge is negotiation between
tribal and country law. In other words, the characters must reconcile between the
social laws of the Red Hook Sicilian-American community and the laws that they are
bound to by the state. Eddie Carbone purposefully holds allegiance to the state law
that bans illegal immigrants. He is consequently punished by the Red Hook
community, which accepts and protects immigrants. Marco and Rodolpho, although
wanting live in the U.S., break American law by entering the country illegally.
Influenced by the fact he has already been deported, Marco has especially little
allegiance to American law or custom, but abides by Sicilian practices of revenge
against Eddie. Rodolpho, with the possibility of being a citizen, offers his apologies to
Eddie. Alfieri, the Italian-American lawyer who narrates the play, is the great
compromiser between Sicilian law and American laws. Alferi is able to negotiate
between social mores in Red Hook and the demands of American citizenship.
Eddie's allegiance to the U.S. is not seen until the conclusion of the play. When Marco
and Rodolpho first come to stay with the Carbone's, he is happy and proud to be
housing "submarines" in his home. With the power of his "subs," Eddie rebels against
American immigration laws and brings Italians into the county, encouraged and
honored by the surrounding community. Eddie is forced to ignore this tribal law when
he is threatened by Rodolpho's relationship to Catherine. Eddie goes to the lawyer,
Alfieri, to see if there is a way to negotiate American law to simply stop the marriage,
but he realizes that the only way is to go against Sicilian social-community law ("the
law is not interested in this you have no recourse in the law"). Eddie's decision to
break community law is also influenced by his love for Catherine; his betrayal is out
of self-interest. Eddie would break natural law, a more stigmatizing and damning
force than either Sicilian or American laws. Ironically, the failure of American law to
prevent the marriage of Rodolpho and Catherine causes Eddie to once again revert to
his community customs and seek a final Sicilian revenge against Marco. What is
important to Eddie, in the end, is his name. Eddie attempts to kill Marco rather than
offer the forgiveness. Eddie's inability to negotiate between Sicilian and American
cultures destroys him.
Marco and Rodolpho follow Sicilian law and social custom. However, Marco follows
these laws more strictly than Rodolpho. At the play's conclusion, Marco has seeks
revenge whereas Rodolpho asks for forgiveness from Eddie and even offers to kiss his
hand before marrying his daughter. The lawlessness of Marco and Rodolpho are far
overshadowed by Eddie. Whereas Marco and Rodolpho break laws in order to escape
poverty in Italy and provide for their families, Eddie acts solely to protect himself and
his virginal prize.
Alfieri, the bridge between Italian custom and American law, reveals an objective
view of the community and Carbone family. Although his objectivity may be
questionable as the "engaged narrator," Alfieri, as a character, represents a possible
merger between American and Sicilian cultures and articulates the greater moral and
social implications for Eddie and the audience. The play is Alfieri's memory narrative;
the narrative is in the past, but enacted in the present. The final conflict, for Alfieri, is
not between tribal and state law, but between personal and communal truth.
Alfieri, like Miller, is ultimately confused. The conclusion of A View from the Bridge
disproves the existence of ultimate law. Modern society cannot distinguish or rightly
weight personal truth against communal truth and we are thus left "half way."
Important Quotations Explained
Just remember, kid, you can quicker get back a
million dollars that was stole than a word that
you gave away.
Eddie speaks this quote in Act I, while eating dinner with Beatrice and Catherine.
This quote reveals the irony and madness of Eddie's character. In the beginning of the
play, Eddie tells the story of a young boy who called immigration on his relatives.
Eddie lectures Catherine about how they must tell no one about Marco and Rodolpho,
the illegal immigrant cousins the family will be hiding. However, in the end of the
play, Eddie obviously calls Immigration on these cousins, just like the boy. Miller sets
up Eddie so vehemently against betrayal that his transition to the betrayer seems
illogical. The set-up requires Eddie to undergo a drastic change, if not complete
breakdown, within the play to make such a transition. The force of this transition
reveals no only his self-destructive madness, but the deepness of his unspoken love
for his niece. This quote also reveals that Eddie knows his own fate—he knows what
will happen to him, but cannot escape his fate. Much like Alfieri, Eddie watches
himself make decisions he knows will not only ruin his reputation in the community,
but also possibly kill him. Eddie may know the consequence of what he does, but
remains powerless or too mad to stop it.
His eyes were like tunnels; my first thought was that
he had committed a crime, but soon I saw it was only
a passion that had moved into his body, like a
stranger.
In this quote, found in Act I, Alferi describes Eddie's appearance at their first meeting,
to the audience. Alfieri almost seems to fear Eddie as a paranormal beast, a remnant
of the great Greek or Roman tragedy. Alfieri truly believes that Eddie was possessed
with, "passion that has moved into his body, like a stranger," and was unable to
control him. The passion that Alfieri describes is the passion for his niece Catherine.
The passion, unreleased and suppressed in his unconscious was a stranger to Eddie's
conscious self that actively denied any thoughts of incest or otherwise. This quote also
reveals the style of Alfieri. Alfieri tells the tale of Eddie Carbone as if he is a legend.
Eddie is described with dramatic and literary descriptions that are unusual in the
dramatic form.
Eddie: Then why—Oh, B.! Beatrice: Yes, yes! Eddie:
My B.!
This quote occurs at the conclusion of the play and is spoken between Eddie and
Beatrice. As Eddie lies dying in Beatrice's arms, the couple finds some sort of
reconciliation and repair of their torn and battered relationship. Beatrice, even under
such horrible circumstances, is able to forgive Eddie. Eddie constantly dominates
Beatrice throughout the play, but in this tiny moment Eddie needs Beatrice more than
she needs him. It is the first time the audience hears that Eddie needs and it is the first
time that he honestly needs Beatrice. Beatrice is the tirelessly forgiving character of
the play. She is terribly jealous of her niece, who receives more attention from her
husband than she does, but still forgives Eddie in the end. This final scene was one of
the major alterations of the revised script of A View from the Bridge. In the original
version, Eddie dies at the feet of Catherine. However, because of Beatrice's increased
presence in the revised version and downscaling of the relationship between Eddie
and Catherine—Eddie must return to Beatrice. Beatrice is the only female who, in the
end, needs him. Catherine, now beyond his control, no longer seeks his approval.
Thus, Eddie is drawn to Beatrice and for the first time he seeks out Beatrice, her
forgiveness and love.
You want somethin' else, Eddie, and you can never
have her!
This quote, spoken by Beatrice in the conclusion of Act II to Eddie, is the first time
that Eddie seems to realize his true feelings for Catherine and recognize his own
madness. Until this moment, no one has directly spoken about Eddie's feelings for
Catherine. Although they are obviously known by Beatrice and Alfieri, know one has
dared to actually tell Eddie what is wrong with him. But even when Eddie realizes his
demon, the love for his niece, he is powerless to stop it. Eddie lunges forward and
attempts to kill Marco. In this moment of Sicilian revenge, Eddie cannot pull himself
back or regain any sense of reason. Perhaps even the recognition of the sexual taboo
makes Eddie even more determined to seek revenge or at least find some sort of
success or honor in his death. Eddie does not even have the power to deny Beatrice's
claim, but instead follows through his destructive path. This moment may bring Eddie
out of his madness enough to lie in Beatrice's arms as he bleeds to death. Once he has
recognized his sinful love for Catherine, Eddie seems to find himself once again—
which may explain why he is able to reconcile his relationship with Beatrice.
Most of the time we settle for half and I like it better.
Even as I know how wrong he was, and his death
useless, I tremble, for I confess that something
perversely pure calls to me from his memory—not
purely good, but himself purely And yet, it is better to
settle for half, it must be! And so I mourn him—I
admit it—with a certain alarm.
This quote deals with the central conflict of A View from the Bridge: the self will
verses the will of the community. The whole man that Alfieri describes in Eddie is the
self-interested man. Eddie's actions within the play are completely motivated by his
own desires at the expense of others. Thus, humans must act halfway to preserve the
rules of the community and lives of others. The idea that Alfieri suggests, that Eddie
acted as a whole person, unrestrained and uninhibited is true. However, Eddie's
wholeness was at the expense of his own family and eventually himself. He only
escaped restraint because he escaped consideration of other people or the community
at large. Eddie's wholeness is a whole interest in his own life. His tragic flaw is this
self-interest—a flaw that seems both admirable and alarming to Alfieri.
Key Facts
full title · A View from the Bridge
author · Arthur Miller
type of work · Play
genre · Modern Drama
language · English
time and place written · 1950s, United States
date of first publication · 1955 original, 1957 revised
publisher · Penguin Books
narrator · Alfieri
point of view · Not applicable (drama)
tone · Not applicable (drama)
tense · Alfieri narrates the play in the present and describes the events in the past
tense. The action occured sometime before the present.
setting (time) · 1940–1960
setting (place) · Brooklyn, NY
protagonist · Eddie Carbone
major conflict · Eddie Carbone and his wife Beatrice house illegal immigrant cousins
from Italy. When one of the cousins falls in love with Catherine, the niece of Eddie,
whom Eddie has incestuous desires for, Eddie betrays his family and calls
Immigration to stop the marriage of his niece and cousin.
rising action · Eddie is protective of his niece Catherine, Marco and Catherine fall in
love, Eddie is determined to stop the marriage.
climax · The Immigration Bureau comes to arrest Marco and Rodolpho.
falling action · Alifieri pays bail for Marco and Rodolpho, the day of Catherine and
Rodolpho's marriage Marco unintentionally results in Eddie's death.
themes · Alligance to community law; The irrational human animal; Naming names
motifs · Geography; Community; Betrayal
symbols · High Heels; Brooklyn Bridge; Italy
foreshadowing · Eddie tells the story of Vinny Bolzano, a boy who ratted on his
family to Immigration; Alfieri's speeches
Study Questions and Suggested Essay Topics
Study Questions
Which elements of A View from the Bridge resemble Greek Tragedy?
How does this change or affect the significance of the play as a modern drama?
There are several elements of A View from the Bridge that resemble Greek drama.
Eddie is the tragic, mad character who is helpless in the face of his own terrible fate.
Alfieri acts as the chorus in the play. He provides commentary on the action and
articulates the greater moral and social implications of the drama. Eddie Carbone is an
epic character; he makes bold moves and does things that are completely out of the
ordinary. As chorus, Alfieri is key to distinguishing Eddie as a legendary figure
because Alfieri gives Eddie epic proportions, "I looked into his eyes more than I
listened—in fact, I hardly remember the conversation I will never forget how dark the
room became when he looked at me; his eyes were like tunnels."
To justify his actions, Eddie creates an alternative reality to exist within. This
imagined world Eddie constructs is evident by his irrational decisions. Eddie knows
well the fate he will suffer if he betrays Marco and Rodolpho. In the beginning of the
play, Eddie tells the story of a young boy who ratted on immigrant relatives staying in
his home and warns Catherine that she must be absolutely silent about Marco and
Rodolpho. Eddie knows that he will suffer greatly for calling Immigration, but does so
anyway. In Eddie's imagined world he believes that putting his relatives in jail will
stop the marriage of Rodolpho and Catherine. Eddie believes he can keep Catherine
all for himself as a virginal prize. Eddie thinks that he can regain his name after
Marco spits in his face. Eddie, driven by his suppressed passions, makes irrational
decisions and denies his own reason.
Alfieri is the symbolic bridge between American law and tribal Italian law. Alfieri,
himself the son of an Italian immigrant, acts as a chorus in the play. He gives his
perspective from his position on the bridge or meeting ground between Italian and
American cultures. Alfieri attempts to portray the characters objectively, but,
especially in the case of Eddie Carbone, narrates the play as if it were a great legend.
Alfieri positions himself as the great scribe or teller of an epic tale: "the flat air in my
office suddenly washes in with the green scent of the sea the thought comes that in
some Caesar's year another lawyer set there as powerless as I, and watched it run its
bloody course." Alfieri adds grandeur to the story and transforms the story of a
Longshoreman into a larger than life tragic tale.
What imagined world or reality does Eddie seek to uphold? How does he see himself?
How does this differ from the actual world of the play?
There are several elements of A View from the Bridge that resemble Greek drama.
Eddie is the tragic, mad character who is helpless in the face of his own terrible fate.
Alfieri acts as the chorus in the play. He provides commentary on the action and
articulates the greater moral and social implications of the drama. Eddie Carbone is an
epic character; he makes bold moves and does things that are completely out of the
ordinary. As chorus, Alfieri is key to distinguishing Eddie as a legendary figure
because Alfieri gives Eddie epic proportions, "I looked into his eyes more than I
listened—in fact, I hardly remember the conversation I will never forget how dark the
room became when he looked at me; his eyes were like tunnels."
To justify his actions, Eddie creates an alternative reality to exist within. This
imagined world Eddie constructs is evident by his irrational decisions. Eddie knows
well the fate he will suffer if he betrays Marco and Rodolpho. In the beginning of the
play, Eddie tells the story of a young boy who ratted on immigrant relatives staying in
his home and warns Catherine that she must be absolutely silent about Marco and
Rodolpho. Eddie knows that he will suffer greatly for calling Immigration, but does so
anyway. In Eddie's imagined world he believes that putting his relatives in jail will
stop the marriage of Rodolpho and Catherine. Eddie believes he can keep Catherine
all for himself as a virginal prize. Eddie thinks that he can regain his name after
Marco spits in his face. Eddie, driven by his suppressed passions, makes irrational
decisions and denies his own reason.
How are names important in A View from the Bridge?
What social codes or mores exist within the Red Hook, Italian American community
of the play?
What is the symbolic nature of the Brooklyn Bridge in the play? What worlds does it
bring together? What person also acts as a cultural bridge?
What laws do Eddie's actions infringe upon? What is the distinction made between
tribal and American law?
Is Eddie a sympathetic hero? What elements of the play allow the audience to
sympathize with Eddie? Overall, is the audience led to sympathize with Eddie or
criticize his actions?
Who does Eddie betray in the play? How does betrayal work as thematic material?
How is Eddie punished for his betrayal?
Characterize the relationship between Beatrice, Eddie and Catherine. What sort of
familial taboos do they break? How does their relationship reflect on the American
family in a general sense?
This page requires JavaScript, which you don't seem to have. Please try a different
browser.
Quiz
What section of Brooklyn in the book set in?
(A) Carroll Gardens
(B) Park Slope
(C) Coney Island
(D) Red Hook
Where are Beatrice's cousins from?
(A) Morocco
(B) Spain
(C) Italy
(D) Georgia
What is Eddie's profession?
(A) Carpenter
(B) Telephone Operator
(C) Longshoreman
(D) Fisherman
What does Eddie not think Catherine should wear?
(A) High heels
(B) Hair nets
(C) Silk stockings
(D) Mini skirts
Who are Mike and Louis?
(A) Eddie's brothers
(B) Upstairs neighboors
(C) Catherine's lovers
(D) Longshoremen
Why does Marco come to the US?
(A) To find a wife
(B) To become a citizen
(C) To join the mafia
(D) To send money to his kids at home
What reasons does Rodolpho give for coming to the U.S.?
(A) Both B and D
(B) To become a citizen
(C) To be a lounge singer
(D) To work
What song does Rodolpho sing?
(A) An Italian folk song
(B) Coming to America
(C) Paper Boy
(D) Paper Doll
What does Catherine go to school for?
(A) Nursing
(B) Math
(C) Stenography
(D) Typing
What is Alferi's job?
(A) Manager of the Longshorement
(B) Judge
(C) Immigration Bureau officer
(D) Lawyer
What does Beatrice tell Catherine she must do?
(A) Break up with Rodolpho
(B) Quit stenography
(C) Be a woman
(D) Follow Eddie's orders
What relation are Eddie and Catherine?
(A) Father and Daughter
(B) Cousin and Cousin
(C) Brother and Sister in law
(D) Uncle and niece
What do Mike and Louis say about Rodolpho that embarrases Eddie?
(A) Rodolpho does not work on the ship
(B) Rodolpho flirts with the men on the ship
(C) Rodolpho cuts work
(D) Rodolpho has a sense of humor
What does Alferi advise Eddie to do?
(A) Turn in Rodolfo and Marco
(B) Kick Rodolpho out of the house
(C) Take legal action against Rodolpho
(D) Let Catherine go
What bothers Eddie about Rodolpho?
(A) Rodolpho's blonde hair
(B) Rodolpho's ability to make dresses
(C) Both A and B
(D) None of the above
What reason does Eddie tell Catherine that she should break up with Rodolpho?
(A) Rodolpho is a poor worker
(B) Rodolpho just wants to be a citizen
(C) Rodolpho is gay
(D) Rodolpho will want to take her back to Italy
What kind of fish does Marco tell Beatrice swim near Coney Island?
(A) Salmon
(B) Sharks
(C) Founder
(D) Sardines
How does Marco show his superiour strength to Eddie?
(A) He lifts a hundred pound weight
(B) He lifts a chair
(C) He lifts the couch
(D) He lifts Eddie
Catherine asks Rodolpho if he would marry her if they had to move back to Italy.
What is his response?
(A) Yes, it would not matter where they lived
(B) No, he only wants to live in America
(C) Yes, they should return to Italy immediately
(D) No, Italy is not a place for American girls
What does Eddie offer to teach Rodolpho?
(A) BOxing
(B) Checkers
(C) Fishing
(D) Masculinity
When Eddie comes home and finds Catherine and Rodolpho have been alone in the
bedroom what is his reaction?
(A) Eddie breaks Rodolpho's arm
(B) Eddie kisses Catherine and Rodolpho
(C) Eddie throws Rodolpho out of the house
(D) Eddie storms out of the house
When Alferi pays Marco and Rodolpho's bail what does he make them promise?
(A) To pay him back
(B) To return to Italy
(C) To leave town
(D) To not hurt Eddie
When the immigration police arrest Marco and Rodolpho Marco offends Eddie. What
does he do?
(A) Spit in his face
(B) Call him names
(C) Shout that he is a traitor
(D) Damn his family
What does Rodolpho dream of buying with his new money?
(A) A house
(B) A car
(C) A banjo
(D) A motorcycle
Besides his lust for Cathering, why is Beatrice unhappy in her marriage with Eddie?
(A) Eddie is an alcoholic
(B) Eddie cannot get work
(C) Eddie abuses her
(D) Eddie is impotent
What does Eddie claim Marco has stolen from him?
(A) His niece
(B) His pride
(C) His home
(D) His name
What does Marco call Eddie at the play's conclusion?
(A) Eddie
(B) Monkey Face
(C) Beast
(D) Animal
What best describes Alfreri's conclusion to the play?
(A) Alferi is devestated by the events
(B) Alferi thinks men must not be completely true to their souls
(C) Alferi praises Eddie's truth, the purity of his conviction
(D) Both B and C