A View From the Bridge - Character review.
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
Eddie, the plays protagonist has a very particular view of what it means to be a man. He only picks out the looks and qualities of a person, not his personality. He shows this many times and many ways in the first part of the play.
Eddie is in conflict with every other major character. The conflict normally arises from Eddie's "manly" behaviour, like demanding respect and ordering people around. The reason why Eddie is in conflict with Rodalpho is because he does not have the qualities and the looks of a man, for example "he sings", "he's blond", he looks like "a paper doll", and "he cooks too". The reason why Eddie is in conflict with Marco is because Marco fits into Eddies image of a man, in such a way to make Eddie feel threatened.
Conflict also occurs because the Eddie is uneducated and because he is uneducated, it means that he cannot express his emotions through words. An example of this is when Eddie asks Rodalpho for a boxing match. Eddie is jealous of Rodalpho because he thinks that he will take Catherine away from him, he cannot tell Rodalpho what he feels about him with Catherine so he just tries to threaten him by showing his feelings towards him through his actions.
The play "a view form the bridge" portrays Eddie as a hostile character, particularly in his contact with Rodalpho.
Like I had explained before, Eddie has a very particular view of what it means to be a man. He only picks out the looks and qualities of a person, not his personality. Eddie thinks that a man should have all the same characteristics and looks that he has. A man should be tall, dark, and strong, a man should keep his feelings and emotions to himself, hardworking, and to think about others.
Eddie does not like blond, weak men, and a man who has all the qualities of a woman. For example Eddie dislikes Rodalpho because he sings, dances, and cooks.
Eddies views and behaviour always leads to some sort of conflict with someone. Eddie does not like Catherine wearing short skirts and high-heeled shoes, because of one of his manly characteristics, to look out or think about others. This is not a problem but what is, is when Eddie cannot tell people how he feels. So because Eddie cannot tell Catherine why he does not want her wearing ...
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Eddie does not like blond, weak men, and a man who has all the qualities of a woman. For example Eddie dislikes Rodalpho because he sings, dances, and cooks.
Eddies views and behaviour always leads to some sort of conflict with someone. Eddie does not like Catherine wearing short skirts and high-heeled shoes, because of one of his manly characteristics, to look out or think about others. This is not a problem but what is, is when Eddie cannot tell people how he feels. So because Eddie cannot tell Catherine why he does not want her wearing these types of clothes, Catherine starts to argue because she does not understand why but if Eddie was more like Rodalpho and explained that he does not want Catherine wearing small skirts because its not safe than maybe Catherine would understand and there would not be any conflict between them two. Another example is the conflict being caused between Eddie and Rodalpho, the conflict is mainly caused because Rodalpho does not fit into Eddies image of a "real man" and because Rodalpho and Catherine are in love but there is another major reason, why these two men are in conflict with one another.
Eddie says a man should keep himself to himself. Well first of all Rodalpho expresses his feelings. Secondly Eddie does not tell Rodalpho how he feels about him, Eddie shows him. Than later on this causes between Marco and Eddie because Marco does not like the way Eddie treats his brother.
In many ways Rodalpho does not conform to this image of masculinity.
First of all Rodalpho does not look nothing like what Eddie describes of what a man should look like. He is blond, small built with a slim figure.
Secondly, Rodalpho does not have any of the qualities that Eddie reckons a man should have. He is not very strong, nor strong looking, he does not keep his feelings to himself, he is not that hardworking, and certainly does not think about others. For example Eddie got really frustrated, for waiting for Rodalpho to ask him if he could get married to Catherine. This shows that Rodalpho did not care about Eddie's opinion of their marriage.
Rodalpho actually has all the women's looks and qualities. Rodalpho sings, dances, and is a good cook. Rodalpho has light hair and a slim figure, just like a woman. All of this is mentioned in the play and Eddie and his friends, about his looks and qualities, mock Rodalpho. They call him a "canary" and a "paper doll". This all leads up to dramatic tension, for example eddies kiss at the beginning of act two.
Marco is a conventionally masculine guy because he is a "square-built peasant of thirty-two, suspicious, tender, and quiet-voiced". Marco is supposed to be a tall, strong man, who also keeps himself to himself. Marco, also, was thinking about his family the whole time he was in America, in fact the only reason why he came to America was, to make some money and to send it home to his family. These are all the looks and qualities that Eddie implies that a man needs.
Finally, Marco is a lot more mature than Rodalpho is; this is another quality that a man needs. Marco thinks about his actions and what it will do, but the problem is that Marco also shows his feelings in what he does not what he says, so this causes conflict between Marco and Eddie because they find it hard to communicate with each over.
This lack of verbal expression causes problems between the two men because they do not understand each over, when you don't talk to someone or tell them your feelings than its hard to know what they are expressing or feeling. For example when Marco lifts the chair at the end of act one, Eddie felt that Marco was threatening him but Marco intention was only to warn and remind Eddie that Rodalpho has a brother.
Not all characters feel the same way about Marco as Eddie does though. The best example is Beatrice; Beatrice is probably the most sensible character of all. She does not see Marco as a threat or anything like that because she knows that he is just like Eddie, this is why she does not side with anyone when Eddie tries to give Marco a bad name. Beatrice knows that Marco does not have any bad intentions; he is only trying to look out for his brother. Though at the same time Beatrice knows what Eddie is like, because he is her husband, and has found out what Marco is like and they are both the same, they are both selfish and stubborn.
This whole play, "a view from the bridge", is based on manliness. It is about peoples views of masculinity and how others fit into this image and differ to it.
Hostility and aggression also plays a big part in the play. Hostility and aggression are two very different things. Being hostile or showing open hostility is to only be unfriendly where as showing aggression is to be angry or furious at someone.
Rodalpho doesn't react to the taunts and name-calling. Whenever Eddie becomes hostile towards Rodalpho he tries to compromise, like when he tries to encourage Catherine to talk to Eddie.
Arthur Millers view about hostility and aggression is that it does not solve anything. Often the "real man" is the one who will try to discuss issues and compromise.
Whereas Eddie's view of masculinity relies on hostility and aggression, mainly for power and status, and this is where the link is between "manliness", "hostility", and "aggression". So there is a big difference between the author's views and the plays protagonist's views of hostility and aggression.
After reading this essay, Eddie, Marco, and Rodalpho do not sound like they do not have many good qualities, but they all do.
Eddie is protective, this is a good thing but sometimes he does become over-protective. Eddie is also a loving man. He had taken Catherine and looked after her, almost all her life, just after her mother's death.
Marco had only come to America so he could make some money to send back to his dieing family in Italy.
Rodalpho is a great guy. Showing your emotions and feelings may sound like what a woman might do but even Arthur Miller said that the real man would discuss his issues and compromise. If you read through the text you don't hear much about Rodalpho being hardworking, but right in the beginning we were told that Rodalpho's job in Italy was to push taxis up hills, and they were paid very poorly.
So we know that everyone had a good side to them in the play and we heard most of these good qualities at the beginning.
