Another one of Alfieri’s roles in the play is a narrator. A narrator is an important role in any play, and to be a character and a narrator is very distinct. Throughout all of the play he introduces the scenes with a small speech or a prediction. The most significant speeches Alfieri makes are the first and last. The first speech is about life in Brooklyn and what the world has come to.
“In this neighbourhood to meet a lawyer or a priest on the streets is unlucky.”
This quote actually shows the audience the difference between classes and how everyone is different in their own way.
Undoubtedly he introduces himself with an informative description.
“I am a lawyer…………I was born in Italy.”
Alfieri is specifically giving information to the audience, however the last three sentences are the most significant as they introduce one of the main characters, “Eddie”. Alfieri uses this specific name because it relates to what he was saying about “cases and compensation”.
By the end of the speech, the audience know that the events they are awaiting will be “bloody” in its conclusion, as Alfieri himself said “watched it run its bloody course”.
This specific phrase shows that Alfieri is predicting the play, this indicates his importance in the play as a narrator.
Alfieri’s last speech is highly influential as he explains to the audience about “settling for half” and how Eddie couldn’t do this.
Alfieri also expresses his feelings towards Eddie by trying to make the audience feel sorry for him.
“his useless death”
This speech is not only expressing Alfieri’s feelings but it is drawing the audience back into the play and helping them understand the situation from Eddie’s point of view.
Alfieri is known to be powerful, intelligent and educated, these properties are known to be manly. Eddie is able to respect Alfieri because of this, however his obsession and unnatural with Catherine is something he is unable to control, and instead he focuses his anger on the very feminine Rodolpho. Rodolpho is discriminated by Eddie because of his feminine qualities, such as, sewing, singing, and baking cakes. Eddie continues to tell him this throughout the play. Still, Eddie did agree to shelter him when he had come from Sicily as an immigrant. Eddie is unable accept this and instead he finds it repulsive and can not give Catherine and Rodolpho their wedding blessings.
“if you wasn’t an orphan, wouldn’t he ask your fathers permission before he run around you like this.”
This leads to the issue of compromising, something Eddie couldn’t do, despite Alfieri’s efforts of indicating the importance of compromise.
Eddie could not come to an understanding and continued with his scheme to break up Catherine and Rodolpho and stop the wedding. Compromising is important in all situations, mostly in a family crisis. This is when you should make a deal or come to some sort of understanding with the other person, whoever he may be, in this case, Eddie and Catherine.
Alfieri helps the audience understand the play as they read through line by line. He gives brief descriptions of what has and should have happened in certain parts of the play. He even begins to make predictions to what is going to happen. Alfieri is dramatically significant in such a way that the audience begin to use him as a guide and take advantage of him.
Alfieri is undeniably the most significant character in a view from the bridge.
