Eddie also believes it is not manliness to reject a challenge so when he is challenged in the play or when he challenges others we see the theme of manliness again. Eddie hopes they do not back out. This is shown in two occasions in the play when Eddie is challenged by Marco to lift the chair;” can u lift this chair?” Eddie then asks, “What do mean?” Here Eddie is just reassuring himself that Marco did challenge him. He replies,” Sure why not?” He tries and tries but he does not succeed,” he tries and tries again but fails”. Here Eddie keeps trying as he does not want to be seen as weak. This corresponds with the point of his valuing physical strength.
Eddie also shows manliness by looking after his family continuously throughout the play, and here when he says” I think its too short…I don’t like the looks their giving you at the candy store”, Eddie doesn’t want other men looking at his niece in a sexual way. Eddie’s family are fearful of him, so they have to justify themselves to him; like when Catherine is trying to pleasantly present her side of the argument with out upsetting Eddie and still being able to get him on side to her. The audience has a clear feel of how much tension there is when his family are consulting him because of his control over the family.
Eddie is also the sole provider for his family, so when he is told that Catherine has been offered a job placement, he shows a negative attitude. Eddie has paid for Catherine’s typing lessons hoping for her to have a better and wealthier future, so the reality that she sis turning into a women is hard for him to come to terms with:” I guess I jus never figured…………that you would ever grow up……….”.Eddie feels he will no longer be the only provider for his family, so therefore his manly roles are decreasing.
It is also apparent that Eddie is in love Catherine, the signs are very clear, however Catherine does not have the same feelings for him. She is in love with Rodolpho. So Eddie becomes jealous of Rodolpho’s talents and stunning looks the things that Rodolpho classes as being a man-taking care his appearance, reaching for his goals, achieving his ambitions and helping out the family by doing chores-washing, cooking, singing and sewing. Eddie says “he a cook too (looking at Rodolpho) he sings he cooks……its wonderful……he could make dresses…….wonderful”. Eddie is jealous of Rodolpho’s skill that is why he keeps repeating them, and so implies that Rodolpho is a homosexual to hurt his feeling and try and put him down. Also to ridicule him in front of Catherine.
The playwright has made Eddie and Rodolpho’s notions if being a man clash, as Eddie views Rodolpho’s notions as not being manly and masculine, but as being feminine.
Eddie is distraught when Catherine tells him she likes Rodolpho. Eddie says” you like him Katie?” and Catherine replies,” yeah I like him”. We can tell this by Eddie’s response and the stage directions tell us “he looks at Catherine like a lost boy”. Eddies manliness is shown again with hi protectiveness over his niece, Catherine. He becomes very possessive and tries everything to prevent Catherine from marrying Rodolpho. He believes that Rodolpho Is not manly enough to have her hand in marriage, and protect her.
The protectiveness and obsessive behaviour, which he has towards Catherine causes his death via manliness and the battle over who is the better man-him or Marco for Marco and him both share the same notions of manliness. Marco is disgraced at Eddie for trying to hurt his younger brother and stopping Marco from having the chance to provide for his family. We get a sense of Marco’s anger by the names he uses and the emphasis he uses when he says them, for example,”a-nima-a-a-al!”
Arthur Miller has explored the theme of manliness quite a lot in the play, in many forms. He has covered masculinity, pride and protectiveness, not to mention control, all based around the joining of Italian and American family members. He has added conflict and love to accompany the theme of manliness, resulting in corruption and death.
By Condicia West 10