Eddie informs the family (p.18) that Beatrice’s two cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, from Italy would arrive later that night. Beatrice frets that she hasn’t done all the preparation. Catherine asks Eddie (p. 18) if she can take the job she has been offered. Although Eddie was pessimistic, with Beatrice and Catherine against him, he had no choice but to relent. The audience sees here that Eddie is very protective of Catherine when he tells her to “don’t trust nobody”.
After that, the conversation steered towards Marco and Rodolpho. Eddie warns Catherine to be very careful and to reinforce his point he told the story of Vinny Bolzano, a boy who had snitched on his own uncle. He tells Catherine never to do that which is ironic because it is Eddie who done the snitching in this story. As the audience watches the family they would never believe that Eddie would do something to break up the happy family.
When the brothers, Marco and Rodolpho arrive, they were greeted warmly into the house. Marco was dark, powerfully built and made it clear that he would go back to his family as soon as the money started coming in. Rodolpho was blond, slender, and graceful and, unlike his brother, he wants to stay in America. The audience would have an immediate liking for lively Rodolpho and they will think of Marco as an honest man as his thoughts are always of his family.
Catherine enjoys Rodolpho’s singing (p. 32) of ‘Paper Doll’. It is obvious she is already attracted to him. Eddie on the other hand is weary of Rodolpho as his face is ‘puffed with trouble’ because he can already see that Catherine is already slipping away from him.
A couple of weeks later, Catherine and Rodolpho go out to the cinema while Eddie and Beatrice wait at home for them. Eddie’s disapproving about Rodolpho and his singing. Beatrice approves of Rodolpho and wants him to marry Catherine. There is tension as they argue. Beatrice asks Eddie (p. 36) “when am I gonna be a wife again” but Eddie refuses to talk about it. This shows the audience that worrying about Catherine is more important than his love for Beatrice. This also shows the audience that Eddie and Beatrice had not made love for a long time.
When Catherine and Rodolpho return (p. 39), Eddie asks to talk to Catherine alone. Catherine says she likes Rodolpho but Eddie claims he’s just using her because she has a passport. The audience can see Catherine trusts Rodolpho and Eddie so she is confused and upset. Her emotional comments of “you’re gonna make me cry” and “don’t break my heart” makes the audience side with her and begin to dislike Eddie.
Eddie leaves Catherine with Beatrice (p. 42). Catherine admits that she wants to marry Rodolpho but she doesn’t want to upset Eddie. The audience can see that Catherine is willing to please everyone and is indecisive. Beatrice tells Catherine to act more mature so that Eddie can see she is growing up. The audience are not sure whether Beatrice is saying this because she is jealous of Catherine and wants her to move away or she just believes Catherine and Rodolpho are right for each other.
Meanwhile Eddie goes to see Alfieri, the lawyer (p. 45). Alfieri informs the audience his connection with Eddie. Eddie tells Alfieri that Rodolpho only wants to marry Catherine because of her passport and claims he is a homosexual as he makes dresses and likes to cook. Alfieri hints that perhaps Eddie loves Catherine too much and if Catherine wants to get married he should let her so Eddie leaves downhearted.
The tension escalates when Eddie goes back home. Eddie is disrespectful as he hints to Marco that the women in Italy have affairs when their husbands leave for a little while. Eddie tells Rodolpho that he should have respect for ladies. Catherine become angry and asks Rodolpho to dance to ‘Paper Doll’. Eddie find out Rodolpho can cook, dance and make dresses. He makes a little speech which is dramatic and sarcastic. He pretends that he is happy that Rodolpho has so many talents and claims “the waterfront is no place for him”.
Eddie suddenly begins to be nice to Rodolpho wanting to treat him to watch boxing. This causes the audiences suspicions to rise. Eddie then humiliates Rodolpho is a boxing ‘lesson’. Marco who was watching what happened shows Eddie that he cannot hurt Rodolpho without getting hurt himself. The chair “raised like a weapon” over Eddie’s head shows the audience Marco’s strength. This is the end of the first act.
It is near Christmas. Alfieri introduces the second act. Catherine and Rodolpho are left in the house alone (p. 59). Rodolpho teaches Catherine to dance. They discuss their relationship and where they would live when they got married. Catherine would like to go to Italy where she believes it will be romantic and beautiful but Rodolpho likes America as there is more opportunity. Rodolpho claims that he is not marrying Catherine because of her passport but because he loves her. He takes her to the bedroom.
Alfieri’s earlier comment about “a case of Scotch whisky slipped from a net while being unloaded” hinted to the audience that Eddie would come home drunk. Eddie finds out (p. 63) Rodolpho was in the bedroom with Catherine and orders him to leave the house. Catherine insists that she will leave with Rodolpho but the audience can see this is difficult for her as “her sobs of pity and love for him break her composure”. The audience are becoming to like the couple and Eddie seems to be the bad guy.
Catherine’s obstinate attitude proves to be too much for drunk Eddie (p.64) who, loses control, grabs Catherine and kisses her. When Rodolpho protests Eddie kisses him too. The audience are shocked by the kisses and believe Eddie done this because he wants to prove to Catherine that Rodolpho is gay and lacks manliness. Catherine is as disgusted as the audience is by Eddie’s actions. Eddie is happy he has beaten Rodolpho but his victory does not mean much as he has lost his respect.
A couple of days later, Eddie goes to see Alfieri (p.65) who tells Eddie to bless Catherine. Alfieri comment of “I will never forget how dark the room became when he looked at me” shows the audience how scary Eddie looked at the time and that he was willing to go to any lengths to ensure that Catherine would not be with Rodolpho. Alfieri knew Eddie was going to call the authorities and although Alfieri kept warning Eddie “You wont have a friend in the world” and “Even those who understand will turn against you, even the ones who feel the same will despise you!”, Eddie ignored him.
At this stage (p. 67), the stage directions show that a phone is glowing. The audience know Eddie will call the Immigration Bureau yet they are all hoping he will not. When Eddie does make the call the audience will be feeling immense disappointment. It would seem as though all hope is lost and Eddie will get his own way once again.
Eddie goes home, finds out that the brothers have moved and gets into a heated argument with Beatrice about their relationship. Much to Eddie’s horror, Beatrice informs him that Catherine is getting married the following week. Catherine comes down and Eddie tries to persuade her to see other guys but Catherine is adamant to stay with Rodolpho. The audience can see how much Catherine has matured as she does not follow what Eddie says; she has clearly made up her mind and won’t be changing it. This is also upsetting for the audience as they know that Eddie is the least of her problems as the immigration authorities are involved.
Eddie finds out that Marco and Rodolpho are boarding with two other immigrants and goes crazy demanding that the men move out. The audience can see that Eddie did not want the responsibility of betraying another family on his conscience. He was already regretting the call he made earlier. The immigration bureau arrives and Catherine and Beatrice realise with horror that Eddie betrayed them.
Catherine’s attempts to get the immigrants out failed and they were all found. Marco spat in Eddie’s face and shouted “That one! I accuse that one!” while pointing at Eddie, causing Eddie to lose his respect and Eddie vowed he would make Marco pay. Everybody in the neighbourhood believes Marco despite Eddie’s comments and one by one they all go, leaving Eddie alone.
After a lot of dispute, Marco gives Afrieri his word he won’t kill Eddie so he and Rodolpho are released on bail. This is so Rodolpho can get married and still live in America and Marco can work for five or six weeks before being deported back to Italy.
On the day of the wedding Beatrice’s loyalty is divided between Catherine and Eddie. She sensed that she and Eddie are drifting apart. Although Beatrice very much wants to go to the wedding, she doesn’t as she feels Eddie has been deserted by everybody else and she should stand by him. This tells the audience that although Beatrice knows Eddie was in the wrong she was still willing to stand by him.
Catherine is angered and upset by this and calls Eddie “a rat” who bites and poisons and belongs in the garbage, but she is crying as she says this. Rodolpho comes to collect Catherine and warns Eddie that Marco is coming. Rodolpho tries to apologise for his brother but Eddie ignores him.
At the beginning Eddie had a dislike for Rodolpho as Catherine liked him but after Marco spat in his face and said “I accuse that one”, Eddie forgets Rodolpho and goes after Marco. Eddie refers to Rodolpho as third person. “He didn’t take my name; he’s only a punk. Marco’s got my name”. He realises he can’t have Catherine as a lover but he still wants to get his name.
Marco arrives, calls Eddie an animal and strikes him. At this point the tension in the audience has reached its peak. The main question is what Eddie will do next. Eddie’s angered and takes out a knife. This may shock the audience as they did not believe Eddie would stoop so low. He asks one last time for Marco to give his name back but Marco refuses causing Eddie to lunge at him. The stage directions tell us “Marco grabs his arm, turning the blade inward” hitting Eddie's heart.
Marco was an honourable man and was going to keep his promise to Alfieri but when Eddie pulled out the knife, Marco could act as he wanted for his actions would be counted as self defence. Catherine was angry with Eddie earlier but as she watched Eddie, the man who had loved and raised her, die she claims “I never meant to do nothing bad to you”.
Alfieri comes to address the audience. His last speech is to try and explain to the audience why Eddie acted in that way. Alfieri believed Eddie’s death was useless but he admired Eddie because he did not “settle for half”, “he allowed himself to be wholly known”. The play ends leaving the audience shocked and very emotional as many of them would never have expected the end.
The structure in the play is simple. There are two acts. In the first act Eddie tries to stop Catherine falling in love with Rodolpho and in the second act he realises he has failed to do this and first throws Rodolpho out of the house, tries to deport him as an illegal immigrant and has his final confrontation with Marco, resulting in Eddie’s death.
Eddie Carbone is degraded from a respectable man to a shameful animal because of his dislike of Rodolpho which leads him to telling the Immigration Bureau about Rodolpho and Marco. The audience understand that it is only his difficulty to ‘let go’ of his niece that he loved and raised as a daughter that motivated him to some of his actions. Because of this the audience might sympathise with him.
