When Alfieri introduces the play, his wife explains that he his is unlucky to be living in such a poor area. Also, he explains that the area is connected with disasters and violence.
‘In this neighborhood to meet a lawyer or a priest on the street is unlucky. We’re only thought of in connections with disasters, and they’d rather not get too close.’
Alfieri mentions people such as Al Capone who grew up on the Brooklyn Streets, and a man named Frankie Yale who was gunned down.
‘Al Capone, the greatest Carthaginian of all, was learning his trade on these pavements, and Frankie Yale himself was cut precisely in half by a machine gun.’
Alfieri continues to stress the point that Brooklyn is a very poor and violent area to live in. The community would tend to turn Alfieri for help because he was the smartest man in that particular area and he had one of the best jobs. The official American law about illegal immigration is that they can’t allow fewer people into the country, but people are so desperate because of the state of their country, that they have to sneak in like Marco and Rodolfo to build a future and make a living. In the community, law about not allowing people into the country is disobeyed because they have respect. When Marco and Rodolfo turned up to Eddie’s house, nobody said anything apart from congratulating Eddie saying that he’s got a lot of credit coming to him. Marco and Rodolfo have come to America for different reasons. Marco has come to America because his wife and children are in need of food and money. So Marco has come to America to get a job and make money for his wife. When he first meets Eddie, he explains to him that his wife has to feed the kids from her own mouth.
‘My wife she feeds them from her own mouth.’
Rodolfo has just followed his brother to America because he wants be an American.
‘I want to be an American.’
Rodolfo has come to America with no money. Although he claims, he has a nice face but no money to get married.
‘I have no money to get married. I have a nice face but no money.’
Rodolfo dramatizes the idea of ‘The American Dream’ by wanting to be an American. When he first reaches America, he emphasizes that to become rich, go back to Italy, and buy a motorcycle.
‘I want to be an American. And then I want to go back to Italy when I am rich, and I will buy a motorcycle.’
In the play, most characters are not educated. The one character in the play that is educated is Alfieri who is the lawyer. Other characters such as Eddie, Marco and Rodolfo are all dockworkers, and Beatrice is the housewife.
Eddies relationship towards Catherine changes throughout the play. At the beginning when Catherine mentions that she has got a job, he reacts negatively towards her. He jumps to the conclusion that Catherine has to finish school first before she can get a job.
‘She’s got a job?’
‘What job? She’s gonna finish school.’
After Catherine explains to Eddie what the job is about, and how she was given it, Eddie was till trying his best to persuade her not to go. I think that at this stage of the play Eddie is just being protective towards Catherine, because he made a promise to her parents saying that he would look after her. After Beatrice persuades Eddie, he finally lets her have the job, he is happy for her but is sad that he has to let her go.
‘(Smiling but hurt.)’
Eddie also mentions to Catherine that she is like a Madonna, which was the Virgin Mary.
‘With your hair that way you look like a Madonna, you know that?’
I don’t think the relationship between Eddie and Catherine is the typical relationship of an uncle and niece. Firstly, Eddie is being slightly protective towards Catherine. He is just worried about the neighborhood she is goin to where she works, and then he starts saying that she can’t get a job because she has to finish school.
‘I don’t like the neighborhood over there.’
‘What job? She’s gonna finish school.’
Secondly, when Marco and Rodolfo turned up at the house it was like love at first sight for Rodolfo and Catherine. And I think that this is the turning point in Catherine and Eddie’s relationship. Eddie embarrasses Catherine in front of everyone asking her why she is wearing high heels.
‘What’s the high heels for, Garbo?’
In the stage directions, it shows that Catherine was embarrassed and angry with Eddie.
‘(EMBARRASSED now, angered, Catherine goes out into the bedroom.)’
The living arrangement in the Carbone’s affects the relationship between Eddie and Catherine, because it adds pressure to the situation about Catherine and her job. And because Marco and Rodolfo turn up it increases Eddie’s hatred towards Rodolfo, because it is like love at first sight for him and Catherine. Also Eddie doesn’t want to let her go. When Catherine asked Rodolfo if he liked sugar he responded by saying he liked sugar very much in a loving way.
‘You like sugar?’
‘Sugar? Yes! I like sugar very much!’
The stage directions show that Eddie’s face is full of anger towards Rodolfo.
‘(EDDIE is downstage, watching as she pours a spoonful of sugar into his cup, his face puffed with trouble, and the room dies.)’
Catherine starts to try and assert her independence after Beatrice speaks to her. This is the stage when Eddie made up an excuse about Rodolfo using Catherine to get his papers. Catherine ran into the house crying, and this is when Beatrice told her to assert her independence.
‘It means you gotta be your own self more. You still think you’re a little girl honey.’
I think that Catherine finally begins to assert her independence towards the end of the play when Eddie tells Beatrice that if she leaves the house she is not coming back. Catherine tells Eddie that he is a rat and that he bites people when they are down.
‘What’re you scared of? He’s a rat! He belongs in the sewer.’
Earlier in the play Beatrice was the person that told Catherine she needs to assert her independence, and when Catherine finally does Beatrice tells her to be quiet.
‘Don’t you call him that.’
When Catherine tells Eddie that he belongs in the sewer, he is absolutely angry. The stage directions show that he was going to pick up the table.
‘(EDDIE seems about to pick up the table and fling it at her.)’
Characters such as Beatrice and Alfieri are trying throughout the play to try and persuade Eddie to let Catherine go, but he won’t listen. He is always making up excuses one being there is something wrong with Rodolfo.
‘The guy ain’t right, B!’
I think that Eddie becomes jealous of Rodolfo and Catherine when Catherine asks Rodolfo to dance. Eddie becomes frustrated. He then begins to say that the waterfront is no place for Rodolfo and that he should work in a dress store. Whilst Eddie is speaking to everyone, the stage directions show that he is twisting a newspaper into a tight roll.
‘(He has been unconsciously twisting the newspaper into a tight roll.)’
Beatrice and everyone else become more suspicious of Eddie.
‘(They are all regarding him now.)’
I think that when Eddie kisses Catherine and Rodolfo, it is considered a taboo because it is not supposed to do that.
‘(He reaches out suddenly, draws her to him, and as she strives to free herself he kisses her on the mouth.)’
‘(Rodolfo flies at him in attack. Eddie pins his arms laughing and suddenly kisses him.)’
In the play each character knows what is happening but they don’ say anything. The only character to bring up what is going on towards the end of the play is Beatrice. She tells Eddie that the only thing he wants he can’t have, she is referring to Catherine.
‘You want somethin’ else, Eddie, and you can never have her!’
When Beatrice says this to Eddie he is absolutely angry, he can’t believe that she is saying this.
‘(Shocked, horrified, his fists clenching.)’
If these subjects were discussed in the open, I don’t think that it will be any different than discussing it secretly. The reason for this is simply because Eddie doesn’t want to let Catherine go.
In my opinion, the turning point in which Catherine turns her allegiances from Eddie to Rodolfo is when Eddie kisses Rodolfo. This moment all started when Eddie came in the house drunk and then Catherine came out of the bedroom and Rodolfo shortly after. When Eddie realized what they were doing, he was absolutely angry. He told Rodolfo to pack his bags and go. Catherine says that she is going with him but Eddie tells her that she isn’t. He sits down and tears begin to form in his eyes.
‘I think I have to get out of here.’
‘No, you aint goin’ nowheres, he’s the one.’
This is when Catherine begins to feel sorry for Eddie.
‘(She sees tears in his eyes)’
I think that this is the final straw for Catherine and Eddie because she really likes Rodolfo and Eddie continues to make up excuses about him. I wouldn’t say that at this stage of the play Catherine and Eddie’s relationship is completely destroyed because deep down Catherine still has feelings for Eddie.
‘It’s only that I – He was good to me, Rodolfo. You don’t know him, he was always the sweetest guy to me.’
I think that Eddie behaves as he does because he doesn’t want to lose Catherine so he is giving every excuse to not let her go. Eddie is not in control of his emotions for the simple reason towards the end of the play he wouldn’t settle the feud between him and Marco because he believes Marco has his name.
‘Marco’s got my name.’
Also, when Beatrice tells him that the one thing he wants he can’t have, he is totally shocked that she said that. I believe that deep down Eddie knows that the only thing he wants is Catherine. I think that Eddie is in control of his actions because he is the one towards the end of the play that took out a knife ready to kill Marco. The stage directions also show this.
‘(EDDIE lunges with the knife.)’
However, there are some stages where he is not in control of his actions one being when he phoned the immigration officers to get rid of Marco and Rodolfo.
‘I want to report something. Illegal immigrants.’
Eddie phoned the immigration bureau shortly after he had just finished talking with Alfieri. When they are talking, Eddie doesn’t like the fact that there is nothing he can do about Rodolfo marrying Catherine.
‘Morally and legally you have no rights. You cannot stop it, she is a free agent.’
The stage directions show that Eddie is becoming angry.
‘(Angering.)’
Eddie’s action affects the community law because he phoned the immigration bureau. The community considers having illegal immigrants as a sign of respect. But Eddie has turned his back on everyone in the community because he phones the immigration bureau and tries to get rid of Marco and Rodolfo. When Marco realizes what Eddie has done, the stage directions show that he spits in his face.
‘(MARCO spits into EDDIE’S face.)’
Towards the end of the play, the characters begin to take sides. Catherine is on the side of Marco and Rodolfo because she is getting married with Rodolfo. Beatrice is on the side of Eddie because she still loves him. From the time when Marco and Rodolfo move upstairs, Catherine’s loyalty to Eddie changes to Rodolfo.
‘I mean you be surprised, it don’t have to be him.’
‘No we made it up already.’
‘(With increasing anxiety) Katie, wait a minute.’
‘No, I made up my mind.’
Personally, I think everybody is affected by Eddie’s actions, but the main people are Marco and Beatrice. Marco is affected because he can’t stand to see his brother being criticized by Eddie. Beatrice is affected because she loves Eddie and she wants the best for everyone.
‘Listen to me, I love you.’
At the end of the play the character that has my sympathy is Marco. He now has to go back to Italy. Before he was trying to make money for his wife because his kids had no food. I think that the tragedy could have been avoided if Marco just gave Eddie back his name to make him happy. I think that Alfieri has a view from the bridge. The reason for this is because Alfieri is like the person who gives advice to Eddie. Also, he is like the smartest person out of the whole community looking down on everybody else. In my opinion, Eddie could have stopped himself if he had just let Catherine go but he didn’t want to do that, he wanted Rodolfo to go so that he would have Catherine to himself. I think that Eddie would have wanted to die on the streets than stay alive knowing that Rodolfo and Catherine were getting married.
