A view from the Bridge analysis. Paper Doll Scene (Page 20 line 37 Page 22 line 16) How does Miller make this an important scene?

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'Paper Doll' Scene (Page 20 line 37 - Page 22 line 16)

How does Miller make this an important scene?

The song that Rodolfo sings, 'Paper Doll', plays a key role in this scene and also in the rest of the play. On an obvious level, it draws, attention to Rodolfo, particularly, how feminine he is, which becomes a lot more significant later in the play. The lyrics of the song are also important as they reflect what is actually happening in the play, in particular the line, "it's tough to love a doll that's not your own". Miller could have meant this to mean that Eddie is trying to love Catherine but she belongs to Rodolfo now and also that she was never really his since she is his niece not his daughter. The singing is also significant as it is the first of many things that cause Eddie to hate Rodolfo. Eddie despises the fact that Rodolfo is flirting with Catherine, especially since Rodolfo isn't masculine at all, has a high voice and likes to sing. The final stage direction, 'his [Eddie's] face was puffed with trouble', after watching Rodolfo and Catherine flirting, shows his feelings