Jemini Patel 10JY
Mr Slater (SL)
A View from the Bridge
By Arthur Miller
In this essay I am going to be discussing the quote ‘the guy ain’t right’.
I am also going to be continuously referring to the play. I will also consider why Eddie is who he is in the play. I will also say what Eddies stereotype of men are. In addition try to find out why most of the Italian community went to America and how they found life in America. I will begin the play briefly reminiscing about the play.
Although Eddie is not Catherine's father, he is a very strong father figure to her and the man of the house. The immigrant community is very much a patient society. The father and male is an authority figure. Eddie is very protective of Catherine in both positive and negative ways. Eddie really loves and cares for Catherine, and will do anything to protect and look after her, but his love for her is obsessive and possessive. "You can't take no job. Why didn't you ask me before you take a job?" Eddie does not want to let Catherine have a job. As Catherine's father figure, Eddie feels he should choose her husband, as that was done in Italy, but Eddie cannot let go of Catherine. Beatrice suggests that he would not approve of any young man for her. Eddie rules the house and expects that what he says goes; his wife and daughter figure should be obedient which the Italian system was
Marco and Rodolfo arrive; they are in America because they are so poor and desperately need work. Marco is doing it for his family, his wife and children; Rodolfo however wants to make a new and better life for himself in America. It is because of their illegal status, fear of being caught, and their poverty that they need Eddie’s hospitality, and they need to put their trust in him. Eddie's attitude is that it is 'an honour´ to help them out and lend them a place to sleep. It is also what is expected of him, because they are family, and in the Italian culture the family is what is most important.
Eddie starts picking on Rodolfo from the first night. He is jealous of Catherine’s attraction to Rodolfo, and this is taking her attention away from himself. Eddie uses Rodolfo’s illegal status against him and uses his authority over him. He makes Rodolfo stop singing under the pretence that the singing is drawing attention to him and he may get discovered and picked up, to mask his feelings of jealousy and dislike towards him. Eddie’s hatred for Rodolfo grows and he is acting on his emotions when he tells Catherine, after they have come back from the cinema that Rodolfo is only using her to get his papers so he can stay in America. "Katie, he´s only bowin´ to his passport." Catherine reacts badly to this and the tension between everyone in the flat grows.
It is because of Marco and Rodolfo’s illegal status and their dependence on Eddie for his hospitality that they are unable to stand up for themselves and react normally to the situation and are trapped in the flat with nowhere else to go. Marco is aware of Eddie’s anger towards Rodolfo and as his older protective brother feels it is his duty to defend Rodolfo, especially after Eddie uses the reason of a friendly boxing match to lay a punch on Rodolfo. Marco, because of the situation is unable to speak out, but uses a very effective way of tacitly challenging Eddie and establishes his higher strength. He issued Eddie with what seemed a friendly challenge, as Eddie did with Rodolfo, to lifting a chair one handed by one leg, which takes huge strength although this is not immediately obvious. There are some differences between Eddie and Marco; they are both strong men with similar family and cultural beliefs, set in Italian tradition. Both Eddie and Marco are men of their word, whether they are right or wrong, which is destined to cause trouble. The flat is now like a pressure cooker and it is just a matter of time before the situation explodes. Through all this Beatrice is the voice of reason and offers Eddie support and try to diffuse the situation and prevent the inevitable, however because of the background and ladder within the family, Eddie asserts his masculine authority and Beatrice has to do her duty to obey her husband.
The explosion comes when Eddie comes home drunk and finds Catherine and Rodolfo alone after having been in the bedroom together. He is so desperate; he is acting on his emotions and not thinking reasonably about what he is doing, when he kisses Catherine to claim her as his, and kisses Rodolfo to prove he is 'not right´. In his anxiety he betrays them to the immigration office. In doing this he has also betrayed a neighbor’s cousins as well as Marco who is trying to make money to save his family. Not only has he betrayed his family he has betrayed himself and his word of honour, which means so much in the Italian culture, and to Eddie himself.
Eddie’s own words were," You can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word you gave away." Eddie has betrayed his own beliefs, and lost the respect of the whole community and his honour. The community has turned against Eddie, who ignored Alferi words of warning,
"You won’t have a friend in the world, Eddie! Even those who understand will turn against you,"
Marco publicly denounces Eddie as a murderer, because Eddie has denied him the possibility to work in America to provide for his starving family’s desperate needs. It is Marco that is his enemy now, not Rodolfo, because Marco has taken Eddie’s name and honour. It is Marco’s belief that he has the right to take revenge and it is his duty to do so for the sake of his family. He cannot see why according to American law Eddie goes unpunished, "In my country he would be dead now." In Italy the law was not all in a book and justice was more to do with feelings and emotions. Eddie is going to be ruthless opposition when he demands 'his name´ back. The two men have basically the same beliefs and values, and after this head-on argument. Death is inescapable; because both men believe they are in the right and have gone too far to be able to give any ground or compromise. It is all or nothing.
Although Beatrice is horrified by Eddie’s actions, she is loyal and turns to him instead of away from. This is because of her love for him as well as the Catholic marriage and the belief that it is a life long commitment. Although she is forced to come out with the truth in the end Eddie wants Catherine and not his name. Rodolfo also tries to avoid disaster; he symbolizes the younger generation. He is more American in thinking and looking for a new life.
Eddie realizes when it is too late and he is dying, that Beatrice loves him and he loves Beatrice. He realizes that it was impossible to keep Catherine as he has tried and it is inevitable that one day he would have to let go. In the end it is because he is not able to 'settle for half´ and solve a situation by giving a bit as well as taking. The tragedy is inevitable, but is strengthened by the Italian culture.
