I will be focusing on part two of the play when E has already phoned the immigration bureau and M becomes accustomed to this.
The three characters present in the following scene are E, C and R. E is about 40 years of age, and of stocky build. Due to his physical work as a longshoreman he is strong and manly. He displays his primitive, male dominance over C and R, much like a lion. C is 17, pretty, innocent with a sparky character. In this scene C revokes from E. this important part of the play is to be remembered because by the end of this scene C has turned against E. She has feminine charms about her E knows only too well, and he knows that C and R are very close. R is also young with a pleasant, gentlemanly charm about him. He is blonde and good-looking, one of the reasons that C is attracted to him. He has the ability to come to compromise and settle for half.
This scene is of great importance. It reveals things about the characters. E still easily influences C, due to him being a father figure to her. E using C’s naivety as a weapon tries to plant ideas in her head about R only marrying her so that he can legally live in the U.S. this does not help as she is not sure of R’s true intentions as it is. She still genuinely loves both E and R, but she is gradually put into a position in which she must decide between the two mainly due to E’s stubborn nature.
When E tells R to go C cries and pleads for E to be rational. Desperate to get them to see eye to eye she persists, but to no avail. E forces the decision on her. She will leave R. she agrees having no choice.
R’s love for C is genuine. He displays perception in this scene. “ This is your question or his question?” The question was on her mind but E just clarified it as being true (seeing as she still sees E as a father-type role model). R is only in the U.S for a job. He loves his home country.
R also displays courage in this scene. Knowing full well that E is much stronger than him he raises his head, regardless, and stands up to him.
In this scene it becomes apparent that E may not have just fatherly feelings for C. Kiss intended as a sexual kiss. R irate at watching this tries to get E off. E then kisses R to humiliate him and confirm his previous assumption: “ The guy ain’t right.” Implying that apparently he’s gay, because of his “feminine” nature. It is unclear whether E genuinely believes this or is just using it as a bullet in his gun of “ why u shouldn’t be getting married to R.”
Many points of tension are explored and exposed in this scene and, the reader discovers who feels what and about whom.
It is obvious that C still loves E She explains to R that she would be ashamed if she were to make R sad. In contrast though, she is dismayed over his aggression towards R. R loves C very much but has been insulted, humiliated and threatened by E. He believes that C, is being overprotected by E and that he should back away and let them decide whether or not to get married. He persists in persuading C to defy E. He knows that attacking E is pointless because firstly, He will overpower R and secondly, R will lose his side with C, but somehow must be punished for humiliating R and for his disrespectful treatment to C.
The point at which E kisses R is very animated in this part of the play: “ Rodolpho flies at him in attack. Eddie pins his arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him… She tears at Eddie’s face and Eddie releases Rudolpho. Eddie stands there with tears rolling down his face as he laughs mockingly at Rudolpho. She is staring at him in horror. Rudolpho is rigid. They are like animals that have torn at one another and broken up without a decision, each waiting for the other’s mood.” This is in conjunction with humiliation of R. I think this was such an animated part of the play to emphasise reasons for the final climax at the end of the play.
Previously he kisses C in a sexually charged manner. This is perhaps the part of which it is confirmed that E feels more than fatherly love for C. this disgusts R: “ He reaches out suddenly, draws her to him, and as she strives to free herself he kisses her on the mouth.”
Rodolpho: don’t (he pulls on Eddie’s arm.) Stop that! Have respect for her. This is just as dramatic as the following kiss with R.
This scene is in much greater detail than the previous parts of the play. There are a number of ways that the writer emphasises the tensions between persons in different situations. He does this by going in to detail about the stage directions. He really describes what is going on while they are saying important parts. He also really emphasises what they say so that things become more and more tense until the climax when there is an explosion of emotion.
Throughout the play tension rises and rises very much like a volcano. Occasionally there are small vents in which the magma escapes in a small explosion of feelings that are clearly pointed out. But these explosions spare an insignificance compared to the concluding eruption. Lots of things lead to this. It starts with a problem between R and E. this is brought on by E. He feels that R is not suitable with C. At first R and C are only dating. E slowly begins to fizzle. But this kind of pressure can be handled. He makes fun of R to C and B behind his back. “Right on the deck, all of a sudden, a whole song comes out of his mouth- with motions. You know what they’re callin him now? Paper doll they’re callin him, Canary. He’s like a weird. He comes out on the pier, one-two-three, it’s a regular free show.” “ And with that wacky hair; he’s like a chorus girl or sump’m.”
When he finds out that C likes him he’s objecting but allows it until he finds that they plan to marry.
This also causes tension between him and C. He complains that R has no respect for C or E. “Eddie: he don’t respect you.”
“He knows I mind, but it don’t bother him if I mind, don’t you see that?”
C tries to persuade him that he is a nice person but sadly fails.
Eventually, as the play goes on, E becomes more and more against the marriage. In spite of that, they stand up to E, and still plan to marry. In between this there are a couple of tense moments: namely the part at which E kisses both R and C. Eventually E becomes so desperate to separate the two that he phones the immigration board, tells them of their whereabouts, and they are taken away. Not only was this act selfish, but he also broke a rule in which Italians do not take too kindly: turning one of their own in. He acts innocent as if he didn’t know anything about them coming, but his wife B, along with M, both know what he has done. “Marco suddenly breaks free from the group and dashes into the room and faces Eddie; Beatrice and first officer rush in as Marco spits into Eddie’s face.” “That one! He killed my children! That one stole food from my children!”
This enrages E even further… “ He’s gonna take that back. He’s gonna take that back or I’ll kill him! You hear me? I’ll kill him! I’ll kill him!”
They are separated from each other when M and R are taken away. Unfortunately they are both released until the hearing, and M is extremely offended by what E has done throughout to the two. This is where the final eruption takes place. He summons Eddie. “(Calling near the door outside) Eddie Carbone!” E will not stop unless M apologises. But likewise, M will not unless E apologises. “Maybe he come to apologise to me. Heh, Marco? For what you said about me in front of the neighbourhood? (He is incensing himself and little bits of laughter even escape him as his eyes are murderous and he cracks his knuckles in his hands with a strange sort of relaxation.) He knows that ain’t right. To do like that? To a man? Which I put my roof over their head and food in their mouth? Like in the bible? Strangers I never seen in my whole life? Strangers I never seen in my life? To come out of the water and grab a girl for a passport? To go and take from your own family like the stable- and never a word to me? And now accusations in the bargain! (Directly to Marco) Wipin’ the neighbourhood with my name like a dirty rag! I want my name, Marco. (He is moving now, carefully, towards Marco.) Now gimme my name and we go together to the wedding.”
Now had E not carried on to say what a liar M was then perhaps it would have been left at that, but he just had to say it. There’s a tussle, with M striking E on the neck. It knocks him to the floor. “Marco: Animal! You go on your knees to me!
Eddie pulls out a knife. E tries once more for an apology. M does not oblige. E dives towards M, knife at the ready, only for M to grab his arm, point it in the opposite direction, and slowly sink it into E’s chest.
All this over words? And for what? No good came from the incident. E is dead and M faces a bleak future. This all because they were both too stubborn, (especially E) to back down.
In future, if ever you’re in a situation like the above, for Christ’s sake, walk away…. Settle for half.
