'A View from the Bridge' - How does Arthur Miller show the strains on the Carbone household in the scene where the audience first meets Eddie, Catherine and Beatrice.

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Alomgir Karim 11M        Page         07/05/2007

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A View from the Bridge

How does Arthur Miller show the strains on the Carbone household in the scene where the audience first meets Eddie, Catherine and Beatrice.

‘A View from the Bridge’ is a story of Eddie Carbone an Italian longshoreman working on the New York docks. He is an immigrant who has worked hard to bring up his wife’s niece, Catherine. His wife, Beatrice, is close to Eddie but the relationship between them is not good as they have been through a bad patch and have not had sex for some time. Eddie is too close to Catherine and is over protective about her. He loves her like she were his girlfriend and he does not like any men, getting involved or looking at her. However, things are about to change when his wife’s cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, seek refuge as illegal immigrants from Sicily. It is the Sicilian code of honour that they should be protected. Eddie agrees to shelter them but little does he know that Catherine would fall in love with Rodolpho. Eddie is blinded with insane and jealousy. In the end he commits an unforgivable crime to get rid of Rodolpho, even though the consequences were that he will be a hated outcast from his community. Eddie informs on Marco and Rodolpho to the authorities. Marco and Rodolpho are arrested but when Marco gets out on bail he murders Eddie.

In the scene where we meet Eddie, Catherine and Beatrice:

Eddie and one of his workmates, Louis, have just finished their job and are going home. As Eddie goes home he sees Catherine waving to Louis. Catherine greets Eddie and shows him her new skirt. Catherine sits Eddie down and waits for Beatrice (in the Kitchen) to come so that she can say her news. Eddie compliments Catherine on how nice her skirt looks but also complains. Eddie tells Catherine that Beatrice’s cousins have landed. Catherine shouts and tells Beatrice that her cousins have arrived. Immediately, Beatrice enters the sitting room with her hand clasped at her breast. Beatrice sits down weak from tension. Beatrice asks Eddie if they will be all right. Eddie explains to Beatrice that they will be fine. Suddenly Beatrice panics since she was not expecting Marco and Rodolpho till next Thursday and was intending to clean the house. Beatrice all of a sudden realises that she had not prepared food for Marco and Rodolpho. Eddie calms Beatrice down and says that she has such a heart that he will end up on the floor for the night. Catherine reminds Beatrice that she has to say her news to Eddie. Beatrice sits Eddie down for dinner then tells him that Catherine has got a job as a secretary at a big plumbing company over Nostrand Avenue. Eddie disapproves; he says that Catherine has to finish school first and that he does not like the neighbourhood over there. Beatrice explains to Eddie that there’s no problem and convinces him to allow Catherine to work. They all sit together and begin to eat. Catherine confirms that Marco and Rodolpho will arrive at ten o’ clock. She then asks Eddie that, suppose someone knew Marco and Rodolpho were living in their house. Eddie explains to Catherine and Beatrice that they should never tell anyone that Marco and Rodolpho were staying in their house even if they saw them. Eddie then tells Catherine about a boy called Vinny Bolzano and an event, which took place when Catherine was still a baby. A family had an uncle they were hiding in the house but his nephew, Vinny, informed the authorities. The family battered Vinny and threw him into the streets and spat on him and he was never seen since then on.

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Afterwards Eddie explains how Marco and Rodolpho will get a job here eventually and eventually have their own home. He then looks at Beatrice and Catherine and smiles at both of them. Eddie feels his shirt pocket for a cigar but moans aloud that he left it in his coat pocket. Catherine insists to get the cigar and goes upstairs to get it. Eddie looks at Beatrice and asks if she was mad with him lately. Beatrice in anger says that he’s the one who’s mad and walks into the kitchen to do the dishes.

Catherine comes in and lights ...

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