“Catherine ~ I’m afraid of Eddie here”
Now she has admitted to herself, not only to Rodolfo that she is afraid of Eddie. She is trying to escape Eddie and her feelings for him because she could picture what would happen if she stayed. It would be an awkward situation with Eddie and Beatrice keeping an eye on what she is doing. 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 patriarchal society, parallel to Italy. 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. Eddie feels he should choose her husband, as was the done thing in Italy, but Eddie cannot let go of Catherine.
Up to the end of page 44 Rodolfo reassures her that they won’t be living in Eddies house for much longer and tells her about his ideas for the future, to stay in New York legally, marry Catherine, have their own house and find a better job. Yet Catherine is still interested if he had to go and live in Italy because they had to, would he? Rodolfo, at this point, is getting quite aggravated by her persistence in wanting to go to the country he desperately left, to escape his problems. After they argue about this for a little, this makes the audience more involved in their fight. It makes the audience want the best for the couple but they can’t solve their differences because they are only watching. Rodolfo is seemingly surprised at Catherine’s determination and is getting angry. Maybe this is a test to see if Rodolfo really does love her. If he does, he would marry her whenever, wherever. Rodolfo tries again to tell her.
“Rodolfo ~ No; I will not marry you to live in Italy. I want you to be my wife, and I want to be a citizen. Tell him that, or I will. Yes. And tell him also, tell him yourself, please, that I am not a beggar, and you are not a horse, a gift, a favour for a poor immigrant.”
I believe this small speech is very suspicious because first of all he says he won’t go to Italy, he will only be her husband if he marries her in America probably because he “wants to be a citizen”. Then he jumps straight to Eddie, who hasn’t been mentioned for a while. It is clear that Eddie lies behind the mood of Catherines’. He wants her to tell Eddie that he is not a beggar, yet Rodolfo doesn’t explain why he can’t do it himself. Even though Catherine is trying to calm Rodolfo as the dispute continues, Rodolfo feels the need to get things off his chest, and Catherine doesn’t make any attempt to defend her suggestion. This is because she knows deep down he is right and is making up an excuse for indicating it to Roldolfo. He speaks again about how bad poor Italy is compared to, the land of hope & glory, America. Now Rodolfo, again, brings up Eddie.
The audience are, at this time, very emotionally involved and might take sides to the characters. They might even relate to this situation making it even more dramatic and effective. When Rodolfo asks why she is afraid for him and her reply is “I don’t know”, it shows that she is unsure of her feelings toward Eddie because Eddie can’t explain his feelings for her.
“Catherine ~ It’s only that I- He was good to me, Rodolfo. You don’t know him; he was always the sweetest guy to me. He razzes me the time but he don’t mean it. I know. I would just feel ashamed if I made him sad. ‘Cause I always dreamt that when I got married he would be happy at the wedding, and laughin’- and now he’s- mad all the time & nasty. Tell him you’d live in Italy- just tell him, and maybe he would start to trust you a little, see? Because I want him to be happy; I mean- like him Rodolfo- and I can’t stand it!”
This confession shows the audience how a usually private Catherine is truly feeling inside. Catherine finally explains to Rodolfo the real situation between her and Eddie and what happened before the cousins came. Catherine really wants the two important men in her life to get along so she tries to explain Eddies' unpredictable character to Rodolfo. Catherine explains about him criticising her all the time because she really wants him to understand. She describes her dreams of her wedding and thinks of a way of gaining Eddies trust. But the idea of moving to Italy has changed, because originally it was meant for her and Rodolfo to have a new life but now it has been replaced as a way of satisfying Eddie. It could show minor feelings for Eddie.
Rodolfo realises how this whole situation is really making Catherine miserable and I think Rodolfo feels really sorry for her so doesn’t challenge her again. He knows she has had enough. Catherine says that she loves Rodolfo, but he then replies with comment, which again, has a hint of humour.
“Rodolfo ~ Then why are you afraid? That he’ll spank you?”
He dismisses her personal confession. This could be put down to him not taking Catherine seriously and might imply that he is using her. I think that Catherine at this point will be (secretly) at breaking point with Rodolfo because he isn’t making any effort to understand her situation. He isn’t taking her thoughts into consideration and is making it out to be some kind of a joke. But maybe it was just a naïve, honest question.
“Catherine ~ You don’t know; nobody knows! I’m not a baby, I know a lot more than people think I know. Beatrice says to be a woman, but-“
With Catherine bringing up the subject of Beatrice it’s obvious that the conversation between Beatrice and Catherine earlier on in the play has been playing on her mind. She must have been thinking about what Beatrice said to her and tried to act on the advice given. It is Beatrice who is quick to 'keep the ball rolling' in a conversation and to help gloss over and neutralise difficulties and reactions in the many conversations. Beatrice is very attentive and she develops as Catherine’s 'mediator' in the play and it is very much as a pacifier how the audience sees her. Now she is absent from this scene Catherine might feel bitter towards her because she is not here to watch her. Maybe this is another sign of Catherines’ insecurity.
Next, I think there is a slight bit of jealousy on Catherine’s part. She starts complaining about Beatrice and her cold nature towards Eddie. I believe that she is trying to change the subject so they don’t have to talk about Eddie anymore. She says she knows Eddie inside out and she doesn’t understand why Beatrice is told her to make a stranger out of him. She “don’t know why I have to do that?” She is showing that she loves Eddie almost as deeply as she loves her. Maybe, again, her acting naïve and it always gets used against her. But she might not be acting on it. Rodolfo tries to explain the situation to her by using a metaphor to help her understand. They stop fighting and decide to go to bed with each other. They both know they can’t fight each other because neither of them can win, they don’t know enough about each other.
Now Eddie is in the apartment and drunk the audience gets a sense that something exciting yet unpredictable may happen. Eddie looks impatiently in the kitchen for Beatrice who is asleep and Catherine enters from a bedroom, the atmosphere must be very tense and quiet in the theatre making the play more realistic.
“Catherine enters from a bedroom; under his gaze she adjusts her dress.”
Eddie feels betrayed as he paid money to her so that she would meet a better class of people and there are subtle hints that he is attracted to her as well. He is justified to feel jealous and spiteful towards Rodolfo when he comes over from Italy and wins Catherines’ heart. He feels betrayed by Catherine that she has suddenly run off and is now living her own life (this also could be attributed to his fear of Catherine growing up, and that she is not his little baby anymore.)
“Rodolfo nods to him testingly.”
Rodolfo appears from the bedroom to give Catherine some support, as he is now aware of Catherine’s feelings towards Eddie. Yet he knows that this will provoke Eddie and make things worse. It was a big gamble and unfortunately for the couple Eddie takes it bad.
“Eddie ~ Pack it up. Go ahead. Get your stuff and get outa here. (Catherine instantly turns and walks toward the bedroom and Eddie grabs her arm.) Where are you goin’?
Catherine ~ (Trembling with fright) I think I have to get out of here Eddie.
Eddie ~ No, you ain’t goin’ nowheres, he’s the one.”
The audience, at this point, will be concerned about the characters welfare because it is being acted in the theatre the relationship between the characters and the audience is intimate if it is acted well. The director will make sure that any gestures are exaggerated so that it doesn’t lose the dramatic effectiveness at the back of the theatre. These gestures should include pointing, a distinct furious attitude and lots of angry signals.
“Catherine ~ I think I can’t stay here no more. (She frees her arm, steps back towards the bedroom.) I’m sorry Eddie. (She sees the tears in his eyes.) Well, don’t cry. I’ll be around the neighbourhood; I’ll see you. I just can’t stay here no more. You know I can’t. (Her sobs off pity and love for him break her composure.) Don’t you know I can’t? You know that don’t you? (She goes to him.) Wish me luck. (She clasps her hands prayerfully.) Oh, Eddie don’t be like that.”
She is trying to tell him she doesn’t want to stay without hurting Eddies and her own feelings. She is very emotionally attached to Eddie and you can see it is hard for her to break away. The accurate stage directions help the actors get this across to the audience without confusion.
Eddie repeats that she isn’t going anywhere. He is very determined that she will not leave his house. Catherine tries to reason with Eddie telling him that she is “not a baby anymore!”
“He reaches out suddenly, draws her to him, and as she strives to free herself, he kisses her on the mouth.”
This is one of the numerous main twists in the play because there could be many reasons why Eddie does this. This will most certainly shock the audience, as it was completely unexpected. One reason why Eddie might have kissed Catherine is because secretly her loves her, but not father/daughter love. He has confused feelings and acted irrationally. Although another reason is because he is very drunk and is controlled by the drink, he doesn’t know what he‘s doing. Rodolfo is furious and perhaps a little shocked. A question that the audience might ask themselves- is this the real Eddie?
“Rodolfo ~ Don’t! Stop that have respect for her!
Eddie ~ (Spun around by Rodolfo) Do you want something?”
Eddie is acting unusually casual about the whole dilemma with him and Catherine, acting like she’s just an unknown girl.
Rodolfo answers his question by shouting that she’ll be his wife. Eddie asks another degrading question to Rodolfo. He is showing Rodolfo who’s the boss and Rodolfo tries to challenge that.
Eddie ignores Catherine, who tries to intervene, and provokes Rodolfo further.
“Eddie ~ Come on, show me! What’re you gonna be? Show me!
Rodolfo ~ (With tears of rage) Don’t say that to me!
Rodolfo flies at him in attack. Eddie pins his arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him.”
This is a further shock to the audience. Perhaps Eddie does this on the ‘spur of the moment’ or did it intentionally, no one can be really sure. I personally think he did it to make a fool out of Rodolfo because that’s what Eddie has been trying to do from as soon as the cousins arrived; make a fool out of them both. The audience has to figure out why Eddie decides to kiss both Rodolfo and Catherine; could be confused about his sexuality? Is he proving a point? Is it the alcohol? Eddie is laughing, which shows it isn’t a serious action. When he kissed Catherine it seems more intense. Catherine is completely bewildered. I think he does this because he is jealous of what they have together, because of this Eddie thinks that Rodolfo is gay. Eddie thinks if he kisses Rodolfo, Catherine might realise that he is gay and leave him. Eddies’ motivation in this scene is mostly based around jealousy. This is evident by him knowing he can not have her so he tries to make sure no one else can.
Eddie is extremely desperate; he is acting on his emotions and not thinking rationally about what he was doing, when he kissed Catherine to claim her as his, and kissed Rodolfo to prove he is ‘not right’. The actors are helped to end this scene by the careful guidance of Arthur Millers’ stage directions, which use an animal metaphor. It must be a powerful ending because it’s a powerful scene. It must not let the rest of the scene down so the stage directions are exact.
Eddies mood seems to shift into a more sincere and he has a more serious attitude. Catherine informs him that she will be going with him, she seems very determined they should be together after what Eddie has just done.
“(Indicating Rodolfo with his head) Not with that. (She halts, frightened. He sits still panting for breath, and they watch him helplessly as he leans toward them over the table.) Don’t make me do nuttin’, Catherine. Watch your step, submarine. By rights they oughta throw you back in the water. Bui got pity for you. (He moves uneasily toward the door, always facing Rodolfo.) Just get outa here and don’t lay another hand on her unless you wanna go out feet first. (He goes out of the apartment.)”
The scene ends with a final threat from Eddie. This looms over the audience and makes them, feel threatened. This scene has a huge dramatic impact on the audience if it is done properly because it is such an important twist to the end of the play. With Eddie calling Rodolfo “submarine” it shows
In this scene a lot of the stage is used a lot because the actors who play Catherine and Rodolfo need to show distance from Eddie, but also need to show closeness between them.
The whole of this play involves symbolism, on many different levels. The end scene, in which Eddie takes his own life with his own knife, is symbolic of the self-destructive nature that led to such an ending. As Arthur Miller wished to write ‘a Modern Greek tragedy’ it is likely that the symbolism of the dagger is Eddies' sexuality, which drove him to his drastic actions and eventually death. During the confrontation earlier in the play Marco raised a chair like a weapon, symbolic of the fight yet to come. Rodolfo danced with Catherine when she had previously been attending to Eddie, symbolic of him taking her from Eddies' life. Catherine becomes scared that Eddie is going to do something extreme and Beatrice gets right out of the way to try to avoid the confrontation. Beatrice is a very subdued character. Eddie becomes extremely offended at Rodolfo’s presence in his house because its his ‘territory’ and the plaguing thought he is able to show Marco who is boss. Eddie doesn’t allow any compromise, for example; he doesn’t allow Beatrice to go to Catherine’s wedding, he doesn’t forgive Rodolfo and he doesn’t want to look like a coward and stands up against Marco. He basically sealed his own fate.