In this essay, I will be discussing about the character Eddie and how far he can be described as a tragic hero in the play 'A View from the Bridge' by Arthur Miller.
Miller grew up in a family that had immigrated from Europe to New York. Miller, therefore has firsthand experiences similar to the characters in 'A View from the Bridge' and can deliver a realistic, truthful play about the ways of the Italian-American community.
In Italian communities, involving the law in any matter is the biggest unwritten law and is punished by being rejected from the rest of the community. Miller puts a big emphasis on this fact and uses it in the play as the major plotline.
Like many other plays, this one has a narrator; but to make it more unconventional, the narrator is also a character, Alfieri, the odd one out in this Italian-American community who disobeyed the unwritten law and became a part of the law as a lawyer. This use of a narrator can be described as a 'Greek chorus'.
Miller uses a vast amount of stage directions in his plays, especially this play.
The play starts with a long speech from the narrator, Alfieri. He explains his rejection from the Italian community because of his connection with the much-resented law. Alfieri then starts the play, "This one's name was Eddie Carbone, a longshoremen working the docks from Brooklyn Bridge to the breakwater where the open sea begins" This shows that this story is an account of Alfieri and it happened some time in the past. Alfieri explains Eddie as an ordinary working class man "Eddie Carbone had never expected to have a destiny. A man works, raises his family, goes bowling, eats, gets old, and then he dies.' This was the view of nearly every working man in America in the 50's. Throughout the play, Alfieri tries to explain to Eddie that he should let his niece Catherine, who is getting married to an illegal immigrant live her life and stop thinking that he owns her. "Let her go. And bless her."
Miller grew up in a family that had immigrated from Europe to New York. Miller, therefore has firsthand experiences similar to the characters in 'A View from the Bridge' and can deliver a realistic, truthful play about the ways of the Italian-American community.
In Italian communities, involving the law in any matter is the biggest unwritten law and is punished by being rejected from the rest of the community. Miller puts a big emphasis on this fact and uses it in the play as the major plotline.
Like many other plays, this one has a narrator; but to make it more unconventional, the narrator is also a character, Alfieri, the odd one out in this Italian-American community who disobeyed the unwritten law and became a part of the law as a lawyer. This use of a narrator can be described as a 'Greek chorus'.
Miller uses a vast amount of stage directions in his plays, especially this play.
The play starts with a long speech from the narrator, Alfieri. He explains his rejection from the Italian community because of his connection with the much-resented law. Alfieri then starts the play, "This one's name was Eddie Carbone, a longshoremen working the docks from Brooklyn Bridge to the breakwater where the open sea begins" This shows that this story is an account of Alfieri and it happened some time in the past. Alfieri explains Eddie as an ordinary working class man "Eddie Carbone had never expected to have a destiny. A man works, raises his family, goes bowling, eats, gets old, and then he dies.' This was the view of nearly every working man in America in the 50's. Throughout the play, Alfieri tries to explain to Eddie that he should let his niece Catherine, who is getting married to an illegal immigrant live her life and stop thinking that he owns her. "Let her go. And bless her."
