Character Study of Eddie Carbone, from the play 'A View From The Bridge' by Arthur Miller.

Character Study of Eddie

Eddie Carbone, from the play 'A View From The Bridge' by Arthur Miller, was a character who possessed the human weakness of being obsessive towards another person. I intend to discuss just how this human failing affects the events of the play and also the character of Catherine, Eddies niece.

Throughout the play we see Catherine change in her attitudes and actions towards Eddie partly because of the realisation of his obsession with her, to an extent we see a completely different character to the young girl she portrays at the beginning. Catherine's initial attitude towards Eddie is shown in the stage direction '(almost in tears because he disapproves)' and also after this in the conversation where she looks for approval before taking a job. This suggests that Catherine looks up to and needs approval from Eddie and possibly sees him as a father figure, most definitely someone she wants to make happy in what she does. Catherine's interest in Eddie soon lessens however with the arrival of Rodolpho. When Rodolfo sings we see just how Catherine dismisses Eddie and is I think the first suggestion that Eddie shows more than a fatherly concern towards her:

" EDDIE Hey, kid - hey, wait a minute -

CATHERINE (enthralled) Leave him finish, it's beautiful!"

Eddie had obviously saw how intrigued Catherine was by Rodolfo and is trying to intervene before this develops into something more. Catherine seems after this to grow more and more distant when it comes to Eddie and he eventually confronts her with this in the lines,

"EDDIE ...

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" EDDIE Hey, kid - hey, wait a minute -

CATHERINE (enthralled) Leave him finish, it's beautiful!"

"EDDIE I don't see you no more. I come home you're runnin' around someplace -

CATHERINE Well, he wants to see everything, that's all, so we go… you mad at me?

EDDIE No. It's just I used to come home, you was always there. Now, I turn around

you're a big girl. I don't know how to talk to you."

This shows how Catherine seems to be drifting away from Eddie and how Eddie is gradually becoming more obsessed with the possibility of losing Catherine. Eddies obsessive ways continue with him trying to interfere in Catherine and Rodolfos by undermining Rodolfo. The lines,

"EDDIE Sure, he's terrific! Look at him go! At's it! Now, watch out, here I come,

Danish! (he feints with his left hand and lands with his right. It mildly staggers

Rodolfo)

CATHERINE (rushing to Rodolofo) Eddie!

EDDIE Why? I didn't hurt him. Did I hurt you, kid? (he rubs the back of his hand

across his mouth)

RODOLOFO No, no, he didn't hurt me. (to Eddie with a certain gleam and a smile) I was

only surprised!"

show how Eddie tries to make Rodolfo seem not as good as him. Catherine's attitude towards Eddie changes even more now towards the end of the book as she seems to see his obsession with her is unhealthy and she doesn't like how his view on or how he's been treating Rodolfo who she has taken a keen interest in. She is now much more confident and seems to know what she wants and doesn't need approval from Eddie. I think she has lost some of her respect for Eddie due to the way he has been acting towards her. This attitude towards Eddie is shown when she stands up to him and makes up her own mind,

"CATHERINE Eddie! Let go, ya hear me! |I'll kill you! Leggo of him!

She tears at Eddies face and Eddie releases Rodolfo.

EDDIE I give you till tomorrow kid. Get outa here. Alone. Your hear me? Alone

CATHERINE I'm going with him Eddie!

As well as Catherine this weakness which Eddie possesses affects the events in the play as at the start for example Eddie would never have dreamed of doing what he ultimately did at the end. Reporting immigrants was frowned on in by italian americans and this is shown in the line where Eddie says "……………". At this point of the play there is not even a suggestion that Eddie would do such a thing but he is driven by his obsession with Catherine and in the line "………" he calls the immigration bureau and reports the two illegal immigrants living with them. Another aspect of the plot which is fueled from Eddie's obsession with Catherine is when he dies at the end, if he had not been obsessed and desperate he would not have reported anyone and ultimately not have been murdered.

In conclusion I think Catherine's change of attitude towards Eddie and how Eddie's attitude changes when he becomes desperate and calls the immigration bureau prove that |the character of Catherine and the plots of the play were indeed affected by Eddie's obsessive behaviour.