Explore the characters search for justice in 'A View from the Bridge' and the feeling that the law is sometimes inadequate.

A View from the Bridge – Arthur Miller

Coursework

“Justice is very important here.”

Explore the characters search for justice in ‘A View from the Bridge’ and the feeling that the law is sometimes inadequate.

Introduction

Afieri is a lawyer and an objective observer in the play who speaks directly to the audience and moves the story on. Alfieri sets the scene at the beginning of the play and tells us his thoughts on justice. He talks about how the inhabitants of Red Hook use the same sore of justice as their Sicilian ancestors would use, taking the law into their own hands. He says how the law doesn’t always fulfil the needs of the person seeking justice so they are willing to settle for half. He likes to compromise and live by the American legal system.

Part 1

In this part of Brooklyn, Red Hook, the people living in the community look after their own, and don’t really uphold the law when it comes to the people close to them. They seem to have their own unwritten law and when the American law comes into conflict with this it is discarded. In this community to betray is seen as injustice, in scene one, Eddie gets Beatrice to tell Catherine the story of Vinny Bolanzo, who caused injustice by "snitching" to immigration about some illegal immigrants. Even though it is illegal, Eddie and most of the community see it as injustice. Vinny was punished and shamed. The fact that Eddies feels so strongly about this only becomes ironic towards the end of the play.

Part 2

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Part 2

Eddie has his strongest feeling of injustice when Rodolfo arrives, the arrival of him and his brother, Marco, sparks things off in the play and with their arrival a third type of justice is introduced, personal justice. Eddie has been a father to Catherine all her life and "gave her the food out of his mouth". He paid money to her so that she would meet a better class of people and there are hints that he is attracted to her as well. He feels jealous and spiteful towards Rodolfo when he comes over from Italy and takes Catherine’s heart. You can tell how Eddie is feeling because he sends Catherine out to change her shoes probably because he feels that she looks too provocative in her high heels. They way Catherine acts around Eddie would explain why Eddies feels attracted to her, for example we she sits on his lap and lights his cigar, I think that if I saw this on stage then it would probably look quite flirty. He feels betrayed by Catherine that she has suddenly run off to live her own life he also has a fear of Catherine growing up, he seems to want her to be his little baby for ever. Because Eddie thinks that Rodolfo is gay, ‘the guy ain’t right’, he thinks he is committing a great injustice by marrying Catherine just for his citizenship papers. So he feels that he must bring his own justice upon him, so he goes to see Alfieri. Alfieri tries to point out a deeper reason for Eddie seeking justice, he tries to make him realise his feelings toward Catherine. Eddie still wants to do something about Rodolfo so Alfieri explains the law and that the only illegal thing going on was how they entered the country.

Part 3

While Eddies is searching for what he sees as justice he doesn’t realise that he is being unfair to Beatrice and Catherine. His feelings for Catherine seem to be contributing to Eddie and Beatrice’s lack of intimacy without Eddie really realising it. He is being unfair to Catherine by stopping her from growing up and by not letting her be with the man she loved.

Part 4

Marco quickly realises that Eddie is to blame for the appearance of the immigration officers and he decides that he is going bring his justice on Eddie. He feels that justice needs to be brought on him as he "killed his children". If he did something similar in Italy, he would have to pay for the crime in a fight. He comments on America in the prison scene- "I don't understand this country". He tells Alfieri that although Eddie has not broken a law in America “All the law is not in a book”. Eventually he challenges Eddie, but Eddie pulls a knife on him. In the end though, as it is fated to happen, it is Eddie who ends up being killed.

Part 5

Rodolfo tries to make peace with Eddie as he wants Catherine to be happy, he wants to compromise with him because he knows that if he does things could turn out a lot better. Eddie does not accept his apology and instead turns on him. I think it is at this point when Eddies finally realises his true feelings for Catherine, and shows this by kissing her. He then kisses Rodolfo. I think that this was an attempt at proving what he thought about Rodolfo, that he was gay. Also I think it was probably to try to cover up his kissing Catherine.

Part 6

I don’t think justice is achieved because had Eddie not been so bothered about he relationship between Rodolfo and Catherine everything would have been ok and there would have been no trouble. From the beginning the play seemed inevitable to end in tradgedy, and it did nobody really won anything. Catherine may have got to marry Rodolfo but she lost someone she loved, Eddie. Catherine loses a husband even though they seemed to have had a troubled relationship. Marco gets Catherine but loses a brother because he will probably be sent back to Italy. Rodolfo, presuming he will get sent back, will not be able to work in America so cannot send money to his family.