“(Eddie rises, and paces up and down.)”
Eddie informs Rodolpho that the women might be freer in America, but they are not less strict. Eddie is angry because he thinks Rodolpho is taking advantage of Catherine and is offended that he did not ask for permission to take her out on a date. Eddie tells Marco that Rodolpho should be coming home early and not so late in case he gets caught; when Beatrice questions Eddie’s theory about Rodolpho getting in trouble he becomes aggressive and hostile.
“(Holding back a voice full of anger)Yeah but he don’t have to go lookin’ for it, Beatrice. If he’s here to work, then he should work; if he’s here for a good time then he could fool around!(To Marco)But I understood, Marco, that you was both comin’ to make a livin’ for your family. You understand me, don’t you, Marco?(He goes to his rocker)
This is a hostile and aggressive quote, Eddie is extremely angry and the stage directions show that he is unsuccessfully controlling his anger. Also the punctuation shows that he is annoyed, aggressive and becoming more hostile. This also shows that Eddie does not like Beatrice interfering with what he says; it is a subtle way of showing her, her place by his aggressive tone.
After an awkward silence, Catherine puts on the phonograph and it plays ‘Paper Doll’, she asks Rodolpho to dance. As they dance Rodolpho’s cooking skills are revealed, Eddie becomes sarcastic.
“It’s wonderful. He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses…”
This is a sarcastic undertone to the language, Eddie re-itterates himself as if he cannot believe this. Beatrice and the audience catch on to Eddie’s implications which are nasty and aggressive. This is another way in which Rodolpho does not conform with Eddie’s views. Rodolpho has qualities that women should and do have. Despite Eddie’s nastiness Catherine and Rodolpho continue to dance. Eddie starts to tell Beatrice that the waterfront is no place for Rodolpho; Catherine and Rodolpho stop the music and stop dancing to listen to Eddie. Eddie repeats the qualities that Rodolpho has which he considers not manly.
“I can’t cook, I can’t sing, I can’t make dresses, so I’m on the waterfront. But if I could cook, if I could sing, if I could make dresses I wouldn’t be on the waterfront.”
The stage directions show how Eddie is annoyed about Rodolpho, and how his mood is more visible.
“(He has been unconsciously twisting the newspaper into a tight roll. They are all regarding him now; he senses that he is exposing the issue and is driven on.)…(He has bent the rolled paper and it suddenly tears in two.)”
Eddie reveals his thoughts and is aware that everyone knows about what he thinks a man should be. In this scene the action has been choreographed. The first action was when Rodolpho symbolically took Catherine away from Eddie by dancing with her, Eddie’s response is bitter and he repeats Rodolpho’s qualities. Eddie has finally lost all control of his anger, he us unaware of his actions and is not in control and his aggression is escaping him.
Eddie offers to take Marco and Rodolpho to watch a boxing match; he asks Rodolpho if he has ever done any boxing and offers to teach him. This is the second movement. After teaching Rodolpho basic moves they begin to lightly box. Eddie is encouraging Rodolpho. Beatrice and Catherine comment on how good Rodolpho is. This is the first of two tests which Eddie will try on Rodolpho, Eddie is testing Rodolpho’s masculinity, manliness and aggression, he stops Beatrice and Catherine on talking about Rodolpho by interrupting them. The stage directions reveal Eddies motives of this ‘pretend’ boxing match.
“Sure, he’s terrific! Look at him go!(Rodolpho lands a blow)’At’s it! Now, watch out, here I come, Danish! (He feints with his left hand and lands with his right. It mildly staggers Rodolpho. Marco rises.)”
Eddies motive was to prove to Catherine that Rodolpho can’t fight and is a failure. Eddie sees fighting as the ultimate ‘manly’ quality. Miller has shown that Marco rises as to show that he will not take Eddie trying to intentionally hurt Rodolpho. Eddie’s efforts have been in vain as Catherine still hangs around with Rodolpho. Even when Eddie has shown he can beat Rodolpho, Catherine agrees to dance with him after the pretend boxing match, he takes her into his arms, and Eddie looks on in thought.
This is where Marco reveals his masculine qualities to Eddie, which makes him feel threatened. Marco has been a threat to Eddie since he arrived, as Marco represents being a man more than Eddie does. He has certain qualities which threaten Eddie; such as the fact that Marco is more of a family man than Eddie, he has more moral values, he is a gentleman, controls his anger, respect, and he has a wife and children. What makes him more threatening to Eddie is his physical strength which Marco purposely shows Eddie to ward him off and to show him not to mess with neither him nor Rodolpho. In this scene we see that Marco has a very protective attitude towards his brother and will not allow him to be bullied.
Marco places a chair in front of Eddie and asks him if he can lift the chair, he demonstrates for Eddie.
“(He gets on one knee with one hand behind his back, and grasps the bottom of one of the chair legs but does not raise it.)”
Marco did not raise it as he wanted to see what Eddie would do and how he would do it, as this is a test of manliness and strength. Eddie tries to lift the chair two times, and fails twice, he can only raise it one inch above the ground. Marco then has a go and succeeds in doing this task. The stage directions are very detailed and any actors doing a performance had to get this exactly right, just like Miller wrote it. This is a very important part and is the third and final movement that Miller choreographed in Act I.
“Here.(He kneels, grasps, and with strain slowly raises the chair higher and higher, getting to his feet now. Rodolpho and Catherine have stopped dancing as Marco raises the chair over his head.
Marco is face to face with Eddie, a strained tension gripping his eyes and jaw, his neck stiff, the chair raised like a weapon over Eddie’s head – and he transforms what might appear like a glare of warning into a smile of triumph, and Eddie’s grin vanishes as he absorbs his look.)”
The stage directions are long and precise. What Marco does is threatening to Eddie as the chair is “raised like a weapon over his head”. He also gives Eddie a warning glare as if to say don’t do that again. This is threatening for Eddie because, sure he could beat Rodolpho, but in doing so he would have Marco after him. This is a symbolic non verbal act but a hostile communication through body language.
Manliness, Hostile and Aggression are the main themes that I am looking at in ‘A View From The Bridge’ but there are many other themes which include Naming Names, in 1956 Arthur Miller was called to testify in front of the House of Un-American Activities Committee to name other communists. However, he refused and was charged with contempt in 1957. This was reflected in ‘A View From The Bridge’ as Eddie was faced with the problem of choosing to be loyal to his Italian roots or to be an American.
My next scene is at the very beginning of Act II, it is entitled the three kisses.
This scene opens up with Alfieri at his desk. Alfieri tells the audience that a case of scotch whiskey slipped from a net while being unloaded. Eddie has some of this whiskey, as its cold, Marco was still at work, Beatrice was out Christmas shopping, and Rodolpho had not been hired that day. Alfieri tells us that Catherine later told him that was the first time Rodolpho and she had been in the house alone.
The atmosphere changes from a moment of bliss to a drunken fiasco. Eddies kissing of his young niece Catherine shocks the audience now just as much as it did in the 1950’s.
Dialogue for this scene is important as it shows that Rodolpho actually does love Catherine and is not just marrying her for a green card to become a citizen.
When Eddie told Catherine that Rodolpho is just looking for away to stay in America and that’s why he is going out with her; it sparked her curiosity as to whether Rodolpho would marry her if they had to move to Italy. Catherine tells Rodolpho of her worries over Eddie’s reaction to them getting married, and Rodolpho tells her that Eddie is wrong to try and rule her life.
“Catherine. If I take in my hands a little bird. And she grows and wishes to fly. But I will not let her out of my hands because I love her so much, is that right for me to do? I don’t say you must hate him; but anyway you must go mustn’t you? Catherine?”
Rodolpho’s language is loving and poetic, towards Catherine. Eddie is coming home drunk and out of control. Eddie being drunk might appear to justify his behaviour, but it does not. Instead his ability to not control his actions really lets him show how he honestly feels. When the audience sees this it nauseates them, as much as it does Catherine. When Eddie returns home Marco is still working and Beatrice is still shopping. The stage directions are important.
“(Catherine enters from the bedroom; under his gaze she adjusts her dress)”
Catherine is terrified of what Eddie thinks of her and Rodolpho. Eddie then sees Rodolpho appear at the bedroom doorway, he is stunned. He tells Rodolpho that he must pack his bags and leave immediately, Catherine turns to leave and Eddie grabs her arm.
“(Catherine instantly turns and walks towards the bedroom and Eddie grabs her arm)…No you aint goin nowheres, hes the one.
This is where Catherine tries to find her own independence. She tells Eddie that he should be happy for her, and that she’ll see him around the neighbour hood. Also that she cannot stay there any longer. Eddie repeats him self again.
“You aint goin’ nowheres.”
At the moment Eddie seems to be in control of himself and is forcing his will on Catherine. Catherine is in tears now and tries to tell Eddie that she can handle her self.
“Eddie, I’m not gonna be a baby no more! You -...(He reaches out suddenly, draws her to him, and as she strives to free herself her kisses her on the mouth.)”
Rodolpho immediately does the manliest thing that hes ever done in the play and stops Eddie.
“Don’t(He pulls on Eddie’s arm)Stop that! Have respect for her!”
Rodolpho stands up to Eddie to protect Catherine, he does this as he tells Eddie that Catherine will be his wife which is what he wants his wife. Eddie starts to provoke and tease Rodolpho, Eddie does this as he believes that Rodolpho can do nothing to harm him, he also thinks that now he has kissed Catherine she knows how a ‘real man’ kisses and will stay. Rodolpho can no longer take the teasing that Eddie is doing.
“(With tears of rage)...(Rodolpho flies at him in attack. Eddie pins his arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him.)”
This is extremely unexpected and it shocks the audience and repels them. Eddie laughs at Rodolpho who is horror and rigid on the floor. Catherine also stars in horror as Eddie laughs mockingly. Eddie some how believes that by kissing Rodolpho he has shown Rodolpho’s true sexuality, and that he enjoyed it.
“(To Catherine) You see? (To Rodolpho) I give you till tomorrow, kid. Get outa here. Alone. You hear me? Alone.”
Eddie has violently and aggressively forced Catherine and Rodolpho to kiss him. These kisses could be a sign of Eddie suppressed sexual feelings as he and Beatrice have not been intimate for a while.
The language in ‘A View From The Bridge’ is different and mixed, Eddie Beatrice and Catherine use short, simple sentences, colloquial and uneducated, fitting with the view of Red Hook being a poor, uneducated area. Alfieri, the lawyer, has an educated, almost upper class style of language, because he is a professional. Rodolpho has a witty and entertaining style and he can gain interest with this (interest which Eddie wishes he wouldn’t get). Marco says little in the play, apart from Act II he becomes more involved. He is soft spoken and thinks before he says anything. He is more of a physical force that Eddie must not cross but will should he harm Rodolpho.
The characters in ‘A View From The Bridge’ were originally small parts, but they were enlarged later on. In the American Society of the 1950’s women were portrayed as weak and were only around to cook, clean and have children.
Catherine is naïve as she is unaware of how inappropriate it is for her to walk around in her slip, or watch and talk to Eddie while he shaves in his underwear. This is something that couples and married couples do. Catherine starts to tears away from Eddie when she finds someone who will love and protect her.
Beatrice, Eddie’s wife is very understanding. Her love for Eddie knows no boundaries, she still loves him after he reports her cousins, and even though she knows that something is not right with Eddie. Beatrice is jealous of Catherine and Eddie’s relationship and she openly addresses Eddie’s lack of intimacy with her.
“When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?”
Beatrice wants Eddie’s approval as they are married and she needs it more that their niece. She forgives him for the whole incident with Catherine, whereas most women would leave any man attempting something so twisted as incest in my opinion.
Alfieri is one of the most important roles in the play. He is the bridge between the two societies of America and Italy. He stays true to his ethnic identity. He is a well educated man who studies and respects American life. Alfieri constantly informs the audience and provides a commentary on what is happening. Alfieri gives Eddie epic proportions when Eddie comes to see him about getting rid of Marco and Rodolpho without informing the Immigration Bureau.
“I looked in his eyes more than I listened – in fact, I can hardly remember the conversation. But I will never forget how dark the room became when he looked at me; his eyes were like tunnels.”
This makes ‘A View From The Bridge’ seem more like a Greek Tragedy. Alfieri makes Eddie sound like a legendary character. Alfieri is similar to Arthur Miller as he is the teller of a great story and cannot change anything.
Life in the 1950’s for men and women would have been strict. For example many men these days take jobs that are feminine such as hairdressing, in Eddie’s view ‘that aint right’. Society has changed and most women now work and there are not many housewives any more. Law allows women to work and they can do manly jobs such as joining the army and becoming an officer, join the police force etc. Many men are similar to Rodolpho nowadays as they cook, clean, dance, sing, and some design clothes. The society has changed a great deal since the 1950’s.
Through out the play we as the audience, learn a lot about the characters and the people involved in each scene. Eddie is a complicated man, who because of his lack of education finds it hard to express himself, he can only do this through aggression and hostility. Beatrice gains a little more power over Eddie as he dies in her arms, he goes back to her. In a way I think that Eddie considers Beatrice to be a kind of safety net, because he knows that she’ll always be there for him. Catherine who is young, innocent and vulnerable in the play is happily unaware of Eddie’s desires towards her. Catherine ends up standing up to Eddie and questioning his authority when he says that they can’t go to her wedding and why Beatrice listens to him.
“(Clearing from Beatrice)What are you scared of? He’s a rat! He belongs in a sewer!”
From this form of aggression shown by Catherine, when Eddie dies she tells him
“Eddie, I never meant to do nothing bad to you.”
She never meant to hurt him, but she was angry because of what he did.
Marco changes in Act II, he plays a bigger part and is in more of the action, whereas Rodolpho’s character sort of fades into the background. Marco becomes bitter and passionate at the same time. He seeking revenge, because Eddie grassed on him to the Bureau and his country as he says
“In my country he would be dead now. He would not live this long.”
These many acts of manliness and hostility from some of the characters towards the others leads to aggression, which at the end, escalates as we find out about the happenings and goings on towards the end. This behaviour which is used throughout the play leads to the destruction and death of a happy family. Eddie was not afraid to show or share his views on the two ‘submarines’, this finally led to his fate, of him losing his social identity and this own death.
Miller has shown a wide variety of theatrical techniques throughout this play through the dialogue, imagery, vocabulary, stage directions. When I read these two scenes I had my own views and pictures in my mind of how it would be acted out and how the characters had formed and how they became and acted they ways that they do. These two scenes are very important as they link the themes together, and create tension, excitement and give you an idea of 1950’s Brooklyn, well the slums anyway. I think that certain elements in the play, although they have not been elaborated on are the close-nit community that the Carbone family lives in. The three themes are all linked to this idea of what it means to be a man.
When I first read this play, I found it in a way disturbing to contemplate something such as Eddie’s incestuous desires for his young niece. All the way through the play is riveting and keeps you interested.
Jessica Smith Page of
10-1
English
