Eddie’s character is the centre, which all the conflict revolves around.
Eddie has verbal conflict with all the other characters at one point or another. Time after time Eddie deliberately introduces arguments- for instance, when he says,” I betcha there’s plenty of surprises sometimes when those guys get back there, huh? Here Eddie is questioning the rectitude of the Italian Immigrants, from this we can see that even his jokes are harsh and are meant to hurt. He is a duplicitous character- 2 sided.
Another type of conflict Eddie has is within himself as he tries to engage with his love of Catherine. One example of this is when he screws the newspaper up while Catherine and Rodolfo are dancing to “Paper Doll”, Eddie cannot stand to see them together in love as he wants her for himself. We know this because of Miller’s detailed stage directions. Since Eddie cannot stand the scenery of Catherine in Rodolfo’s hands he gets up, tears the paper in two, and asks Marco if he has ever been to a fight. As the tension grows, Eddie cannot deal with his feelings for Catherine, and so his outlet is criticism of Rodolfo, he offers to play fight with Rodolfo. Eddie, building up the tension releases a bit by flooring Rodolfo. Marco is astonished at the sight reflected into his eyes, challenges Eddie to lift a chair with one hand behind his back. Eddie fails but Marco completes the task with ease, Marco gives Eddie a look of warning, “ and he transforms what might appear like a glance of warning into a smile of triumph, and Eddie’s grin vanishes as he absorbs his look.” The audience begins to notice that Eddie’s real battle will come to be with Marco the cousin he liked. The structure here in this act has built up so much the audience feel that they need to see the end. It creates so much tension at the end of Act 1; the atmosphere leads on to reveal the shock near the start of Act 2. This is were an infuriated Eddie kisses both Catherine and Rodolfo where Eddie tries to prove to Catherine that Rodolfo is gay and that Eddie is more powerful than Rodolfo, the beginning of Act 2 shows Eddie’s disrespect and a compilation of mixed feelings, which prepares us for the final scene. Here Miller is using the characters and the structure to maintain tension and interest.
Tone is very important in the play, there are a number of changes in the play. For example, If Eddie is in a good mood the stage directions tell us he is “laughing,” and to the complete opposite, “his faced puffed with trouble.” Here tension is created because the audience will be thinking of what he will do, either release the tension or increase it?
Alfieri has a big part to play, as Miller explains at the beginning of the play how Alfieri’s office can fit into the setting as well, (it is Alfieri’s view from the bridge we see). In order to make it like a Greek drama Miller placed all the action in a single location. Either in the Carbones apartment or instantly outside their apartment.
Alfieri is ineradicably promptly as the commentator, or narrator. He introduces the play, tells the story in a flashback manner, focusing on important scenes, and finishes the play. He is in the authority and we have confidence in him, why? Because in the beginning he tells us, he’s seen it all before.
Alfieri in a Greek tragedy is like the chorus. Alfieri clarifies the events as they happen to the audience without actually participating in them. For instance, when the two cousins Marco and Rodolfo arrive for the first time and Eddie had just embarrassed Catherine about her high heels, Alfieri comes on and says, “ Eddie Carbone had never expected to have a destiny.” Here Alfieri is talking about Eddie’s life getting complicated and confusing we know this by the fact that his earlier embarrassment made to Catherine was deliberate to draw Catherine’s attention away from Rodolfo. Alfieri also said, “ Now, as the weeks passed, there was a future, there was a trouble that would not go away”. The trouble that was mentioned was directly pointed to Rodolfo. Miller here builds by a cliffhanger until Alfieri returns to explain. Alfieri is like a narrator- omniscient but powerless to intervene.
Even though Alfieri does play some part in the action, it is crystal clear that he was feeble and nothing he could of done would have changed Eddie’s bloody course. Alfieri explains right from the beginning what is going to unfold: dramatic significance is formed which compels the audience to watch. The audience look to him only for information- not to prevent what’s happening.
Alfieri is a bridge between the American rules and regulations and the Italian community. He explains to us the Justice law of America and the Italian code. In Alfieri’s introduction to the play he says, “ In this neighbourhood to meet a lawyer or a priest on the streets is unlucky.” We know this because Alfieri continues by saying, “ Were only thought of in connection with disasters, and they’d rather not get too close”. The Italian code just means one thing, revenge. If for example when Eddie told his family the story about Vinnie and how he told on his uncle to the immigration, and how he was shut out of his family. Here again the story about Vinnie built tension, as we know something terrible is going to happen. Ironic as this is, it is exactly what happens to Eddie- making Alfieri more authentic for the audience.
Alfieri reminds us at various intervals during the play that the end is inevitable. For example, at the end of Act 1: I could see every step coming, step after step, like a dark figure walking down a hall towards a certain door”. Miller’s description is so accurate that tension builds up heavily.
To sum up, the tension, the detailed structure, and the mixed feelings, Miller has perfected this play so well as if you are driving a car. The tension is acceleration and the decrease of tension is the brake, when driving we accelerate more than brake so the tension was always high. This kind of feeling give the audience an urge to see what is going to happen next, this feeling was the kind Miller wanted to produce and distribute among the audience. In the finale, Eddie’s immense feelings busted out and death was the only conclusion.
Faraj Said Faraj,
10B1,
Ms Rawlings.
