The first time the audience sees Eddie is when he comes home from work. In the opening moments the audience learns that he works with ships, and that he has friend named Louis. As he walks into his home, he is greeted by Catherine. The first thing Eddie says to her is: “Where you goin’ all dressed up?” [Catherine is wearing a skirt]. In the 50s, women were still classified as possessions rather than human-beings with feelings. They were often treated badly in those days, and their “freedom”, to some extent, was deeply questioned. Presumably, this is why Eddie makes a fuss over Catherine’s skirt. At this point the audience could think he is acting as a guardian would; slightly overprotective and looking out and his niece. The audience could assume at this stage that their relationship to one another is good, although one would like to think that the tension starts to arise as soon as she tells him she would like to work.
The audience learns that Catherine is Eddie’s niece through marriage only by the introduction, but if one were not to know this, there a points at the beginning of the play where one starts to think about their relationship and if it is through blood e.g. “Katie, I promised your mother on her deathbed. I’m responsible for you.” This quote also shows how over-protective Eddie can get. The audience might feel he is hiding something, he is afraid of what might happen if he were to let Catherine go.
In the opening scenes, one notices that Eddie is dominating person in his and Beatrice’s marriage. One can gather their relationship is slightly on the rocks as we now know they haven’t slept together for several months. As they talk about where the immigrants will sleep, this becomes very clear. Eddie accuses Beatrice of having a big heart, and instead of making it sound like a compliment, he projects it as a fault, making her feel put down only because he doesn’t want to give his bed up. One sees that Beatrice is scared of what Eddie might think (“I’m just afraid if it don’t turn out good you’ll be mad at me”). As she then says she would find somewhere else for her cousins to stay, Eddie answers that he only doesn’t like her getting “pushed around”. He tries to make Beatrice feel better by mentioning what an “honour” it would be to harbour people of his country in his home. At this point the audience could question his relationship to Beatrice but generally think he is a good, honourable man, although, he maybe doesn’t pay Beatrice the respect he should.
As the immigrants arrive, Eddie reacts very politely. One could think he takes a distinctive dislike to Rodolfo the first time he lays eyes on him. As Marco and Rodolfo come into conversation with Eddie, one sees from the dialogue that he starts to address only Marco. Another great problem about Eddie was that he was judgmental. As soon as he saw Rodolfo he didn't like him. Eddies character is of a stereotypical man - works hard for a living. Rodolfo's character was the total opposite. He was quite feminine. The things that showed his femininity was that he was Italian and had blonde hair and he sang jazz (‘Paper Doll’). Eddie didn't give Rodolfo a chance to get to know him. The audience could think that Eddie is being a bit unfair by not giving Rodolfo a chance.
We now know from Alfieri that weeks have passed. Eddie and Beatrice are waiting for Catherine and Rodolfo to return from the Paramount. One can see that Eddie is anxious as to why they’re not home. Instead of then asking his wife calmly why they are not back for the second time, he tells Beatrice that Rodolfo shouldn’t go “advertising” himself whilst he is not at work. He then mentions Catherine not spending time on her stenography which maybe indicates him thinking about how he tried to talk her into staying at school, but failed as the job at that time seemed all that Catherine had wanted. Now Catherine was more interested about spending time with Rodolfo. At this point in time the viewers could be thinking Eddie is paranoid.
At a later stage in the play the audience sees Beatrice giving advice to Catherine. Previous to this scene Catherine has had a misunderstanding with Eddie involving Rodolfo’s papers and that his love to her is only on that level. Catherine storms off and is upset over the argument. She cannot understand why Eddie didn’t like Rodolfo. Trying to make the situation a bit bearable, Beatrice steps in. She indicates that Catherine is letting Eddie control her and that she should take matters into her own hands where Rodolfo is concerned “It means you gotta be yourself more. You still think you’re a little girl, honey. But no one else can make up your for any more, you understand? You gotta give him to understand that he can’t give you orders no more”. Catherine seems grateful for this information, and promises to “try” and act more grown- up around Eddie. The audience will have noticed That Beatrice is jealous of Catherine, but they will feel Eddie is strongly to blame for not showing his wife enough love and romance.
[Alfieri is the symbolic bridge between American law and tribal Italian law. Alfieri, himself the son of an Italian immigrant, acts as a chorus in the play. He gives his perspective from his position on the bridge or meeting ground between Italian and American cultures. Alfieri attempts to portray the characters objectively, but, especially in the case of Eddie Carbone, narrates the play as if it were a great legend. Alfieri positions himself as the great scribe or teller of an epic tale: "the flat air in my office suddenly washes in with the green scent of the sea…the thought comes that in some Caesar's year…another lawyer…set there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course." Alfieri adds grandeur to the story and transforms the story of a Longshoreman into a larger than life tragic tale.]
When Eddie went to see Alfieri to see if there was any way in which he could stop the marriage between Catherine and Rodolfo, Alfieri could see what Eddie felt for Catherine. "There's too much love for the niece." And advised Eddie to let her go. "You did your job, now it's her life." Alfieri could see what Eddie was about to do, so tried to steer him away. "Put it out of your mind. Can you do that?" but Eddie had already made his mind up. Alfieri knew that Eddie was a good man deep down "He was as good a man as he had to be in a life that was hard and even" but he knew what he was about to do and felt powerless "I sat here many afternoons asking myself why, being an intelligent man, I was so powerless…"
There is one scene when Eddie is teaching Rodolfo how to box, by doing this he is teaching him a man’s sport. Eddie asks Rodolfo to hit him in front of Catherine and Beatrice, Eddie knows that Rodolfo wont hit him however he asks him only to prove to Catherine that he's not a man. Rodolfo doesn't want to hit Eddie. "Don't pity me… you can't hurt me". Eddie says this to Rodolfo he intimidates him. This shows the differences between Eddie and Rodolfo.
As Act 2 starts, it is the 23rd of December; Christmas Eve for the Catholics. Traditionally one would think this is a joyful occasion, but not in the Carbone household. Catherine and Rodolfo are alone in the apartment. Rodolfo seems to know that Catherine is unsettled even before she says there is something on her mind “…all the answers are in my eyes, Catherine. But you don’t look in my eyes lately. You’re full of secrets” . This suggests Rodolfo has an idea of what is bothering her. This also shows how poetical Rodolfo could get at times, showing another side of his femininity. Asking with a worried tone, Catherine wants to know if they could, after the marriage, go and live in Italy. One might think this question is triggered by Eddie going off about how Rodolfo would only want his American citizenship through Catherine. Appalled by Catherine’s doubts, Rodolfo is quickly insulted and asks her why she is so afraid “I don’t know… it’s only that I- he was good to me, Rodolfo. You don’t know him; he was always the sweetest guy to me… I would- just feel ashamed if I made him sad” Catherine is on a guilt trip, and asks Rodolfo to “hold” her. They enter the bedroom, wanting to make love to each other. Eddie comes home in a drunken state after work and sees Catherine adjusting her clothes “Rodolfo makin’ you a dress?”. After he sees Rodolfo in the doorway he is in shock, and what makes things worse is that Rodolfo provokingly nods as to say ‘yes I’ve slept with her’. This upsets Eddie and he reacts in a very harsh way “Pick it up. Go ahead. Get your stuff and get outa here.” Catherine is prepared to go with him, but this results in a disagreement between the three. “Eddie, I’m not gonna be a baby any more! You -” Eddie then kisses her on the mouth. At this point in time, the audience would be horrified at Eddie, as he has committed incest. Whilst Rodolfo and Eddie go for each other after this incident, he pins Rodolfo to wall and kisses him too. With this gesture he is trying to prove that Rodolfo is homosexual. The audience are thinking that Eddie is insecure and have now sensed that it is more than a fatherly love between himself and Catherine. They also might think that he is selfish as he is trying to deny Catherine of happiness.
After the incident, Eddie pays another visit to Mr. Alfieri. Still livid about the whole situation involving Catherine and Rodolfo, he tries to convince Alfieri that Rodolfo is no good. After telling Alfieri that Eddie hit Rodolfo to “show her what he is…”. Alfieri offers his last bit of advice “This is my last word Eddie, take it or not, that’s your business. Morally and legally you have no rights, you cannot stop it; she is a free agent”. Insistently trying to deny this to himself, he asks Alfieri if has even listed to anything that he has said. Alfieri takes a tougher tone with him. He warns Eddie “You won’t have a friend in the world, Eddie! Even those who understand will turn against you, even the ones who feel the same will despise you! Put it out of your mind”. Eddie cannot accept this and storms out of his office. At this point the audience could be thinking that Eddie is being carried away by the whole situation and that enough is enough. They may well also think that he is in denial.
Shortly after Eddie’s visit to Mr. Alfieri, Eddie gets ready to phone the Immigration Bureau. He sees the telephone “glowing” at him. By this, Miller means that Eddie was being lured by his anger, so much so that he makes the call and reports his wife’s cousins. After making contacting the Bureau, Eddie heads home. He comes home to an empty flat and asks Beatrice where everybody is. It has turned out she has moved the immigrants upstairs to their neighbour Mrs. Dondero. It becomes clear with this gesture from Beatice, that she regrets allowing the immigrants to stay with her.
