In the opening scene of the play, the audience is shown the setting of the play, which is the harbour area of Brooklyn near the Brooklyn Bridge. When it shows Eddie with Beatrice and Catherine, their use of dialogue initially suggests to the audience that they get along well and that there is a general 'happy family' atmosphere. The scene gives the audience the impression that Eddie is a good man who seems perfectly happy with his life since he has the dignity of a job that he likes and the love of his family. The audience also find out that Eddie is not related to Catherine which is an important fact to remember about him. Even though Eddie is not Catherine's real father he is still extremely over-protective of her, which suggests he may feel a bit too strongly for her and it is this love which is in fact the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. But this unlawful love does not come out into the open until it is sparked off by a metaphorical catalyst in the form of Beatrice's cousin Rodolpho. The first hints of this love are given to the audience when they see Eddie's obsession with the way Catherine dresses, for example when she comes in wearing a new dress and he says: " I think it's too short "He then goes on picking about the way she walks, by saying:” Katie, you are walkin' wavy! I don't like the looks they're givin' you in the candy store. And with them new high heels on the sidewalk - clack, clack, clack. The heads are turnin' like windmills."
This just proves that Eddie doesn't like Catherine wearing clothes that attracts the attention of other men because he gets jealous as he wants her to himself. When Eddie talks about Beatrice's cousins coming to stay as illegal immigrants he tells the story of “Vinny” Bolzano”The kid snitched? On his own uncle!”. How he called the immigration bureau on his own uncle thus betraying his family and therefore turning his back on the Sicilian codes and values. Eddie explains how he was cursed and hated by everyone including his own family “pulled him down the stairs-three flights his head was bouncing like a coconut”.
We also see how Eddie is a good man when Catherine tells him she is going to start work. But on the other hand he is more concerned about her education,” what about all the stuff you wouldn’t learn this year tough” His concern for Catherine makes us the reader know he is a caring loving and respectable family man, within the first couple of pages. One more quality that makes Eddie such a great man is that he is extremely generous, just the fact he is inviting total strangers to his own house and “end up on the floor”, he did it for Beatrice’s father when his “house burned down” and he was on the floor for two weeks.
However with every hero there is always something that will bring about their tragic end. Even tough he is very humorous and incredibly generous; he only is so to the people who obey him. He shows off his authority when Marco and Radolpho arrive, Catherine come in the room and Eddie “rises with iron control” and tells her “what’s the high heels for garbo?” and she tries to reason but because Eddie wants to show off his authority to his new guests he doesn’t listen to her. This side of Eddie is unknown to us until Marco and Radolpho join the family; this suggests Eddie acts differently around other people. In act one we can tell already by Eddie’s actions and words how frustrated he is getting with the flirting Catherine and Radolpho are getting up to, “yes! (laughs indicates Catherine) especially when their so beautiful” while this is happening Eddie is watching with “his face puffed with trouble”. Eddie truly believes that by protecting her he is helping her, but he is doing something else, he is preventing her form growing up and leaving him.
Eddie and Beatrice took Catherine in when her mother died and therefore, Eddie feels a great sense of responsibility;’ I promised your mother on her deathbed. I'm responsible for you.’ To Catherine, he is like a paternal figure, and she does love and respect him that way. At first, I also believe that is how Eddie thinks of her. He provides a good home for her puts food on the table and sees her through education, I think truly wanting the best for her. His aspirations are high;’ I broke my back payin' her stenography lessons so she could go out and meet a better class of people.'
His social aspirations for her are obviously higher than his own community. Eddie’s protectiveness of Catherine can be just like a normal father's, as he says about her new skirt;’ I think it too short, ain't it? But often, this protectiveness can turn into dominance and possessiveness over his niece and his attitude towards her becomes unnatural. Eddie is never completely at ease. He tells her she's 'walkin' wavy', but this is because he is subconsciously sexually attracted to her. He criticises her appearance and behaviour because she is attractive to other men and he does not like that. I think, in a way, he believes she is his and he wants her all to himself- i.e. - if he cannot have her, no one can. I think to aid this, he tries to keep her a little girl, when actually, she is becoming a woman;’ You’re a baby….. when you stand here by the window waving outside.' The word 'baby' is mentioned constantly as if it will eventually persuade Catherine that she is one. This environment would be suffocating for her. However, Beatrice isn't blind to all this; 'You gonna keep her in the house all your life? Eddie (insulted); 'What kinda remark is that?' She has not had sex with Eddie for quite a while “what I feel like doin’ in the bed and what I don’t feel like doin” and I think she knows it is because of his unconscious desire for Catherine “Where’s Catherine? She up there?”. When Alfieri makes a joke about Catherine not being able to marry Eddie, he doesn't laugh, as he starts to realise his sexual feelings for Catherine are becoming more apparent. When Beatrice finally says; 'You want somethin' else, Eddie, and you can never have her!' He is stunned with silence, but I think deep down, he knows it is the truth. But his reaction shows lack of acknowledgement “(shocked, horrified, his fists clenching) Beatrice!” “(his fists clench his head as tough it will burst)”.
As Alfieri reminds us in his introductory speech, Lawyers are only thought of "in connection with disasters" meaning a disaster will befall, showing the audience what being a lawyer is like. Alfieris character as a lawyer is mainly linked with Eddie. Alfieri is rational and thinks things over before speaking, whereas Eddie is the opposite; he is hot tempered, irrational and very stubborn. He doesn't seem to understand the role of Alfieri and doesn't want to abide by the American law, instead by his Sicilian standards. Alfieri does his best to help Eddie by advising him with wise words “this is my last word” “Morally and legally you have no rights, you cannot stop it; she is a free agent”, but because Eddie is selfish, he only makes matters worse. At the beginning of the play, Alfieri feels very sympathetic towards Eddie’s situation, but as the play continues, Eddie makes Alfieri powerless, “I was powerless to stop it”.
To Eddie’s disappointment, Alfieri then can do only that which abide by the law. Despite all that happens and Eddies mistakes in life, in a way, Alfieri still likes him. "…I think I will love him more than all my sensible clients…" this shows us Alfieri thinks that Eddie is much more sensible in comparison with his other clients. Alfieri feels related to Eddie’s situation and this brings a sense of closeness between them. Alfireri in the end keeps his respect Eddie unlike the others, 'I confess that sometime perversely pure calls to me from his memory - not purely good, but himself purely, for he allowed himself to be wholly know and for that I think I love him more than all my sensible clients.' This meaning we are supposed to mourn him like he is, we feel pity on the way he died and his loss of family and neighbouring respect thus meaning he is a tragic hero.
1uIt is obvious that Miller shows Eddie Carbone as a tragic hero in 'A view From the Bridge'. In the conclusion of the play only two people keep their respect for him, his wife Beatrice and Alfieri. Even though he does become vicious, Eddie isn't two-faced towards other people and he is a man of principles. I think we feel great loss in his character as he was a good man and he realises he has done wrong and gains self knowledge in the end of the play “then why- oh, B.!” “ My B!”. I believe that everyone who reads the play will mourn him with a “certain alarm” and will all feel sympathy for the man who couldn’t conquer his love.
