Marco is an immigrant who has come to America as his family are starving and as he explains his wife ‘feeds them from her own mouth’ meaning they are starving. Marco’s love has forced him to leave his wife and three children to work in America to make money to feed them. This is a very strong gesture as he plans not to see his family again for ‘four, five, six years maybe’. This relationship highlights the extreme measures people are driven to because of love. Marco loves his family to the point where he would do anything for them. This shows that in this play love is a real passion that prompts other behaviour.
Eddie’s love for Catherine seemed at the beginning of the play just to be the love of a concerned father figure, ‘I think it’s too short ain’t it?’ he says worrying about the length of Catherine’s skirt. Eddie is very over protective of Catherine and treats her as if she is still his little girl, which could be damaging to her development in this stage of life as Beatrice points out ‘Look, you gotta get used to it, she’s no baby no more’. It is time for Eddie to let go but he can’t. Eddie’s obsessive attitude towards Catherine seems strange to everyone except Eddie ‘She can’t marry you, can she?’ Alfieri says trying to explain how others might see his behaviour. To everyone else Eddie seems to be perversely in love with Catherine and wants her for himself. I believe this is not the case, I believe Eddie has become used to Catherine’s love for him that he cannot bear to see her adorning her affection on anyone else. The stage direction ‘with a sense of her childhood, her babyhood and the years’ describes the great sense of loss Eddie feels as he has cared and loved her all her life.
Beatrice remains faithful to Eddie throughout although she is frustrated, ‘When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?’ she tells him, desperate from him to forget about Catherine and go back to caring for her. Beatrice’s love for Eddie is one of the strongest in the play, she wants desperately for Eddie to pay her the attention she deserves as a loving wife. Eddies obsessive behaviour towards Catherine puts great strain on his marriage ‘I want my respect’ he says when Beatrice tries to confront him, Eddie is angry and shouts at her for complaining about him being so strict with Catherine. Beatrice is struggling to keep her marriage intact, but she cannot understand the love Eddie feels towards Catherine. I believe Eddie loves his wife dearly but his love for Catherine takes priority when Rodolfo comes on the scene, which leads him to mistreat Beatrice. I cannot help feeling sorry for her as she is forced into a situation that was not her doing. It seems her love for Eddie is unrequited.
Eddie’s hatred for Rodolfo is fuelled by his jealousy for the love and attention Catherine bestows upon him, ‘I’m telling ya the guy ain’t right’ he says trying to justify his hatred. Nobody believes Eddie’s comments about Rodolfo and everyone but Eddie can see through to his jealousy. It isn’t right for a man of Eddie’s age to be obsessed with his young niece, but nobody understands the depth and passion of Eddie’s love, which drives him to keep Catherine at any cost. Eddie’s obsessive love compels him to see Mr Alfieri, family friend and lawyer ‘He ain’t right Mr Alfieri’ Eddie pleads, but it is obvious he has no jurisdiction within he law. The fact Eddie has gone to see Alfieri shows the power of his love towards Catherine and his desperation to have her for himself.
Love is the main driving force behind all the characters actions, ‘the truth is not as bad as blood Eddie’ Beatrice tells him trying to quell his anger and hatred. Beatrice believes that love is not a worthy enough cause for the use of violence. It is Eddie’s deep love that drives him to use all force necessary to have what he believes to be his Catherine. This unfaltering love to the bitter end is misunderstood by Marco ‘He degraded my brother. My blood.’ Marco says; he cannot see why Eddie turned him and Rodolfo into the police. But it is obvious to the reader that it was Eddies’ love that compelled his actions and not his hatred for Marco and his brother.
Eddies’ love finally leads him to his death ‘You lied about me Marco’ Eddie cries before lunging at him. This is Eddies last desperate attempt to win back his dignity. Eddies’ love has driven him to a point where he has no other option but to follow his feelings to the end. The fate of Eddie Carbone is a tragic one as his obsessive feelings towards Catherine took control of him and his actions that followed he could not help. I believe the story is a testament to the power of love and how once it has infected someone in a certain way; they are powerless to stop it.
