I will be focusing my attention on Eddie Carbone and how he changes with the arrival of his two cousins. Eddie can be very caring and thoughtful, like when he compliments Catherine on what she is wearing.

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A View from the Bridge

A View from the Bridge was written by Arthur Miller and the play was produced in the mid 1950s. The play focuses on an Italian American called Eddie Carbone. It shows how a simple, straightforward longshoreman reacts when his two cousins arrive to their home illegally from Italy. The play dramatically changes its mood from start to finish and the struggle Eddie goes though to not lose his niece, Catherine. It illustrates how far Eddie is willing to go to keep the on he loves and how he has to pay the ultimate price in the end.

I will be focusing my attention on Eddie Carbone and how he changes with the arrival of his two cousins. Eddie can be very caring and thoughtful, like when he compliments Catherine on what she is wearing. “Beautiful. Turn around, lemme see in the bk. Oh, if your mother was alive to see you now! She wouldn’t believe it”. Even though he can be caring to loved ones like Beatrice and Catherine, he still can be over-protective. This is shown when he advises Catherine not to wear such a short skirt. “Now don’t aggravate me, Katie, you are walkin’ wavy! I don’t like the looks they’re givin’ you in the candy store”. It is also shown when Beatrice mentions that Catherine has a job. “She’s got a job”. Eddie protests exclaiming, “No-no, you gonna finish school. What kinda job, what do you mean? All of a sudden you-”. This can show how Eddie has the urge to protect Catherine by impeding her from discovering her own independence.

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This play also teaches the reader about the Italian way of life and culture. It is shown when the family are having dinner and Eddie mentions the story of Vinny Bolzano, who ‘snitched’ on his uncle to Immigration as he was staying there illegally. He was then beaten up by his own father and brothers and went away forever. This shows how dedicated Eddie and all Italians are when it comes to ‘snitching’. It is shown again when Marco and Rodolfo, Eddie’s two cousins arrive. When Rodolfo starts to show off his singing talents, Catherine is enthralled whereas Eddie ...

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