Arthur Miller also use’s love, which is present between Eddie and Catherine, ‘her sobs of pity and love for him break her composure’. Throughout the play Eddie has been a father like figure to Catherine, as he still treats her like a kid ‘I’m not gonna be a baby any more’. Some may say that Eddie is just looking out for her, and some may say that there is a little more than father like love between Eddie and Catherine and that Eddie is obsessed with Catherine, ‘he reaches out suddenly, draws her to him, and as she strives to free herself he kisses her on the mouth’. Eddie also show’s love for Catherine when he ‘stands there with tears rolling down his face’. When Catherine shows Eddie that she loves Rodolpho, Eddie starts challenging Rodolpho and uses threats ‘don’t lay another hand on her unless you wanna go out feet first’. I also think that Eddie is jealous of Catherine and Rodolpho’s relationship because his relationship with his wife Beatrice is on the rocks.
Arthur Miller also uses hate and jealousy. Eddie is scared that Rodolpho will take Catherine away from him and that she will forget him. From the moment Marco and Rodolpho came to America as illegal immigrants, Eddie showed his disapproval by mocking Rodolpho, because he likes ‘paper doll’ and tries to make out that Rodolpho is homosexual ‘Rodolpho makin’ you a dress?’ and when he is scared that Catherine will go away ‘Eddie pins his arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him’ this is Eddie now taking desperate measures to keep Catherine at all costs.
I think that this scene is important to the play because it shows the build up between Eddie and Rodolpho, and how Catherine and Rodolpho love each other, but there is also a lot of love between Eddie and Catherine and Catherine doesn’t want Eddie to get hurt. At the start of the play Eddie just seems like a caring uncle, but as the play goes on Eddie gets more protective and doesn’t care for Catherine’s feelings.
This scene also shows the changes in character loyalties, it shows how Catherine and Eddie is close together and now she is siding with Rodolpho, also it is destroying their family with all the anger and jealousy which then stems into hate between Eddie, Catherine, and Rodolpho.
This scene is also important to the play because this is where Catherine and Rodolpho get a hint towards Eddie calling immigration ‘by rights they oughta throw you back in the water’.
Arthur Miller makes this scene dramatic by using language, stage directions, short sentences, physical actions, tears, and pauses.
Arthur Miller uses emotive language to help create a dramatic atmosphere and to set certain emotions. For example ‘panting’, ‘instantly’, ’trembling with fright’, ‘sobs’, and ‘clasps’ these are examples of emotive language.
Arthur Miller also uses similes and animal imagery ‘they are like animals that have torn at one another and broken up without a decision, each waiting for the other’s mood’.
Arthur Miller also uses stage directions to make the scene dramatic. Arthur Miller uses stage directions to help the actor’s movement or sounds. Arthur Miller makes the stage directions come into the text by adding a storyline ‘she tears at Eddie’s face and Eddie releases Rodolpho. Eddie stands there with tears rolling down his face as he laughs mockingly at Rodolpho. She is staring at him in horror. Rodolpho is ridged’. ‘Rodolpho appears in the bedroom doorway. Eddie sees him and his arm jerks slightly in shock. Rodolpho nods to him testingly’ this stage direction is telling us that there is a lot of tension going on between Eddie, Catherine, and Rodolpho.
Arthur Miller also uses short sentences to give a strong point, ‘I show what I be?’, ‘don’t be like that!’. When Arthur Miller uses short sentences he makes the text more interesting because it keeps you in suspense and anger.
Arthur Miller also uses physical actions to show the tension between the characters. For example ‘Eddie grabs her arm’, ‘she frees her arm, steps back toward the bedroom’, ‘he reaches out suddenly, draws him to her, and as she strives to free herself he kisses her on the mouth’, ‘Rodolpho flies at him in attack. Eddie pins his arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him’, ‘spun round by Rodolpho’, ‘he pulls on Eddie’s arm’.
Arthur Miller also uses tears to emphise the love and tension between Eddie, Catherine, and Rodolpho. In this scene all three characters have cried, first Catherine cries ‘sobs of pity and love for him breaks her composure’, next Eddie cries ‘she sees tears in his eyes’, and Rodolpho cries ‘with tears of rage’.
I think that Arthur Miller makes this scene particularly dramatic by adding tension in six different ways. Arthur Miller used language, stage directions, short sentences, physical actions, pauses, and tears. I think that pauses makes the scene most dramatic because is creates a dramatic atmosphere by adding tension and excitement to the text.
