Look at the role of the narrator in “A View from the Bridge” and discuss the way in which the staging of the play can help an audience to understand the authors concerns
Samara Aziz 20th Century Drama Coursework
"Look at the role of the narrator in "A View from the Bridge" and discuss the way in which the staging of the play can help an audience to understand the authors concerns".
"A View from the Bridge" is a 20th century play, which was written by Arthur Miller.
Arthur Miller was born in New York in 1915 and brought up in a Jewish background. Miller studied at the university of Michigan where he began writing and winning awards, such as the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Critics Circle Award, both for the 1947 drama "Death of a Salesman". Arthur Miller is still writing, still producing and still working in modern theatre, widely broadening his name as a 20th Century dramatist. In this play, we see Miller using theatre as a moralistic device.
The play is set in New York, about a man named Eddie Carbone who lives with his wife Beatrice and his niece Catherine. When Beatrice's two cousins come from Italy to stay with them trouble begins to start within the family. Eddie becomes unhappy when he sees Rodolpho, Beatrice's cousin, becoming close to his niece, which makes Eddie insecure. The play concludes when Marco, Rodolpho's brother, stabs Eddie to death.
To open the play "A View from the Bridge", Arthur Miller begins by introducing the narrator. Automatically, the audience are drawn to this character as his opening lines give an idea to the audience of how society see people, i.e. him as a lawyer.
"You see how uneasily they nod to me? That's because I am a lawyer. In this neighbourhood to meet a lawyer is unlucky".
By using the words 'uneasily' and 'unlucky' there is already a kind of negative approach to what kind of a society this may be.
The narrator has a very large effect on the audience. He has a number of different ways in which he communicates with audience for example he gives a moral insight as the play progresses, he emphasise the plot; pointing out any important information to the audience. The way in which this narrator talks to the audience almost reflects a Greek chorus i.e. they clearly inform the audience about what is happening. The ...
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By using the words 'uneasily' and 'unlucky' there is already a kind of negative approach to what kind of a society this may be.
The narrator has a very large effect on the audience. He has a number of different ways in which he communicates with audience for example he gives a moral insight as the play progresses, he emphasise the plot; pointing out any important information to the audience. The way in which this narrator talks to the audience almost reflects a Greek chorus i.e. they clearly inform the audience about what is happening. The narrator always appears, as a kind of sign to the audience, telling them that something is about to happen. The story then goes on to the role of Eddie Carbone, the leading character of the play. The theme of this play is fate. We see how a man, Eddie Carbone, who within his character has a destiny which he cannot change.
From his opening lines we see Eddie leaving his friends to join his family at home. The audience almost immediately captures the relationship between Eddie and his wife and niece. We see how enthusiastic Catherine is when she sees Eddie and the way in which she talks to him shows how she feels very safe with him and secure with him. We then see him becoming concerned about her.
Eddie - Listen, you been giving me the willies the way you walk down the street, I mean it.
Catherine - Why?
Eddie - Catherine I don't want to be a pest, but I'm telling to you're walking wavy.
These lines interpret how Eddie is worried about the way in which she walks, which shows him being protective over her, just like any other responsible parent, but could this be an indication that Eddie is actually jealous of the fact that other men might see her beauty? We see how Catherine has an open relationship with her 'father figure' by the way in which she talks and acts around him, but this could be what attracts Eddie to her. Catherine is a very naïve person. She is a young minded and obviously unaware of her blossoming sexuality.
As the play continues, we see Catherine demonstrating a certain closeness to Rodolpho. Now if we take a look at Rodolpho's character, we see how he is very different to other men. We see how he likes to sing, dance and make clothes. All these in the 1950's were seen as very feminine but due to Catherine's simple intellect she doesn't realise this. All she sees is how he has a very open mind and entertaining character. She is captivated by his charm.
We will now look at a conversation between Eddie and Beatrice about Catherine and Rodolpho.
Eddie - She tell you anything?
Beatrice - What's the matter with you? He's a nice kid what do you want from him?
Eddie - That's a nice kid? He gives me the heeby - jeebies.
Beatrice - Ah, go on, you're just jealous.
This conversation between Eddie and Beatrice is one of the first signs, which show how Eddie disapproves of Rodolpho. He also talks about him with little respect. But a question to consider, is does Eddie dislike Rodolpho because of the fondness which is growing between him and Catherine or because he is unsure of his own feelings for Rodolpho? Dramatic tension begins to arise between Eddie and Rodolpho as we progress through the play. Maybe because Rodolpho is enforcing Eddie to think about his own feminine side. This, however, could be frustrating Eddie, because of the fact that he is confused about his feelings.
Beatrice also plays a part as she feels how her relationship with Eddie is rather dry.
Eddie - Why? What worries you got?
Beatrice - When am I gonna be a wife again?
Eddie - I ain't been feeling too good. They bother me since they came.
We see Beatrice asking Eddie when she's going to be wife again' or in other words when their sexual relationship is going to bloom. This shows tension between the two characters as we see them both feeling very uncomfortable with each. I would stage right, while Beatrice is stood directly in front of him, but the two characters would avoid looking straight at each other.
The narrator in this play also has the role of a character, which makes him different to other narrators. His role changes from narrator to the lawyer, Alfieri. As a character, Alfieri listens and gives advice to Eddie. He slips from being a narrator to a character. Here we see a conversation between Alfieri and Eddie.
Alfieri - But, Eddie, she's a woman now.
Eddie - He's stealing her from me!
Alfieri - She wants to get married Eddie she can't marry you, can she?
Here we see a heated conversation about Catherine and the fact that Eddie is unhappy about her marrying Rodolpho. Alfieri listens to Eddie but also tells him what he thinks.
As a narrator, the story is told through flashbacks pointing out major elements of the play such as the beginning paragraph in Act 2.
Alfieri - On the twenty-third of that December a case of Scotch whisky slipped from a net while being unloaded...
The narrator uses precise language to make sure the audience understand. A very clear description is given. If you looked into the narrator's character I would describe his as a kind of a symbol of fate as he is watching down on all the characters. If I were to stage the narrator, I'd stage him visible, behind the set, on a bridge, looking down on all of the characters. This symbolises 'the view from the bridge.' By using the thought of the bridge, Miller is applying imagery, as the view from the bridge is the narrators view from the bridge, or, society's view from the bridge.
I think that the role of the narrator in "A View from the Bridge" is very effective in expressing the authors concerns as the narrator covers a variety of different aspects, both socially and moralistically. Miller has shown us that as well as telling the story, the narrator can also take over a number of other roles. I think this is a very good device, which Arthur Miller has used and succeeded in doing so. The symbolism and imagery is also variably used to portray certain images, which are used to help picture the scene, such as the bridge. I think Arthur Miller has put a great amount of thought into this play with which he has proved that he can produce to satisfy the audience.
