“Something perversely pure calls to me from his memory – not purely good, but himself purely, for he allowed himself to be wholly known.”
Alfieri realizes his feelings for Catherine are exceptionally powerful and that their would be nothing that Eddie could do to control them or dissolve them. Eddie tries to open up to Alfieri but can’t quite get the words out of what he wants to say. There is also one other particular part of the play when Eddie goes to see Alfieri in his office. Eddie goes to seek advice in order to prevent Catherine from marrying Rodolpho. Alfieri subtly mentions Eddie’s feelings but doesn’t quite mention them in so many words. Alfieri says,
“When the law is wrong it’s because it is unnatural, but in this case it is natural and a river will drown you if you buck it now. Let her go.”
Alfieri is saying that it is illegal for Eddie to get involved with Catherine sexually. It goes against the natural order. However the only advice Alfieri can give is to turn Rodolpho and Marco in to immigration, but with them being family it wouldn’t be a wise move. Eddies love for Catherine is so strong that he is willing to go to any means necessary to stop her marrying Rodolpho, making the call to immigration the only way out of the predicament. Eddie calls immigration, aware of his betrayal to Beatrice but he is doing it out of love for Catherine.
Beatrice also realizes Eddie’s feelings for Catherine, in one [particular scene Eddie ad Beatrice have a slight disagreement over Catherine which later leads to an argument over lack of sex. Beatrice wants to know,
“When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?”
Beatrice says it in this context rather than come straight out and says when are we going to have sex again. This way avoids embarrassment but still gets the point across without having to actually say it. Beatrice wants to talk about what is happening but she can’t get Eddie to open up to her. Eddies feelings are putting a strain on the marriage, sexually, physically and emotionally. But Eddie,
“Just dont wanna talk about it”
This line from Eddie is a particular thing a man would say. Men can’t talk about how they feel, they don’t know how to as they have always been taught to be a ‘man’. This scene is towards the middle of the first act. Eddie doesn’t want to talk about it as he doesn’t understand his own feelings; however he isn’t aware that other people around him, particularly Beatrice, are starting to realize his feelings. The audience gets a hint from Beatrice that she knows what’s going on in Eddies head as she says
“I got other worries”
This is an indication that she’s realizing what’s happening in Eddies head and therefore, maybe trying to work out how to prevent tem. Eddie could be starting to realize his feelings are strong for Catherine but doesn’t want to accept them until he knows the full extent of his love for her. However his feelings are made perfectly clear for Catherine towards the end of the play when he makes the life changing decision to call immigration. Beatrice knows in her heart that nothing sexual will ever happen between Eddie and Catherine but the love he has for Catherine will never go away.
Beatrice tries to make Catherine aware of Eddie’s feelings; she sits her down and has a heart to heart with her. Beatrice sees there is no getting through to Eddie as he won’t talk to her about how he feels so she tries to talk to Catherine. Beatrice basically points out that she’s not a little girl anymore and needs to grow up, she says,
“You’re a woman, that’s all, and you got a nice boy and now the time came when you said good-bye. Alright?”
Beatrice is subtly warning Catherine, she’s saying the quicker you move on, make something of yourself and marry Rodolpho the quicker and easier it will be for Eddie to accept the fact that he cant have Catherine and maybe in time his feelings for her will dissolve.
Catherine is slightly shocked when Beatrice says,
“I told him the same thing”
I think Catherine already knew of Eddies feelings towards her but was shocked to realize Beatrice had started to notice them as well.
Eddies love is so strong for Catherine that he allows himself to be exposed to the neighborhood. He is traveling down a one way street with absolutely no room to turn back and undo the wrong he has done. Beatrice says to Eddie,
“You want something else Eddie, and you can never have her”
Eddie distraught that Beatrice has revealed his feelings to the entire community, but he realizes what she is saying is true. There is nothing that can be done now to change what has happened or change his feelings.
In my opinion, Eddies love for Catherine was nothing of a sexual desire, but a desire from the heart, making the audience realize this wasn’t a sexual desire but a possessive desire that couldn’t be controlled. The only way out of the situation for Eddie was to leave Catherine and let her get on with her life. However because of the extent of Eddies love for Catherine was so strong, leaving her was never an option. Eddie knew the only way he would be able to cope without Catherine was for him to die. Surely being dead would be a lot easier than to live the rest of your life miserable, seeing the person that you love so much, living a different life with another person and knowing that every time you saw them together it would break your heart.
