To what extent does an audience sympathise with Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller’s ‘A View from the Bridge’?

The illegal immigrants, Marco and Rodolpho, generate a lot of criticism of Eddie throughout the play from the audience. Eddie believes that Rodolpho is gay, he forms this opinion on the basis that Rodolpho has blonde hair, he cooks, he 'advertises' himself by singing on the piers, and for many other petty reasons. Therefore when Catherine starts going out with Rodolpho, Eddie becomes very angry and attempts to ostracise him. When this seems to fail Eddie decides to teach Rodolpho to box, his excuse being 'one a these days somebody's liable to step on his foot or sump'm.' When Eddie 'accidentally' hits Rodolpho, Marco decides that enough is enough and stands up for his brother by proving to Eddie that he is stronger. This was done in a 'friendly' competition, introduced by Marco asking Eddie, 'Can you lift this chair?' Eddie could not, but Marco lifted the chair by one leg and held it above Eddie's head. From that point on Eddie's relationships with all of the family, including the immigrants, became very tense. The first climax of this argument comes shortly after the start of Act Two, when Eddie comes back to the flat, 'unsteady, drunk', Catherine and Rodolpho come out of the bedroom, her rearranging her dress. Eddie realising what has happened orders Rodolpho to, 'Pack it up. Go ahead. Get your stuff and get outa here.' When Catherine attempts to follow Rodolpho, Eddie becomes angrier, grabbing her and kissing her on the mouth as if to stamp ownership on her in front of Rodolpho. Then he is so angry that he kisses Rodolpho as well, as if to emasculate him. The second and final climax comes at the end of the play. Eddie has become so obsessed with Catherine that he phones the Immigration Authorities in order to stop her marrying Rodolpho. As a result of this Marco, Rodolpho and the Liparis' two immigrants are captured. On the way out of the house Marco spits in Eddie's face, shouting, 'That one! He killed my children!' Eddie for the last part of the play becomes preoccupied with 'getting his name back' having been shamed in front of members of his local community. In the end he dies for his name and reputation at Marco's hands.

Eddie's relationship with Beatrice is strained and rocky, it is obviously breaking down and continues to do so through the duration of the play. Beatrice asks Eddie, 'When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie... it's almost three months you don't feel good.' She is referring to the fact that they have not slept together for three months another sign of a disintegrating marriage. They also disagree on the subject of Catherine and Rodolpho. Beatrice believes that they should have their freedom, Eddie believes that they should not go out and that Catherine should live with them, seemingly for ever. This disagreement renders their relationship fraught with problems and arguments. Their relationship has disintegrated totally by the end of the play, but at Eddie's death he seems to apologise, saying simply, 'My B.!'

The most pathetic element of Eddie's death is that he himself caused it. He created all the problems that started all the arguments with the immigrants; he phoned the Immigration Authorities resulting in his final confrontation with Marco; he even drew the knife that killed him in order to kill Marco with it. The fact that Alfieri refers to:

'seeing every step coming, step after step, like a dark figure walking down a hall towards a certain door. I knew where he was headed for, I knew where he was going to end.'

shows that he had a fate or destiny and the way he was going there was no way of avoiding it, he was going to die as a result of this quarrel.

At the end of the book Alfieri makes a striking comment that helps you to feel sympathy for Eddie, however useless the petty argument that ended his life was. He says,

'For he allowed himself to be wholly known and for that I think I will love him more than all my sensible clients.'

This shows you that however critical you may be of his character you have to be sympathetic towards him as it seems that revealing your whole character to everyone, leaving nothing unknown is one of the bravest things anyone can do, and in a way it must have been that which killed him.

Eddie Carbone is a very tragic character who, through his own doing caused his death and his isolation from those around him, which evokes both criticism and pity amongst the audience. However, one must feel sympathy for him, in that he bared his soul to the world and paid the ultimate price for it.

Charlotte Lambie