The last line before the slow tragic decline from Alfieri reminds the audience that Eddie was a good man “He was as good a man as he had to be in a life that was hard and even. He worked on the piers when there was work, he brought home his pay, and he lived. And toward ten o’clock of that night, after they had eaten, the cousins came.” This last statement “then the cousins came” I feel would be spoken with darkness and menace, because although the cousins coming was supposed to be a happy time, giving a helping hand. It turned into a tragedy, with no ending.
The first fall in Eddies tragic decline happens when Catherine and Rodolfo return from the movies. The night before Eddie and Rodolfo had been getting on fine. Like they were the best of friends “How come he’s so dark and you’re so light?”
“I don’t know. A thousand tears ago, they say, the Danes invaded Sicily”(they all laugh)
Then the night after when Rodolfo has shown an interest in Catherine, Eddie says, “that’s a nice kid? He gives me the heebie-jeebies.” And Beatrice gives a throw away comment, “oh you’re just jealous” little does she know how true this statement is and how this jealously will eat Eddie up inside. Furthermore when Beatrice tries to confront Eddie about their marriage Eddie instantly jumps into defence mode. He doesn’t want to hear any of it, which is unlike the Eddie we have met before. Usually he is patient and caring.
“He don’t respect you”…
“No, Eddie, he’s got all kinds of respect for me. And you too! We walk across the street he takes my arm-he almost bows to me! You got him all wrong, Eddie; I mean it, you…”
“He’s only bowing to his passport” This line is a large slide down the scale for Eddie. He ruins Catherine’s happiness and naïveté. He neither knows this to be true nor has a reason to suspect it of Rodolfo but his jealousy got the better of him and he confronts Catherine and will not listen to her side of the story. This statement suggests that Rodolfo is only showing an interest in Catherine so he will not be deported home. It says, he doesn’t love you or bow at your feet. He loves what you can give him, citizenship into America.
Eddies second slide is a dramatic one also when he seeks help from Alfieri. Alfieri describes Eddie as he walks into his office. “His eyes were like tunnels; my first thought was that he had committed a crime, but soon I saw it was only a passion that had moved into his body, like a stranger.” Alfieri’s line tells us how much Eddie’s mind is on this situation. He is not the kind of man who forgets something that’s done to him. Or the type of man to give up easily even when proven wrong he continues to be stubborn and ignorant to the situation and adamant to prove there is something wrong with Rodolfo.
When Eddie seeks help Alfieri is the voice of sense. Eddie is only dwelling on the unwritten community law, instead of the correct law that Alfieri can help him with.
“There’s nothing illegal with a girl falling in love with an immigrant”
“Yeh but what if the only reason it is to get his papers?”
“First of all you need to know that.” Eddie has got o desperate that he is seeking advice from a lawyer who he knows deep down cannot help him. But he wants the satisfaction of being proven wrong; unfortunately he is not proven wrong. So he throws countless numbers of excuses at Alfieri. “The guy ain’t right” The audience at this point are possibly clueless to what is wrong with Rodolfo, he has not done anything wrong, or wronged Eddie in any way but Eddie persists in insisting that “Rodolfo ain’t right”
Furthermore I believe that Eddie is not just reacting to Rodolfo because he is showing interests in Catherine, he also thinks he is threatening is reputation. “They’re laughing at him on the piers. I’m ashamed. Paper Doll they call him. Blondie now. His brother thinks it’s because he’s got a sense of humour, see-which he’s got-but that ain’t what they’re laughin’ which they’re not goin’ to come out with it because they know he’s my relative, which they have to see me if they make a crack, y’know? But I know what they’re laughin’ at, and when I think of that guy layin’ his hands on her I could-I mean it’s eatin’ me out, Mr Alfieri, because I struggled for that girl. And now he comes in my house. ” This outpour of feelings is a break through for the audience into Eddie’s mind. It seems as though he is trying to get his words out, but can’t find the way to say it without saying too much, or saying something to indecent. It seems as though he is questioning Rodolfo’s sexuality, but also concerned because his ‘childish’ behaviour is threatening his reputation, if he’s Eddie’s family, he’s part of Eddie. And if he acts differently to the workers than Eddie does, and in a way Eddie doesn’t like he is disrespecting his name.
Eddie makes the mistake of thinking Marco will side with him. But Marco loves his brother and would do anything to protect him. “But I understood, Marco, that you was both comin’ to make a livin’ for your family. You understand me, don’t’ you Marco?”
“I beg your pardon, Eddie”
“I mean that’s what I understood in the first place, see”
“Yes. That’s why we came.” Marco seems to be very much in control of the conversation. He has the final say. And the point that Eddie was trying to get across that ‘I thought you were here to make a living, not a passport and stealing my niece.’ But Marco protected his brother and wouldn’t let him say it. This is the first step were Marco shows his superiority to Eddie.
When Catherine and Rodolfo dance, Eddie is very disapproving. He continues to try and show his superiority to Rodolfo by showing him how to fight. It seems that for a short while everything is back to normal. Everyone is laughing “(Rodolfo jabs at him, laughing. The others join in)” it seems for this short period that Eddie is back to normal, that he is over Catherine and Rodolfo, like nothing had ever happened. But then he takes it way to far. (He feints with his left hand and lands with his right. It mildly staggers Rodolfo. Marco rises)
Eddie had taken it way to far. By punching Rodolfo, most probably intentionally, the tension in the room rises. “Marco rises.” This stage direction shows the immediate protective nature of Marco over Rodolfo. Marco feels that Eddie tried to show Rodolfo who is boss. Marco then reminds him that Marco was the boss over him. It seems an almost random comment when Marco states the question; “can you lift this chair?”
(He gets on one knee with one hand behind his back, grasps the bottom of one of the chair legs but does not raise it)
Eddie fails this manhood challenge from Marco. (With strain slowly raises the chair higher and higher, getting to his feet now. Marco raises the chair over his head. Marco is face to face with Eddie, a strained tension gripping his eyes and jaw, his neck stiffs, the chair raised like a weapon over Eddies head.- and transforms what might appear like a glare of warning into a smile of triumph, and Eddie’s grin vanishes as he absorbs his look.) This is a clear and definite warning to Eddie. He does not need words. His face and actions speak louder. And Eddie from that point on knows it. Marco will do anything to protect Rodolfo, and will do anything to Eddie to stop him stopping Rodolfo’s love. This is a blow for Eddie as his name has just been tainted. Marco has shown him whose boss and Eddie does not like it. This scene is also left in the audience because the curtain then closes, so this is the picture put into their heads last. A Scene of triumph, a scene of warning, it say’s “don’t mess with me, or my brother! Because I will always win.” Miller’s stage directions are also very important here. This is why ‘A View from the Bridge’ is a play and not a book. The audience need to see Marco’s face of warning and Eddie’s grin vanish as he realises what’s just happened. This would not be written effectively enough for the audience to understand this is such a dramatic action in the play. Because to a reader this seems like another game, like there still getting a long fine. But the stage directions “his chair raised like a weapon over Eddie’s head.” These stage directions show that this is no longer a fun family game, but a competition and a threat.
We open again; Alfieri makes the audience aware that Rodolfo and Catherine are alone, for the first time. In this scene we can clearly see that Eddie has ‘got to her’ he has Catherine anxious and scared that Rodolfo might only want his papers. She starts by questioning him, whether or not he would be willing to relocate back to Italy if the circumstances allow it. “Suppose I want to live in Italy.” Rodolfo thinks that Catherine is joking as he says “you going to marry somebody rich?” Then Catherine quickly shows him she is not joking
“No I mean live there- you and me”
(His smile vanishing)
Rodolfo becomes disappointed in Catherine as she is taking Eddies words to heart. Thy continue their conversation and Catherine brings up the real problem, “I’m afraid of Eddie here.” Rodolfo is so angry not at Catherine, but Eddie’s poisonous words that have corrupted his loves mouth. He gets angry “you think I would carry on my back the rest of my days a women I didn’t love just to be an American?” this rhetorical question hives effect to the sentence. It leaves Catherine with no choice but to say no and to agree. And unwisely this leads to a large fall in Eddie’s status. “There’s nobody here now, come inside.( He leads her towards the bedroom)”
At this point Eddie appears and he is drunk. Already the audience can see that this is a recipe for disaster. Catherine and Rodolfo are in the bedroom, and Eddie is drunk, so not quite able to control himself. When he sees Rodolfo and Catherine come out of the bedroom, he is angry. As any father would be if in his situation, but Eddie is angry for a different reason, he is jealous of Rodolfo. “Pack it up. Go ahead. Get your stuff and get outa here.” When Catherine makes a move to go with Rodolfo, Eddie is angry and takes what he wants. He doesn’t ask, he just takes it. (He reaches out suddenly, draws her to him, and as she strives to free herself he kisses her on the mouth.” This disgusting and selfish move from Eddie only causes more problems. He has just forced the girl he raised like a daughter to kiss him. It is at this point we as the audience truly learn of Eddie’s true desires. Then the ironic line follows. “Stop that! Have respect for her!” Rodolfo is now demanding respect, but for Catherine. After Eddie’s countless demands that Rodolfo doesn’t respect him or Catherine the roles have now reversed and it is Eddie needing told. Then Eddie takes it all as a joke and kisses Rodolfo as well. Eddie has taken it to far by now. And he is almost at a point where he cannot climb back up to the top. “You can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole that a word that you gave a way.” Eddie had almost reached this point, where a million dollars would be easier to get back than his respect.
“He snitched on his whole family”
“I want to report something. Illegal immigrants. Two of them.”
Eddies respect has gone. There’s no way of retrieving it now. His name, his family this is a huge step in the scale, telling on his own family and ruining their lives. In this play Eddie becomes very selfish, “I want my name” he say’s this like someone has taken it from him, when he has taken it from himself. “You used to be different” when he is the one that has clearly changed. Beatrice’s line “I’M no different” shows us that every one is noticing the change in Eddie now. Is Eddie the victim? No he is not. Eddie is the culprit through and through this play, and now every one knows it. When the immigration officers come, Beatrice knows straight away. “Oh, Jesus, Eddie….oh, my God, my God…What did you do?”
Eddie denies it, but everyone knows, Catherine knows, Beatrice knows, Marco knows, Rodolfo knows, even the neighbourhood knows, Eddie Carbone is a traitor to his family.
“A guy do a thing like that, how’s he gonna show his face?” And o add insult to injury, Marco points him out in front of every one. “That one! I accuse that one!” he is too disgusted to use his name, but just points. “He killed my children! That one stole the food from my children!” Miller uses this line because he is showing the audience this is it. The end. Marco will go back to Italy, to no work and no money to feed his family. Eddie, who once helped, killed his family.
Eddie should be humbled, he should be quiet. He has accomplished hat he wanted. But he is still hung over about his name. “Only blood is good?” Beatrice tries to tell Eddie that Marco comes in peace; he wants this to be over. But Marco is beyond kissing Eddies hand. Ad Eddie is beyond letting him. In both these stubborn men’s eyes there is only malice and hatred. Te only way to solve this, is to confront it like a man.
“Eddie Carbone!” shouting his name is almost a challenge, Eddie repeats his name three times, as though confirming that it is HIS name, and he wants it. “Maybe he’s come to apologize, heh Marco? For what you said to me in front of the whole neighbourhood?...Wipin’ the neighbourhood with my name like a dirty rag! I want my name Marco!” his next step has he lunges for Marco looks as though he is going to physically take his name from Marco. When it is irretrievable. But Marco shows his strength again another step in Eddie’s decline.
“Animal! You go on your knees to me!” The tears are in Eddie’s eyes. Everyone knows he has taken it too far, even him. But he cannot quit now. He lunges towards Marco as Marco flips the blade and delivers a fatal blow. Eddie has gone. He is not Eddie anymore. He lost himself trying to get what he wanted to most. His inappropriate love for Catherine was his downfall. Mans jealously over powered him and no one could help him come back. He finally gives up on his deathbed he appears as though he is going to tell B of, why did you let this happen then he dies in her arms, with the words “My B!” He loves B but it is to late now.
Alfieri’s closing statement reminds us of the beginning, “Most of the time we settle for half, and I like it better.” If Eddie Carbone had settled for his half, Catherine and Rodolfo would have been happily married, Marco would have enough money to go to his family and Eddie and Beatrice would continue to love. Eddie would have respect. But he was greedy; he wanted the whole apple not just a bite. This story does not have a happy ending, as you would expect it to. It leaves us guessing, but Eddie’s greed incapacitates those around him. The audience is left with no doubt in their minds at what happens next. And they can’t help thinking; this is not a story that has never happened before. This tale happens all over the world, men take what the want and give nothing back.
“And yet, it is better to settle for half, it must be! And so I mourn him- I admit it- with a certain…alarm!”