‘Manliness’, ‘Hostility’ and ‘Aggression’, plays a huge role within the drama as this is a summed up explanation of how ‘Eddie’ was and the emotions he brought to the drama. This side of ‘Eddie’ is shown when ‘Raldolpho’ and ‘Marco’ enter the play as ‘Beatrice’s’ cousins and ‘Raldolpho’ has found feelings for his orphaned niece ‘Catherine’, he feels ‘Raldolpho’ isn’t ‘Manly’ and doesn’t deserve ‘Catherine’ and her heart as he is seen as a homosexual in ‘Eddie’s’ eyes, or is it that he feels overpowered by ‘Raldolpho’ and ‘Marco’.
The context and background of this play was based in a society that used to be inhabited by a gangster called ‘Al Capone.’ This caused the effect of how they were back then. For example they lived in slums, which was “entirely unromantic” (page 12). It wasn’t a place where people thought to be romantic place. People also used to say if you “meet a lawyer or a priest on the street is unlucky” (page 12) obviously meeting a lawyer or a priest creates a bad vibe around people as they were seen as representing disaster.
Manliness is evidently seemed to be a very big part of ‘Eddie’, especially when it involves his pride or ego.
Throughout the play he clearly mentions everything he sees to be manly and this creates the affect of a dramatic device, by ‘Eddie’ becoming aggressive over what the other characters ideas of ‘manliness’ are in the play. Many things are causing ‘Eddie’ to become ‘aggressive’, such as he feels threatened of the other male characters ‘Manliness’ in the play, but the main thing and the most obvious one is the relationship between ‘Catherine’ and ‘Rodolpho’. It is clearly recognised that he hates the idea of ‘Catherine’ falling in love with ‘Rodolpho’ and the fact even more that he’s welcomed a stranger in his home and all he can do is steal every belonging from him. ‘Eddie’ feels quite threatened of ‘Rodolpho’ since ‘Catherine’ has taken affection to him, this makes ‘Eddie’ think that ‘Rodolpho’ will take ‘Catherine’ away from him.
‘Eddie’ feels ‘Rodolpho’ is a homosexual and he has this opinion towards ‘Rodolpho’ because he dances, sings and makes dresses.’ Eddie’ tries to prove this to ‘Beatrice’ but she doesn’t want to listen and this is what makes ‘Eddie’ hold a lot more anger and ‘aggression’ in and he get to the point where he can take no more and has to go see ‘Alferi’ for his personal and professional opinion.
‘Eddie’ finally decides to persuade ‘Catherine’ and slowly she falls for it by him stating he only wants her to get a passport. “Katie he’s only bowin’ to his passport.” (Page 41) This is stated when the two have a huge argument based upon ‘Rodolpho’s’ intentions. ‘Marco being his brother and also a family man is only wishing for the best to come out of it, he tries to talk to ‘Eddie’ as they get along better because ‘Eddie feels his intentions are a lot more saint and they understand each other a lot more both being family men and work to support only that “My wife-she feeds then from her own mouth” (Page 29). This quote is showing the audience just how much him and his wife fend for the family and want to stay positive.
‘Marco’ can’t take any more and slowly snaps at ‘Eddie’ towards the end of the drama when he sees him for what he really is and the snitch he can be. This is all because ‘Eddie’ doesn’t want ‘Catherine’ to marry ‘Marco’s’ brother so he ends up calling the ‘Immigration Officers’, to come and collect the two and deport them back to Italy, but it doesn’t all go to plan as ‘Eddie’s’ respect is lost at the same time and he then feels violated by the accusations thrown at him by ‘Marco’.
‘Eddie’s’ neighbours start to question his ‘Manliness’ and his cultural way of life and if he has any respect for the Italian routes he has been taught, for example ‘Code of honour’, ‘Don’t grass anyone up’. This is something ‘Eddie didn’t follow.
Aishah Shakoor