Throughout the play, Alferi, who is a lawyer born in Italy and lived in Brooklyn for 25 years, commentates the action as if it is a flashback. He is interpreted as compassionate and abides by the justice. He is powerless to change the tragedy which he feels is inevitable.
The characters are all from Sicily, Italy, which has a history of gangsters – mafia, and violence. The people have a custom of honour, the worst crime that can be committed is ‘snitching’ on your family. The story of Vinny Balzona is an example of the consequences of discarding the laws – “the family had an uncle… he snitched…five brothers and old father… they grabbed him … three flights his head was bouncing like a coconut…”
Eddie’s masculinity is challenged throughout the play, he is a typical male of his time in the following ways: he provides for his family, his is very honourable and follows the code of honour and justice, he is respected in his neighbourhood, he does not trust people – quote: “the less you trust, the less you can be sorry.” All this shows his duty of masculinity, which prepares us for his attitude towards the illegal immigrant, and Beatrice’s cousins, Marco and particularly Rodolpho.
Marco is similar to Eddie, in the aspect that he has a duty to act in a masculine way for his family; he is a man with love, honour and justice. We see in Act 1, were Eddie is using the excuse of teaching boxing to Rodolpho as an opportunity to hit him, Marco, seeing this, displays his strength by lifting a chair by its legs with one hand which Eddie cannot match. Marco has also a very polite, loving personality, this, in my eyes, makes him a better man than Eddie; he is honourable and has respect.
Eddie tries to prevent this bond between Catherine and Rodolpho; the first time is when Eddie tells Catherine that Rodolpho is using her so that “he’s got a right to be an American citizen.” Catherine gets very upset, but she admits she still loves Rodolpho. The second time he reports them to the immigration officers, this results in a quote of revenge – when Marco accuses Eddie: “That one! He killed my children! That one stole the food from my own brothers!” Eddie has committed the worst offences named under the custom of Sicilian culture; this is followed by serious consequences – the death of Eddie.
On the other hand, Rodolpho, the ambitious talented younger brother of Marco, challenges Eddie’s maleness. Rodolpho can sew, cook and sing which in Eddie’s eyes are not actions of masculinity and more of femininity. Eddie constantly implies Rodolpho of homosexuality, Rodolpho has platinum hair …, Eddie turns especially jealous when Catherine starts to fall in love with Rodolpho, and this creates an atmosphere of tension and competition. His unusual image is a signal that he is ‘different’ from average Italian immigrants. An example of this feud is in Act 2, when Rodolpho and Catherine express their love, Eddie passes, he says you want something?”, “Rodolpho replies “yes! She’ll be my wife…” Eddie then says “but what’re you gonna be?” the feud continues, Rodolpho replies “I’ll show you what I be!” the men fight “like animals”
To demonstrate Rodolpho inadequacy as a man, first Eddie kisses Catherine then turns and kisses Rodolpho, as if to say – this person is not fit to be your husband despite this Rodolpho and Catherine leave together; Eddie has failed in another attempt to test his manhood- he has lost “his woman”.
Beatrice's and Eddie’s relationship is also challenged, as we see in the beginning of the narrative, the family is very casual and act as if they are a nuclear family, there was a strong bond between everybody, only when the immigrants arrive does all the feud and change start. When Eddie realises that Catherine has started to get feelings for Rodolpho and he see that she is becoming older without his realisation, he starts to get jealous which gives rise to dramatic irony, eddies relationship with Catherine takes a sexual turn psychologically but not mentioned in quotes. Beatrice realises this new bond – “you want somethin’ else, Eddie, and you can never have her!” Beatrice enquires to Eddie about their own relationship – “when will I be a wife again, Eddie?” yet she encourages Catherine towards Rodolpho and to be more independent and to stand up for herself because she is a grown woman, - “it means you gotta be your own self more.” By the end of the play, when the wedding has arisen, Beatrice stays with Eddie, and when Eddie dies his dying words were “My B!” This is in some ways a reward, but could also show his loss.
Eddies death was his own fault; he died because of his own jealousy and selfishness, he was killed by Marco out of revenge. The question is that, was his life worth living? Because he had lost everything he loved, he maybe wanted to die. On the other hand he still had Beatrice, who loved him even though Eddie denied having feelings for Catherine which lay in his subconscious mind.
I agree with the statement because, the story revolves around eddies characteristics. As I am a male, my views of excitement are action, this could be a stereotype but then again it is my view. The scenes were Eddie’s masculinity is challenged always seems to end in a feud. It also opened the audiences view to how the customs of Sicily are enforced and how ruthless they are. If Rodolpho had not created an impression Catherine and start the jealousy then the other dramatic scenes would not have occurred – the relationship issues would not have risen, the death would not have occurred, so I think that as Eddie is the master and main character of the play, his drama is the source of all the other subordinate dramas. Eddies masculinity is part of the tragedy; this challenge gave way to another relationship, Catherine. Masculinity, for the Italian men from Sicily consisted of justice and law and also the code of honour, Eddie betrays these attributes and therefore faces the consequences, the story’s context is about the Italian illegal immigrants, the scenes of Eddie’s masculinity being challenged, these scenes show the Italian culture so they are important and Arthur Miller would have made these scenes the most dramatic.