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Introduction

'Paper Doll' Scene (Page 20 line 37 - Page 22 line 16) How does Miller make this an important scene? The song that Rodolfo sings, 'Paper Doll', plays a key role in this scene and also in the rest of the play. On an obvious level, it draws, attention to Rodolfo, particularly, how feminine he is, which becomes a lot more significant later in the play. The lyrics of the song are also important as they reflect what is actually happening in the play, in particular the line, "it's tough to love a doll that's not your own". ...read more.

Middle

The final stage direction, 'his [Eddie's] face was puffed with trouble', after watching Rodolfo and Catherine flirting, shows his feelings for them being romantically together, and the use of 'puffed' provokes physical imagery in the readers mind. By telling Catherine to change her shoes, he exerts his power over her, demonstrating to Rodolfo that she belongs to him. Eddie phrases the command more like a request, although he doesn't leave her much choice on the matter. Also, by saying "do me a favour, will you?" he makes it much more personal and makes it impossible for Catherine to refuse especially since they have company. ...read more.

Conclusion

However Catherine is completely under Rodolfo's spell after the song and doesn't want him to stop, without realising the effect it is having on Eddie. By stopping Rodolfo singing, Eddie changes the entire tone of the scene, the casual family gathering becomes much more tense as Marco is anxious about getting "picked up". This scene marks a change in the relationships between Eddie, Catherine and Rodolfo. Eddie's hate for Rodolfo increases as Rodolfo's love for Catherine also increases. This in turn causes Eddie and Catherine to start drifting apart. ?? ?? ?? ?? Thomas Aird ...read more.

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