A View From The Bridge
A View From The Bridge
In the play A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller, there are various descriptions of
the social situation of the time. He makes use of various characters and other action to
demonstrate this. This essay talks about how Eddies character reflects upon the social
time.
Eddie Carbone is the sorrowful hero of the play. He is continually self-intrigued. Eddie
makes an reliable dreamland where his foolish choices bode well. In reality he envisions
shielding Catherine from marriage and any male relationship and needs her for himself.
While Eddie falters and switches amongst common and state laws and societies, his
inspirations dont change.
The themes used to convey the information about the social time. Community allegiance is
strong throughout the battle to restore his name in community. It is an important theme, as
the characters feels themselves to be trapped between their Italian heritage and American
future. Eddie is conscious about his name, and rodolphos action cause embarrassment at
home and at work. Thus showing serious Americans. We have many families in our town, the
children never see their father. This reflects upon how they wish to seek American future,
as everyone else is swell.
Eddies pride is another theme that runs throughout the play. In the beginning it was a
positive characteristics, although by the end it leads him to desperation and ultimately
death! Eddie welcomes the immigrants to his house gratefully, but his pride causes him deep
inner conflict when it comes to Catherine. Eddie would never admit his feelings for her, as it
would scandal between the community and ruin his name. However, he also struggles to allow
her to become a woman, scared that another man will want her. In the climax both Eddie and
Marco are fighting over pride. Marco wants revenge as he has been wronged and will be
unable to support his family once he is deported, while Eddie wants to save his name in the
community.
This is a great quote for not only showing Eddies pride ( and his embarrassment ) but also
his feeling that rodolpho is gay. There is an inherent irony in this, in the Eddies dislike for
Rodolpho come from his stealing of Catherine, and yet Eddie reacts by assuming that
Rodolpho is a homosexual. This also tells us about the world of masculinity that Eddie lives
in, where Real men dont sing, dance or cook.
The above evidence, descriptions and quotes are a proof to how Arthur Miller portrays
Eddiss character to resemble the social time and situation.
-Dipan Jain
- 10A