A View From the Bridge Essay - 3428 Words

Eddie Carbone is an American-Sicilian man working in Brooklyn. He works as a longshoreman: carrying crates and goods from the ships. He is quite a large man. His job requires him to be strong and a good worker. In other words he is very masculine. He is an ordinary man. He lives with his wife and niece, whom he treats like a daughter, and like all good men should do, he works every day to provide them with enough money to survive on. Eddie is a man’s man. He lives within a close-knit community of Sicilians and is a well respected member of society. Eddie sees himself as a prime example of how a man should act and look. The ending of a view from the bridge is fairly predictable from the beginning as it is hinted at by the narrator†¦show more content†¦Eddie holds an old fashioned, limited view of masculinity. His opinions of what it means to be masculine involve fairly stereotypical features, such as strength and ability. Characteristics that people generally associate with a male figure are strength, silent. The time that they play is set in doesn’t help to widen Eddie’s view of masculinity. The area, Redhook, is described by the lawyer Alfieri. But this is Redhook, not Sicily. This is the slum that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge†¦the gullet of New York swallowing the tonnage of the world’. It accommodated some of the worst people of the time, and though there were laws the country was controlled by gangsters. ‘In those days, Al Capone, the greatest Carthaginian of all, was learning his trade on these pavements, and Frankie Yale himself was cut precisely in half by a machine-gun on the corner of Union Street, two blocks away’. This would maybe inspire Eddie to act tough and strong. He understands that these gangsters are undeniably very masculine figures and that may affect him. All the immigrants came to this area, that’s why the community was so close-knit. It is also why it was so devastating to betray family or friends by reporting immigrants. When Eddie warns Catherine not to say anything about the illegal immigrants coming to stay with them he tells the story of a boy who reported his uncle. ‘The whole neighbourhood was cryin’.’ The worst thing you could do was betrayShow MoreRelatedA View from the Bridge1822 Words   |  8 PagesLiterature Coursework-Modern Drama What is the dramatic function of Alfieri’s character in ‘A View from the Bridge’? ‘A View from the Bridge’ is a play written by Arthur Miller. Miller’s inspiration for this play is close to his heart. He grew up in New York City; his parents were illegal immigrants into the United States looking for work. Alfieri is a key component, not only is he a character he is also a narrator. He acts as a chorus to the play and an aid to the audience. Alfieri plays manyRead MoreA View From A Bridge1842 Words   |  8 PagesFollowing the Second World War in 1945, America emerged from the conflict as a prestigious superpower and saw the 1950s begin as an era of prosperity and wealth. However, the beginnings of the Cold War saw increased tension between the USA and the USSR and the capitalist and communist ideologies. These clashes along with the rise of nuclear power contributed to a tense and fearful atmosphere, giving rise to a period of McCarthyism. This saw communist ‘witch hunts’ and people accused and prosecutedRead MoreA View from the B ridge by Miller1609 Words   |  7 PagesMiller’s A View from the Bridge, originally written in 1956 as a one act play, has many features of a classic Greek tragedy. It is set in the Italian-American neighbourhood, situated in Red Hook, near Brooklyn Bridge in New York. It is in this community Miller chooses to dramatise themes of conflict, betrayal, love and obsession. The underlying omerta is present throughout the play and is the reason for the conflict as it is defied by Eddie Carbone, the Italian longshoreman, who destroys himselfRead MoreA View from the Bridge Essay734 Words   |  3 PagesA View from the Bridge *Works Cited Not Included The first scene begins with a fight. Obviously this introduction is indicative of some kind of intense emotion to follow. An aura of passionate emotions continues to surface throughout the play. The mood is set immediately. The audience knows that whatever is to come will be fiery and fervent. Ironically, the opening scene is the climax itself. By using this structure, the author gets right to the point that Eddie Carbone is a self-destructive characterRead MoreA View from the Bridge Essay10643 Words   |  43 PagesWhat does the Bridge in View From The Bridge symbolize? A View From The Bridge is a play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller, a prominent figure in American Theatre, this Greek tragedy adapted drama was written to emphasize on the themes of incestuous love, jealousy and betrayal. In simple geographical terms, the ‘bridge’ in the title of the play is the Brooklyn Bridge, the one that spans the East River, between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Man hattan, New York. The title drew attentionRead Morea view from the bridge; honour1228 Words   |  5 PagesCHARACTERS IN THE PLAY. WHICH CHARACTERS IN PARTICULAR BELIEVE THAT HONOUR IS AN IMPORTANT THEME IN THE PLAY? Honour is a very important in this play, specially for Eddie and Marco, who are the â€Å"alpha males† of the house more or less, because Eddie is from the beginning the boss at his house, but when he threatens Rodolpho, Marco tries to show Eddie that he is also a strong man and that he cannot do that to HIS brother. It means far more to them than the law. To be honorauble is to be respected, andRead MoreEssay on Justice in A View from the Bridge1747 Words   |  7 PagesJustice in A View from the Bridge Arthur Miller is now regarded as one of the world’s greatest dramatists. In his plays he explores the struggles of the ordinary man against authority and insurmountable odds. Millers own struggle therefore with this issue is present in ‘A View from the Bridge’ as he, like the characters in his plays (such as Eddie Carbone), was faced with the problem of choosing to be American or not, specifically by naming names of people who were doing (what were consideredRead MoreA View from a Bridge Dramatic Techniques2178 Words   |  9 PagesHow does Arthur Miller successfully engage an audience with A play with no surprise? A view from a bridge is a play written by Arthur Miller in the 1950s. Miller wrote the play as a modern day Greek tragedy in New York Brooklyn. Arthur Miller captures the audience with a true story twisted in his own words from which emerge the controversial ideas of incest, cultural obligation and masculinity. The part in the play where Alfieri mentions ‘it is not what but how means that even though we knowRead More A View From The Bridge Essay examples1199 Words   |  5 PagesA View From The Bridge â€Å"Whatever happened we all done it and don’t you ever forget it.† The play A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller is set in New York in the 1950s. During this period of time there were many illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe moving in to America. This was due to the depression caused by the Second World War. The depression caused a lack of work, many people started to migrate to America where there were many jobs. Due to the mass immigration America started to Read MoreEssay about A View from The Bridge4541 Words   |  19 PagesA View from The Bridge Discuss the importance of stage directions in Arthur Millers ‘A View From The Bridge’ and what they reveal about the character of Eddie Carbone. Stage directions are very important in drama and this is evident in Arthur Millers ‘A View From the Bridge’. Stage directions give actors and directors character motivation and this allows actors to create believable characters and explain a characters actions and feelings. They also highlight characters emotions that are