"A View from the Bridge" is a play written by Arthur Miller, set in the 1950s in an Italian-American neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York. The play tells the story of Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman, and his family, who become entangled in a web of betrayal, jealousy, and desire.
The core themes of "A View from the Bridge" are:
- Loyalty and Betrayal: The play explores the themes of loyalty and betrayal through the character of Eddie Carbone, who betrays his family and community in pursuit of his own desires. He feels threatened by the arrival of his wife's younger cousin, Rodolfo, and becomes increasingly jealous of the relationship that develops between Rodolfo and his niece, Catherine.
- Masculinity and Homophobia: The play explores the themes of masculinity and homophobia through the character of Eddie, who is threatened by Rodolfo's effeminacy and homosexuality. Eddie feels that Rodolfo is not masculine enough and therefore not suitable for Catherine. He also expresses disgust at the idea of men dancing together, which suggests fear and intolerance of homosexuality.
- Justice and the Law: The play explores the themes of justice and the law through the character of Alfieri, a lawyer who acts as a narrator and mediator. Alfieri represents the law, but he is also sympathetic to the characters' emotions and desires. He is unable to intervene directly in the characters' conflicts, but he provides a moral and philosophical perspective on the events that unfold.
- Immigration and Identity: The play explores the themes of immigration and identity through the characters of Marco and Rodolfo, who are illegal immigrants from Italy. The play depicts the challenges that immigrants face in adapting to a new culture and the tensions that can arise between different cultural groups.
Summary
Arthur Miller's two-act play, "A View from the Bridge," is set in Red Hook, a working-class neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York, and is narrated by a lawyer named Alfieri. The play centres around the Carbone family, consisting of Eddie, his wife Beatrice, and their niece Catherine. The story begins with the family anticipating the arrival of Beatrice's Sicilian cousins, Marco and Rodolpho.
Upon their arrival, the Carbone family welcomes the cousins into their home. As the weeks go by, Catherine and Rodolpho develop a romantic attraction towards each other, much to Eddie's displeasure. Eddie's dislike for Rodolpho grows stronger as the young couple becomes closer. Eventually, when they decide to marry, Eddie betrays the cousins by reporting them as illegal immigrants. This causes his family and neighbours to turn against him.
In the end, Marco seeks revenge against Eddie and kills him with a knife during a fight. Eddie dies in the arms of Beatrice, leaving his family and community to grapple with the tragic consequences of his actions.
Core Themes in 'A View from the Bridge'
The play "A View from the Bridge" delves into several themes that run throughout the text. These include justice and the law, codes of honour, and love.
Justice and the Law
In "A View from the Bridge," all the characters are of Italian/Sicilian descent. While some, like Eddie, Beatrice, and Catherine, were born in the US due to their parents' or grandparents' immigration around 1900, others like Alfieri, Marco, and Rodolpho made the voyage themselves from Italy.
During the first half of the twentieth century, America was open to immigrants from all parts of Europe, with many seeking a new life in the "new world." However, Italian immigrants, especially from southern Italy or Sicily, held on to their ancient values that often revolved around seeking revenge if wronged or disrespected.
Italy has a violent past due to criminal organizations like the Mafia, which have murdered judges, lawyers, and police officers as revenge for people being arrested and imprisoned. Miller aimed to show how this old way of thinking could not work in 1950s America, making Alfieri's narrative voice essential to the play.
Codes of Honor
Love
Miller explores the concept of love in various forms throughout the play, illustrating how it binds individuals together. He portrays different kinds of love, including romantic love, brotherly love, parental love, and forbidden love. Just as he portrays different forms of justice and law, some acceptable and others not, Miller highlights how there are acceptable and appropriate forms of love, while others are not.
Attachment
The following resource is quite useful in understanding the core themes in the play with a special focus on the character of Willy Loman.
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