A View From The Bridge - Questions and Answers

A View From The Bridge: Questions and Answers

“Eddie has rather strict old-world notions of decorum”. Find some evidence to support this. How does traditional cultural values come into conflict with modern values in the play? In the play, Miller explores both written and unwritten laws. Make 2 lists under these headings to see how many you can come up with. The conditions/difficulties faced by migrants are explored in this play. What are they? In what ways are physical, emotional/personal conflict explored in the play? How is the play resolved? Is this a satisfactory resolution?

4. “Eddie has rather strict old-world notions of decorum”. Find some evidence to support this.

Eddie is a larger-than-life figure; he is authoritative, willful, dogmatic and energetic. In relation to his wife, Beatrice, and with the out side world, he is serenely masterful. Eddie is a man with a rather thin surface of good humour; underneath, he is quarrelsome and authoritative. Although he loves Catherine he expects her to live according to his expectations. Eddie appears to be completely satisfied with the way his family is at the beginning of the play; it is the possibility of change that upsets him.

Eddie is prepared to believe, and say, anything that will keep the family together, to maintain the integrity of his family life and the relationship he has with Catherine.

In the end Eddie pictures himself as a generous extrovert, and he is wiling to fight to the death to preserve his ‘name’ for liberalism and honour, whose limitations have been exposed by his behavior towards the family.

In Act I, in the last few scenes, Eddie tries to assert an authoritative manner upon Marco and Rodolpho, aiming the threats mostly at Rodolpho. In one scene Eddie points out to them that Catherine is coming in later than usually that she should be home at a certain time, thereby setting rules for her and Rodolpho. There is also the homosexuality theme, which is play on by Eddie he tries to convince others that Rodolpho is gay so that Catherine will stay away from him, but in the end he betrays the cousins and everyone loses the respect they have for him.

6. How does traditional cultural values come into conflict with modern values in the play?

In the play I believe Eddie is the symbol for the traditional cultural values, while Rodolpho is with the modern, young values.