Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge

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Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge

'A View From The Bridge' is set in early 1950's America at a time when

it was very common for illegal crime syndicates to transport illegal

immigrants into America for large sums of money. It is based around a

small family who decide to have two of their relatives imported from

Italy so they can try and make some money for their poor families back

home.

The play covers many issues including aggression, hostility and the

true role of a man to his family. Hostility starts when Roldolfo and

Marco get transported from Italy to live with the Carbones. Roldolfo

does not conform to Eddies views of "manliness", since Roldolfo is not

big and strong like him.

Eddie works in a male dominated dock yard and has a very stereotypical

view of men and their roles, he believes they should be strong and

protective to their families. Eddie thinks it is very important that

he is given respect, we know this because halfway through Act two

Eddie Shouts at Beatrice telling her "I want my respect". He sometimes

wants more respect than he deserves, even though Beatrice tells

Roldolfo and Marco to move out he tells her "I don't like the way you

talk to me, Beatrice" this makes Eddie seem like a bully.

Conflict begins when Eddie shows his dislike for Roldolfo. Eddie says

that Roldolfo "is not right", and the only reasons he can give for

this is that he has blonde hair, sings and can make clothes.

Marco shows conventionally masculine characteristics. For example when

Eddie can't lift the chair and Marco can with hardly any effort. This

hurts Eddie's ego and makes Eddie feel threatened; the only way Eddie

know...

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...was selfish, and if he just settled with Catherine and him being

friends, he would still be alive now. He lost everything because he

was selfish. Alfieri generalises all of his other clients by saying

Eddie is "not purely good, but himself purely, for he allowed himself

to be wholly known and for that I will love him more than any my

sensible clients". By this statement Alfieri means that Although Eddie

was wrong with his views he was just being himself.

Manliness, Hostility and Aggression are obvious themes though out the

play and they are all very closely linked. Because of Eddies views on

manliness he is Hostile towards Roldolfo from as soon as he meets him.

This then leads to aggression between Marco and Eddie, which ends in

Eddie having his life taken from him all because of his shallow views

and poor education.

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