Use of Language in A View from the Bridge

Use of Language in A View from the Bridge

Examine Miller’s use of language and dramatic devices in helping the

audience to understand the themes of A View From The Bridge

Arthur Miller is regarded as a great dramatist and he explores the

life struggles of an ordinary man against authority and insurmountable

odds and in ‘A View From The Bridge’ he uses many dramatic devices and

enigmatic themes to help the audience understand the play. Some of the

main themes are jealousy, love, law, justice and social class.

The play opens with Alfieri’s thoughtful analysis of the situation in

Red Hook. Alfieri is a sympathetic and an educated lawyer and ‘And

when I saw him walk through my door, I knew why I had waited’ clearly

shows Alfieri’s character of being a perceptive and understanding man.

He speaks in a conversational style and he tells the story in a series

of flashbacks and he is in control of the play. He immediately creates

the atmosphere – where crime was once set in that very neighborhood.

Alfieri has a mysterious role and Miller uses him as a crucial link

between the characters he is also used as a narrator, commentator and

sometimes a character. He talks about it being ‘better to settle for

half’ and how he likes that better as, the search for absolute justice

results in intolerable consequences as well as, being virtually

impossible. Giving details on how the law is limited and cannot deal

with every human problem he explains the boundaries to both Marco and

Eddie, knowing in his heart they will probably ignore what he has

said, however, he cannot take further action to avoid the conflict.

Alfieri’s role is to look over the action and remain the purpose

throughout, also, Alfieri offers the audienc...

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... the audience is aware, from Alfieri’s

speech, that the main character is led by fate towards an ending that

cannot be escaped by anyone.

Miller used the basic themes to build his play up on such as,

justice, love, jealousy, law and social class. He used them to put the

play together and help the audience understand the thoughts, feelings

and emotions of the characters. He used dramatic devices and certain

language, from Alfieri’s educated speech to Eddie’s inexpert however,

realistic American language, to do so. Miller used these techniques in

a clever way so he was able to express his ideas fully. One way was

through Alfieri, he was used as a character and a narrator to

emphasize the themes to the audience. Alfieri leaves the audience

thinking about these techniques and themes that Miller used that

caused Eddie to get the tragic ending that he did.