“A View from the Bridge” Essay

There are some interpretations of what the name could suggest: an overview, a bridge between characters, Catherine’s bridge between girl and woman, a bridge among two sides (America and Italy) and Eddie’s alter of personality. Alfieri is usually an incomer, his look at is ‘from the bridge’; he responses on Eddies’ progress being a storyteller, “I could have finished the whole history that afternoon…I could see every stage coming. ” (p50) This is what Alfieri says after Eddie comes to see him. He is the narrator and it is quite like the chorus in a Greek Disaster. Characters likewise make ‘bridges’ or connections between various other characters.

For instance , throughout the initial act we see that Beatrice is the connection between Catherine and Eddie and she still is on-page 80 when ever she demands that Eddie attend the marriage when Catherine does not care. Also, Eddie disfavors Rodolpho and Catherine connections that difference and attempts to persuade Eddie to her point of view, “What’re you have got against him? …He just blesses you. “(40) Catherine’s growing up is a connect as well: “I’m not a baby…Beatrice says to become woman, ” (62) Through this scene in addition, she asks Rodolpho to teach her and they venture towards the bedroom, she emerges to speak to Eddie adjusting her dress. An innocence of virginity is viewed.

The audience also sees a bridge in Catherine’s task (18), with her developing up and changing in the rough part of the docks to something more ‘up market’. The title could also mean bridging the space between two cultures, America and Italy. The German way of life is certainly much based on unsaid rules of honour and trust, the American justice product is written in stone, “MARCO: …All what the law states is certainly not in a book.

ALFIERI: Yes. In a book. There is no different law. ” (78) Eddie lived an Italian/American way of life, Alfieri says in the 1st scene which the law was often busted for ‘justice’ (12); Eddie does not desire this to get Catherine, this individual wants her to have The American Dream – going via poor slums to wealthy and powerful in one era. The American culture of Brooklyn builds from the grubby docks.

The bad living conditions and poor way of life do not seem to be fit for Catherine and Eddie desires to change that. Eddie great longshoremen friends are very hard in there personal way, they have very great intents, but their way of practicing it displays very little knowing of the outside world. The troubles from the whole play originated from the docks and Eddie’s generosity in taking the Italians in to stay.

This can be illegal and he is bringing back the lifestyle that Alfieri introduces as having transformed for the better, “Now we accept half [the law] and i also like it better. “(12) Eddie at the start from the play is incredibly hard-working and protective; he wants Catherine to have the American Dream that he by no means had; he’s generous – he enables the cousins come to stay, caring and sensitive; he has the Italian values of loyalty as well as the family as you being. This changes throughout the play. The group sees his change of character in such things as the threat coming from Rodolpho great brother.

On-page 27 Eddie disagrees with Marco’s offer that “If you state ‘go’, we all go. ” On page 48 Eddie refuses Alfieri’s proven fact that the only way to rid him self of the threat of Rodolpho is to survey them: “Oh Jesus simply no, I wouldn’t do nothin’ like that…” On page 67 he finally rings Migrants to record his friends, a change of attitude entirely. This alter is the ‘bridge’ in Eddie’s story.