A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller Essay example -- View From Bri

A View From The Bridge by Arthur MillerAlfieri is a attorney who works for the Sicilian community in Brooklyn.He opens the play with a very exposing account of what life used to belike and is like in that particular community. The audience knows fromthat speech everything about Alfieri and about the community in RedHook. He launches into graphic detail about past bandits and murdersand about how justice is very important to the Italians. The communityis the gullet of New York, which is sw anyowing the tonnage of theworld. This sentence is kinda ironic since Red Hook is a fishing townand tonnage is another word for cargo. Alfieri speaks as though RedHook has swallowed up all the complications of the world and is nowreduced to a slum. This creates a vivid mental picture and thereforeinvents the ideal environment for tragic goings on. Alfieri alsoutters an intriguing competition, now we resign for half. Thisproclamation gives the impression that in this Italian community prideand j ustice is fierce and that no one will settle for half of whatthey believe is right. Alfieri makes this statement in the past tenseleaving the question did the events that Alfieri witness determinewhether people settle for half. He also wonders if there is anotherunfortunate lawyer sitting back, unable to do anything as the events,run their bloody course. The indirect reference to blood createsanother question about whether blood will be shed, considering theItalian community has a reputation to fight to the death. Alfieri isessential to the structure of the play as he opens and closes theplay. I believe that he is Arthur Millers mouthpiece and he moves the put through that Miller has once witnessed.Edd... ... not.If Eddie had managed to get Catherine, it would have been unnaturaland ridiculous. Beatrice notices the relationship but herunwillingness to speak out makes her part of the problem. The reasonwhy Eddie betrayed his wifes cousins is that he loved Catherine somuch. However, even Eddie Carbone could not stand in the way of fate.Rodolpho and Catherine were meant to be together and no amount ofvigorous and passionate arguing could stop fate from running itsnatural course. The doom in this play starts at the very beginningwith Eddies outward and awkward feeling for Catherine, when he claimsher as his own. The prospect of dooms mounts as the play goes on, butthe main factor is that the play is about incestuous love, jealousyand betrayal. When these are combined with an underprivileged,passionate Italian way of life, the results are harsh.