A View from the Bridge Final Coursework Essay
A View From the Bridge Final Coursework Essay
By Salman Ramjaun 10GE...
How does Arthur Miller present the ideas of Manliness, Hostility and Aggression in ‘A View from the Bridge?’
‘A View from the Bridge’, a play written by Arthur Miller was set in Red Hook, Brooklyn in the 1950s; this area consisted of many Italian immigrants who came to Brooklyn to work. The tragic hero of the play named, Eddie Carbone is a 40 year old man, an American of a Sicilian background; He is described as "a husky, slightly overweight longshoreman." He is an ordinary man and is part of the local Italian community. He is the master of the household and both Beatrice and Catherine are undoubtedly used to him laying down the rules; Eddie sees this as a ‘macho’ thing to do and he expects all men to do the same - which is why he cannot accept Rodolfo's gentle talents. Furthermore, conflict is demonstrated when the cousins of Beatrice, Rodolfo and Marco, arrive. As narrator, Alfieri discloses the eventual tragedy, he talks about justice and how sometimes, justice is dealt within outside the law. He says he has a timeless story to tell - one that ran a “bloody course,” he sets the scene and introduces the characters; he is telling the audience the story of the play in flashback.
Miller uses several forms of masculinity to show the audience that in different circumstances and cultures different forms of masculinity are possible. This is shown to the audience by comparing both extremes of masculinity and what they both involve. In the longshoreman culture respect is as much a part of a man as is his own image. This leads to those members of the community going to extraordinary lengths to keep their reputation in order to stop them being emasculated in the eyes of the community. In the beginning of the play, Eddie is keen to show that he is very manly, “You call that a spider? You oughta see what comes outa the bananas sometimes.” In the Sicilian culture this is not so true and a form of
By Salman Ramjaun 10GE...
How does Arthur Miller present the ideas of Manliness, Hostility and Aggression in ‘A View from the Bridge?’
‘A View from the Bridge’, a play written by Arthur Miller was set in Red Hook, Brooklyn in the 1950s; this area consisted of many Italian immigrants who came to Brooklyn to work. The tragic hero of the play named, Eddie Carbone is a 40 year old man, an American of a Sicilian background; He is described as "a husky, slightly overweight longshoreman." He is an ordinary man and is part of the local Italian community. He is the master of the household and both Beatrice and Catherine are undoubtedly used to him laying down the rules; Eddie sees this as a ‘macho’ thing to do and he expects all men to do the same - which is why he cannot accept Rodolfo's gentle talents. Furthermore, conflict is demonstrated when the cousins of Beatrice, Rodolfo and Marco, arrive. As narrator, Alfieri discloses the eventual tragedy, he talks about justice and how sometimes, justice is dealt within outside the law. He says he has a timeless story to tell - one that ran a “bloody course,” he sets the scene and introduces the characters; he is telling the audience the story of the play in flashback.
Miller uses several forms of masculinity to show the audience that in different circumstances and cultures different forms of masculinity are possible. This is shown to the audience by comparing both extremes of masculinity and what they both involve. In the longshoreman culture respect is as much a part of a man as is his own image. This leads to those members of the community going to extraordinary lengths to keep their reputation in order to stop them being emasculated in the eyes of the community. In the beginning of the play, Eddie is keen to show that he is very manly, “You call that a spider? You oughta see what comes outa the bananas sometimes.” In the Sicilian culture this is not so true and a form of