Discuss the significance of the theme of
jealousy in the play 'A View from the Bridge'.
Jealousy
is a universal theme, explored centrally in the play 'A View from the Bridge'.
It is significant in many ways, as it affects the relationship between pivotal
characters, dramatizes the events in the play and is arguably the catalyst that
leads Eddie to his tragic downfall. The theme is also used as an instrument to
create tension within the Carbone household and to link and help present other
universal and central themes in the play.
Arguably,
Eddie Carbone's jealousy towards Catherine and Rodolpho's relationship and his
inability to control those incestuous feelings could be seen as the
protagonist's tragic flaw. Alfieri warns Eddie that 'there's too much love for
the niece' and yet he still allowed it feelings to overwhelm and control him
until ‘his eyes were like tunnels’. Blinded by jealousy, Eddie constantly find faults in Rodolpho’s
character, accusing the ‘thief’ who ‘aint right’ of
‘stealing from (him)’. Eddie eventually succumbs to his overwhelming emotions.
He allowed it to take over him, and ‘snitched’ to the ‘officers’ about the
‘submarines’, ‘killing’ Marco’s ‘children’ and which in turn, lead to Marco
taking his life.
Eddie’s
jealousy can also be held partly accountable for the changes and developments
in the protagonist’s character from the beginning to the end of the play.
Initially, Eddie is presented as a conventional father figure who would lightheartedly pester Catherine about the length of her
‘skirt’, tell her to stop ‘walkin’ wavy’ or ask her
‘what’s the heel for’. He is also seen as a good husband and bread winner, who
is prepared to support his wife’s family and ‘end up on the floor’, welcoming
Beatrice’s relatives while putting himself at risk for being caught helping the
‘submarines’. Eddie is seen at first as a moral and respectable character who
would never ‘rat’ or ‘snitch’ to the ‘officers’. Nevertheless, with Rodolpho and Catherine’s romance blossoming, his jealousy
deepened, causing him to become a bitter and disturbed man with ‘tunneled vision’, one who is constantly preoccupied with
faults in Rodolpho.
The
tension between Rodolpho and Eddie escalates as both
characters struggle to win over Catherine. Ironically, even though Rodolpho had escaped from the poverty of
Beatrice
and Eddie’s deteriorating marriage may be another result of Eddie’s incestuous
feelings for her niece. Beatrice’s jealous is clearly illustrated in the play
as she confronts Eddie about how ‘it’s been six months’ and demands to know
‘when (is she) going to be (his) wife again’. She explicitly tells him that
he’s ‘just jealous’ for Rodolpho and that he ‘wants
something else and (he) can never have her’, forcing Eddie to accept the
uncomfortable truth that ‘there’s too much love for the niece’. Beatrice ‘gives
(Eddie) a cold look’ when he gets irritated by Catherine and Rodolpho’s romance, and encourages both Rodolpho
to ‘go ahead (and) dance’ and Catherine to ‘be the way you are, Katie. Don’t
listen to him.’ As a result of the jealousy she feels, Beatrice, intentionally
or not, pushes her niece farther away, telling her that ‘the time comes when
you gotta say goodbye’.
The
theme of jealousy is also employed to bring in other key ideas and themes into
the play. Attempting to fix her marriage with Eddie, Beatrice confronts him and
as a result, Eddie responds by telling her that ‘a wife is supposed to believe
her husband’. He will do ‘what (he) feels like doin’,
irrespective of her pressuring him. This depicts the socio-economic
circumstances of the conventional female role in a patriarchal society, in Redhook,
Fundamentally,
the recurring theme of jealousy dramatizes the course of the play and
transforms and develops Eddie’s character. It changes relationships and adds
tension between pivotal characters, helps introduce
other themes and significant ideas such as ‘women’s socio-economic
circumstances’ and essentially, leads Eddie Carbone to his impending downfall.