'Is Eddie a caring father figure
or a controlling patriarch? Explore the tensions created in Eddie's character
at the beginning of the play.'
Arthur Miller’s play ‘A View from
the Bridge’ explores the concept of how Greek tragedy, initially only reserved for
a noble hero or protagonist, can be presented as a factor in the lifestyle of a
normal person and therefore how radically ordinary lives have the potential to
be affected by the introduction of this tragedy. Eddie Carbone is the main
protagonist in this particular play where his relationship with his wife
Beatrice and his own personal regular life is jeopardized and threatened by the
hidden covert feelings he harbors for his adopted daughter Catherine.
Miller suggests at the ethically
wrong relationship between Eddie and Catherine at the start of the play where,
after Catherine greets Eddie in a casual informative manner he is ‘pleased and
therefore shy about it.’ This insinuates an implication that their
father-daughter connection might not be as pure and ‘normal’ as others and the
fact that Eddie is shy after such a simple gesture suggests that he is hiding
his feelings for her away from himself and also from Catherine and by not
acknowledging it he also never fully realizes the disastrous consequences it
could bring about. Furthermore, the atmosphere becomes awkward, as a result of
Eddie’s shyness, which is unexpected and unusual a subtlety the reader is able
to recognize therefore could already be evaluating Eddie’s personality as
immoral since his introduction. Besides this, Eddie also reacts to Catherine’s
attire with an undertone of jealously in his answer ‘I think it’s too short
ain’t it?’ hints at a deeper more intimate relationship which Eddie suppresses
and refuses to accept. After he does agree to Catherine’s proposal Eddie then
says with ‘ a sense of her childhood, her babyhood and all the years’ ‘Allright
go to work…And you’ll come visit on Sundays, then once a month, then Christmas
and New Years, finally.’ Although he is joking the sadness and nostalgia off
there is a distinct impression created that he regrets making the decision and
will miss her and if interpreted cynically, Eddie comes to comprehend that he
will lose Catherine and due to his unrequited passion for her, he does not want
to let her go or give her up even though he knows it is in her best interests.
However the audience is presented
with another portrayal of Eddie as a caring worried father towards Catherine.
He is protective of her and after being informed about her job exclaims,’ What
job?....What kinda job what do you mean? All of a sudden you-‘ depicting his
defensive posture concerning Catherine and the reader comes to accept this
other side of his personality. In addition, he is seen to be asking many
questions such as ‘ Where’s the job? What company?’ and ‘Nostrand Avenue and
where?’ this further intensifies the fatherly protectiveness he previously
displayed as he is concerned for her welfare and wants to be notified on
everything she is doing or is going to decide on, in this way he can continue
caring for her as he has done since her adoption.
Eddie’s power and influence in this
household is reiterated throughout most of Scene 1, when he arrives home from
work it is Catherine who ‘takes his arm’ and ‘walking him to the armchair.’
Similarly Catherine also asks him ‘I’ll get you a beer all right’ implying her
position of servitude as she is waiting on Eddie and his needs. Moreover, on
the stage the audience will view Eddie sitting on the armchair whereas
Catherine is stereotypically and physically lower than him for she is ‘sitting
on her heels beside him’ this contrast in position also represents their
statuses in the house with Eddie being the dominant male and Catherine as the
obedient daughter who constantly strives for Eddie’s approval which is seen
when she repeats the phrase ‘You like it huh?’ in order to gain a positive
response from Eddie and possibly his admiration. In addition Catherine’s
dependence on Eddie in the process of decision-making and for income into the
household, as he is the main if not the only earner in the family, is
intensified by her actions towards him. She ‘lowers her eyes’ thus showing an
image of inferiority in front of a male serving to display an ashamed stance
once he disapproves of her job prospects consequently reinforcing the idea that
in a patriarchal society, such as in ‘A View from a Bridge’, women and girls
had to rely on males to validate a decision before it can be chosen. This
stereotypical culture encapsulates an impression of normalcy which Miller
utilizes to enhance the tragedy in an ordinary life which the audience can
relate to.
On the other hand, Eddie is worried
about her casual relationship with Louis even stating that ‘I can tell you
things about Louis which you wouldn’t wave to him no more.’ This aspect of his
protective stance with Catherine is mainly accentuated with Catherine’s effect
on other males around the neighborhood. ‘ I don’t like the looks they’re givin
you in the candy store… The heads are turning like windmills.’ This typical
father emotion is effective in endearing Eddie to the audience who perceives
him as a caring father figure only worried about his daughter and anxious for
her safety. In addition, he refrains from an argument with her instantly reassuring
her to ‘don’t get mad, kid’ after she is ‘almost in tears because he
disapproves.’ Therefore his kind and decent personality also resonates well
with the audience who are able to sympathize with Eddie for no father desires
to be on bad terms with his own daughter. He quickly notices her changed
appearance and asks her questions such as ‘Where you goin all dressed up? What
happened to your hair?’ emphasizing the personal and close relationship between
the two.
Another point reinforcing Eddie’s
domineering presence in the household is his final say when making a decision.
When Catherine is to go earn extra income with a secretarial job he vehemently
denies it by interrupting her announcement with ‘No-no, you gonna finish
school,’ in addition he differs in opinion with Beatrice who supports Catherine
and by the short phrase ‘That ain’t what I wanted though’ he instantly
reasserts his high status and the brevity of the phrase in spite of the
seriousness of the situation and Catherine’s own negative response suggests at the importance of his opinion in
all matters and the respect other family members hold him in. Moreover when
Catherine constantly repeats the fact that she will earn an extra fifty dollars
a week for the household Eddie replies ‘ Look did I ask you for money? I
supported you this long. I support you a little more.’ The audience gains an
impression that Eddie is reluctant to give up his rank as the only income
earner to his adopted daughter and as a result he is able to preserve his pride
and dignity in the face of Catherine’s developing independence represented in
the phrases ‘I just gotta practice from now on… it’s a great big company..
fifty a week Eddie.’ This implies that Eddie could also be seeking reassurance
by convincing Catherine to stay with him longer, also ensures his continued
dominance and honor. In addition, his slightly jealous and selfish behavior
creates his character as a more realistic person, when he realizes that
Catherine will earn more than him along with a steady job he reacts with shock
and surprise and then presents his disapproval.
Despite this, Eddie does again
manage to switch personalities into a loving father evident in his conversation
with Beatrice ‘Because most people ain’t people. She’s going to work; plumbers;
they’ll chew her to pieces if she don’t watch out.’ This more affectionate
trait also manifests itself in his poignant monologue which successfully
creates pathos in the audience when he speaks about his high expectations for
Catherine to get her out of this monotonous, hard lifestyle and into a more
comfortable one. ‘ I want you to be with different kind of people. I want you
to be in a nice office. Maybe a lawyer’s office someplace in
In conclusion, Eddie Carbone is
portrayed by Arthur Miller as an ordinary common man, a controlling patriarch
in a male-dominated society and also a caring worried father towards his
adopted daughter. He is a protagonist but one with faults making him, as a
whole, more realistic thus the audience is able to relate and understand his
feelings and emotions. This personal connection with the character to the
audience serves to intensify the tragedy that will befall Eddie later on and
the foreshadowing and irony that the audience is presented with during the
course of the play will eventually cause them to feel as powerless as Eddie to
prevent the sequence of spontaneous events initiated by his own actions
therefore because he will bring about his own destruction there is no one else
responsible for the blame and apart from Eddie and because Miller had already
established a bond with Eddie Carbone and the audience who feel sympathy for
his plight, we too are distressed for we can not bring ourselves to blame Eddie
for his own downfall therefore resulting in a traditional Greek tragedy
happening to an unknown, poor, illegal Italian immigrant living in Red Hook,
the ‘wrong’ side of New York.