Arthur Miller, A View From The Bridge

Consider the importance of Italian loyalty in the play ‘A view from the bridge’ by Arthur Miller. Daniel Bishop In the play ‘A View From The Bridge’ Arthur Miller constantly conveys the extreme moral importance of loyalty towards others, be it strangers or close family in a closely linked Italian-American community in 1950’s Brooklyn. Eddie Carbone values and honours these unwritten laws as much as anyone else, but despite warnings, his own desperation and selfishness slowly leads him to reject these values and therefore suffer the harsh Italian justice of the people that once stood by him.

Alfieri’s opening speech gives us a brief insight into the ways of this Italian community. He describes how people are still very Italian, keeping to superstitions when he says, “I often think that behind that superstitious little nod of theirs lie three thousand years of distrust”; this also shows how long they can hold a grudge, being very honourable. He also mentions how people are more than willing to take the law into their own hands, due to honour and vengeance when he states, “Oh, there were many here who where justly shot by unjust men.

Justice is very important here.

Why Did Arthur Miller Write A View From The Bridge

” This shows that people are just like babies, if they don’t get what the want they get upset and go and shoot someone and how happy they are to take the law into their own hands. Later we also learn how close the community is and how they all know each other and each other’s business.

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He also gives a little hint of a long, drawn out event that is very bad and will probably end in pain when he says, “… another lawyer, quite differently dressed, heard the same complaint and sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. ” This is referring to Eddies deterioration of character

The first, real explanation of the severity of Italian loyalty is learnt in the Carbone household at the beginning of Act One. The family is at the dinner table discussing the arrival of the illegal immigrants; this is significant because one of the most serious acts of betrayal is telling immigration about hidden illegal immigrants. Eddie stresses the seriousness of not telling anyone because of the chance of being caught, as stated earlier, everyone knows everyone’s business. This is shown when Eddie states; “if you said it you knew it, if you didn’t say it you didn’t know it.

” Eddie also recalls a story of a boy who ‘snitched’ about his hidden uncle, his own family turned on him, they spat on him in the street, which means they no longer have any respect for him and is not considered part of the family or community. This shows the severity of the community’s own justice system, and how betrayal and dishonouring is one of the worst crimes in their eyes. This story is ironic as Eddie does exactly the same thing, but with worse consequences, therefore making him a hypocrite. Eddie clearly obeys these laws of the community for now. The whole reason he is taking in these immigrants is out of loyalty.

He tells Catherine, “just remember, kid, you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word you gave away. ” This shows the Italian’s strong grudge again. As an audience, by now have taken in the seriousness of Italian values and the responsibilities that come with them. Marco introduces a new aspect of Italian loyalty through his character, the way he acts and communicates with different characters differently. He is obviously polite to Eddie and has great respect for him for taking him and his brother in, “taking the blankets from my bed” as it is put by Eddie later.

There isn’t much contact between Marco and Beatrice and Catherine, but he obviously loves his brother. Marco loves his family so much that the whole reason he has come to America, “the land of opportunities” to earn money for his extremely poor family, this shows the importance of family. Marco is extremely grateful and doesn’t want to offend Eddie, he even tells his brother to be quiet quite harshly so as not to offend him, there is a profound show of loyalty throughout this scene, Eddie has taken in these two strangers at great risk without question or want of reward purely out of loyalty to Beatrice and her family.

At the end of Act One we see the growing tension caused by Catherine and Rodolpho’s relationship boil over slightly. Eddie has become hostile out of jealousy and openly questions Rodolpho’s sexuality, Eddie has given the hint to the audience that he will be responsible, or at least partly for the catastrophic end of the play.

Marco acts cool and doesn’t notice (or ignores) the tension until the boxing incident which everyone thinks went a bit far, but the tension is lowered but coffee and conversation, yet, out of loyalty to his brother, Marco still feels the need to subliminally challenge Eddie with the chair incident, giving a warning that he has the power to stop Eddie should this go any further and that if it comes to choosing sides he will defend his brothers honour.

Here stage direction representing this; “Marco is face to face with Eddie, a strained tension gripping his eyes and jaw, his neck stiff, the chair raised like a weapon over Eddie’s head – and he transforms what might appear like a glance of warning into a smile of triumph, and Eddie’s grin vanishes as he absorbs this look”. At the beginning of Act Two Eddie acts out his feelings towards Catherine and Rodolpho in a drunken rage, the audience can make their own judgements upon this but most will loose a lot of respect for Eddie, as do the characters.

Eddie still denies his feelings and acts and his reasons for them but no one is convinced and this incriminates him further. Marco still doesn’t do anything about this, possibly because he believes it was the alcohol. We have now seen the change Eddie has gone through, all his morals and values which he upheld at the start of the play have all but deteriorated, and worse, he doesn’t realise or care, all he thinks about is himself and how to get himself out of situations.

All he wants is his respect and dignity, which everyone agrees he doesn’t deserve. Alfieri shows great sense of loyalty as he is a man of the law but still believes that Eddie shouldn’t turn them in because of trust, loyalty and the unwritten code. Despite Alfieri’s harsh warnings (which are very accurate) Eddie ignores him and does what he thinks is best and commits one of the ultimate acts of betrayal, the audience now reflects on how serious Eddie was with Catherine about secrecy and wonder how this change of face took place.

Alfieri’s warnings were not unlike Eddie’s story about the young boy at the start, Alfieri says; “even those who understand you will turn against you, even the ones who feel the same will despise you! ” Alfieri somehow understands Eddie’s feelings and situation very well. In the final scene, Eddie has committed the betrayal and everyone reacts how the audience would expect, everyone loathes Eddie and has turned their backs on him, yet Eddie feels some remorse as immigration knocks at the door.

This is all to much for Marco, and because this would result in sending him home he will not be able to provide for his family and in theory Eddie has killed his family, Marco spits on Eddie in the street, this shows that Eddie has committed a horrible act against the community. Catherine now hates Eddie, understandably, she even says; “He’s a rat! ” this must affect Eddie greatly because he did it so he could be closer to her.

What is very odd is that Beatrice is still loyal to Eddie, as she will not go to the wedding under his command, this doesn’t necessarily mean she still loves him but is possibly still upholding her wedding vows and the loyalty of being a wife. Marco however wants blood, he is eager to reclaim justice and take the law into his own hands as Alfieri described at the beginning. This, coupled with Eddie’s demand for respect inevitably leads to the confrontation, neither have anything to loose and through Eddie’s death his soul is purified and justice is done in the eyes of the community.

Alfieri’s closing speech describes how no one wants what they can’t have without risk, unlike Eddie and everyone is better off this way. This play has tested the extremes of Italian loyalty and how important it is otherwise you simply don’t fit in, also how severe the punishments are. Through Eddie the community and the audience become more aware of these things and are reminded why they live by their rules.