Red Hook district in New York Essay Example for Free

Red Hook district in New York Essay A view from the Bridge is a play set in the Red Hook district in New York. The main theme that this explores is the role of Masculinity in the household and its affects. This play is mainly structured around feud between virility and jealousy that divides a family. This play is also about the misunderstanding of feelings and thoughts and how they might lead to undesirable flaws in the human character and hostile conflict that end in miserable circumstances. Eddie, the protagonist is second generation Italian who has curtain views on masculinity, which cannot be ignored, be anyone or it will lead into a spiral anger and jealousy. Eddie has especially strong on views on how women should act and how they should act. A good example of this is given to the audience in the way that Eddie reaction to Catherine having a relationship with Rodolfo. When Eddie deals in Marco and Rodolfo he contradicts his views and feelings toward the community, in this Eddie also gets into a confrontation with Marco in which backing down would be a sign of weakness this lead in the end to his untimely demise. Eddie reacts with both anger and jealousy, which he tries to hide behind a shield of over-protectiveness, in which he tries to accuse Rodolfo of firstly trying to gain an American passport and then Eddie attacks Rodolfos masculinity, especially when he teaches Rodolfo how to fight (sarcastically). Eddie has obvious mixed feeling about Catherine so he feels jealous, but this does not only mean a bad thing considering that he is thinking that he is protecting her which shows his nobility in looking after the family, even though this does not condole his actions toward Rodolfo but this shows that Eddie cannot deal with his emotional side. Rodolfo and Marco arrive in America as illegal immigrants and stay at Eddies house because they are Beatrices cousins. Rodolfo then falls madly in love with Eddies niece Catherine who is also in love with him. This causes Eddie to feels challenged because Rodolfo is more virile and has a larger world of interests. This is in all respects a competition for Catherine and her affection. Another factor that makes Eddie distrust Rodolfo is that Rodolfo does not live up to Eddies views on masculinity. Rodolfo can cook, he is a tailor, he can sing, he likes films and Eddie feels that all this is feminine so he thinks that Rodolfo is gay the guy ain`t right. Due to Eddies distrust of Rodolfo scenes of tension take place such as the situation with when Catherine finally makes the decision to leave home so Eddie, because he cannot express his feelings toward Catherine and Rodolfo, kisses them. Both Marco and Rodolfo must speak with bad Italian accents. Rodolfo must have a weak confident voice that begs for attention.While Rodolfo cannot live up to Eddies rigorous standard on masculinity Marco can. Marco is both strong, as Mike says, hes a regular bull, and loyal to his family in both going to America to work for them and trusting his wife on her own. Marco is extremely loyal to his brother especially when he tells Eddie to back off when he lifts the chair while Eddie cannot. Eddie respect Marco and feels that Marco is a model to masculinity like himself. Marco just like Eddie has a sense of honor, which is explored in the play with the incident in which Marco spits into the face of Eddie. Marco does this because he feels that there has been an injustice done by Eddie in which Eddie tells the police of Marco and Rodolfo, but also in the irony of what Eddie said and promised to what he did. Marco and Rodolfo treatment of women is far different from Eddie. Rodolfo treat women, as his equal while Eddie does not. Rodolfo does not try to manipulate the women in the play instead he helps them, he does this by giving advice and being supportive like what he tells Catherine after she asks him to teach her to be independent. dont cry any more. Marco has great respect and admiration for his wife otherwise he would not have left her for a life in America all alone. Even though Eddie seems skeptical about her loyalty to Marco they count the kids and theres a couple extra, Marcos trust for his wife does not waver. In comparison to the brothers Eddie does all the opposite. First he has manipulated Catherine so much that she feels she has a duty toward him : Then why dont she be a women? If I was a wife I would  make a man happy instead of goin at him all the time.  A view from the bridge Act two  Secondly Eddie does not even take into account what a woman has to say to him because he believes that he should be shown respect. When Beatrice tries to warn Eddie about his feelings but he practically hits her and storms off to get killed. Eddie. Eddie feels a sort of arrogance towards women like as if he is better due to his so-called superior masculine characteristics he also must speak in brutish manor without a care for an answer. Alfieri is the narrator of the play, he is also a lawyer which gains him a lot of respect in the area because he the symbol of the law of the land. Apart from narrating the play Alfieri plays a lead character in the play. When Eddie Carbone comes to ask for legal advice about how to handle Rodolfo, Alfieri notices, through Eddie expressing his feelings through actions, that the entire business is corrupt. Alfieri then tries to give advice to Eddie on how to find and deal with this problem. Due to the fact that Alfieri has challenged Eddies views which drives Eddie mad so Alfirei`s advice ignored. Alfieri then Tells Eddie not to phone the police but he is then also ignored. These cases show the audience that Alfieri is intellectually smart and knows when trouble is brewing. I feel that Arthur Miller Contrasts the views of masculinity that different men have and how they conflict. Miller does this by putting Rodolfo and Eddie into direct conflict. While Rodolfo can saw and sing which makes him gay in the eyes of Eddie, Eddie has no other skill other than being a laborer. Arthur Miller shows that if men like Eddie do not start to evolve they will die out. Miller explores this through the rivalry between Eddie and Rodolfo where Eddie loses his life ironically to the same laws he had set on masculinity while Rodolfo lives on. I feel that Miller set this play specifically for people who do not understand their feelings. As the root of all this rivalry and anguish is purely set the shoulders of a man (Eddie) who cannot understand his feelings for his niece.