A View from the Bridge

A View from the Bridge

*Works Cited Not Included

The first scene begins with a fight. Obviously this introduction is indicative of some kind of intense emotion to follow. An aura of passionate emotions continues to surface throughout the play. The mood is set immediately. The audience knows that whatever is to come will be fiery and fervent. Ironically, the opening scene is the climax itself. By using this structure, the author gets right to the point that Eddie Carbone is a self-destructive character without restraint or self-control. His peers, the longshoremen, try to discourage him from fighting, but none approach him physically. By keeping a safe distance, they yield to his unbridled temper. Eddie is not a man who spends a lot of time with self-reflection. He is a intransigent character that contrasts well against the other characters’ flexibility and compliance. He encompasses the typical stubborn (and somewhat self-righteous ) facet of the entire human race. All people interpret society and community through their own subjective eyes; therefore, filtering out the parts and people that do not fit their idea of the norm. Eddie is the common man, not the self-made man or even the desperate fledgling. He is a typical lower-middle class citizen just calling it like he sees it. Unfortunately, he only accepts what he wants to, instead of what could benefit him the most: an open mind.

Brooklyn during the 1950’s was a conglomerate of blue and white collar workers. The social strata are represented by Alfieri (white-collar) and Eddie (blue-collar.) Their costumes are authentic and detailed. Alfieri enters wearing a three-piece suit, typical of attorneys. He reveals his gold pocket watch and tips his classy fedora. He is an intel...

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...ppropriate and effective. The theme of the play was presented flawlessly. Every person in the theater understood the theme: Eddie Carbone went down in flames as a result of his rigidity and narrow-mindedness. Instead of changing his ways to accommodate the ones he loved, he demanded that they conform to his way of thinking. As a result, he lost the respect of his friends, family and neighbors (and ultimately, his life.) Eddie is symbolic of every person in America who must learn to be receptive to people and norms different from their own. Eddie could have spared his own life had he simply changed his mind about Rudolpho. One might say it is easier to see the world relative to ourselves instead of how it truly is. The big message looming over head is to accept the things we can not change. However, people can change their entire life simply by changing their mind.