Discuss the dramatic effectiveness of A View From the Bridge with

Discuss the dramatic effectiveness of A View From the Bridge with

reference to one or two key scenes.

Arthur Miller wrote 'A View form the Bridge' in 1955. He wrote the

play in the style of a Greek tragedy set in the 1940s America. Arthur

Miller was interested in the lives of dockworkers and longshoremen.

This was because he previously worked in Brooklyn on the docks and his

parents were immigrants. He wanted to write about something that had

never been written about before. He got the idea from a true story

when he heard about a man telling the immigration bureau that he had

illegal immigrants living with him. He did this to break up an

engagement between one of them.

In the play there are many dramatic scenes and themes. These

relationships in particular are Catherine and Eddie's and manliness

(stereotypical ideas). I have chosen two key moments to comment on.

They are the boxing moment between Eddie and Rodolpho and when Eddie

kisses Catherine.

During the play we soon learn that Eddie's love for Catherine is more

than just that of an uncle and niece. The love Eddie has for Catherine

is not allowed in their society as it is seen as incest. This

‘forbidden love’ and Eddie's jealousy and protectiveness over

Catherine are what make dramatic effectiveness; the tension builds up

throughout the play particularly between Eddie and Rodolpho.

The first key scene I have chosen to comment on is the boxing moment.

Eddie is very protective over Catherine. He gets very jealous of

Rodolpho when he starts seeing Catherine. "It ain't so free here

either". The stage directions given make the characters and the

audience aware of the tension in this particular instance. This shows

dramatic effectiveness. The stage...

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waiting for the other's mood". At this point in the play the audience

would be wondering what was going to happen next between them. This is

dramatic effectiveness.

Arthur Miller's 'A view form the bridge' shows different views on

relationships in the Italian immigrant community of Brooklyn. It

allows the audience to sample this different society. Arthur Miller

uses accents to make the characters more believable.

The play is a tragedy; it traces the downfall of the individual Eddie.

The play is also ironic. Early in the play it was said that Eddie

would be praised for letting the immigrants stay but eventually that

decision leads to his death. This play shows the reality of the

American dream. Arthur Miller questions the Dream in the play. He

shows that it isn't as easy as people think to make a living in

America, as the story of this family shows.