Eddie in J.B. Priestley's The View from the Bridge

Eddie in J.B. Priestley's The View from the Bridge

In this essay, I will be answering and covering all aspects of the

question above whilst holding and delivering a personal view. I will

also go over arguments that could be used against my opinions. My

overall answer to the question above is that Eddie didn't deserve to

die.

'This one's name is Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman working the docks

from Brooklyn Bridge to the breakwater where the open sea begins.'

This is the introduction given to the main character of the story.

Eddie is an unusual character as the main person of a story is

normally seen as a hero but Eddie is neither hero nor the opposite. At

the beginning, he is shown as a modest person who makes a living for

himself and his family. It's only when the two cousins Marco and

Rodolfo arrive, that his personality changes.

My first point is that no matter what a person does or may do, he or

she never really at any point deserve to die. Eddie may have neglected

his duties as guardian to Catherine his niece, especially when he

sexually assaulted her by kissing her, 'He reaches out... and as she

strives to free herself he kisses her on the mouth,' or when he called

immigration to take the cousins away. As most religions say, no one

has the right to take anyone else's life. No matter how much bad a

person does in his or her life, they should never be condemned to

death. I feel that this would be giving the person an easy way out, as

they hardly suffer and it doesn't make up for the evil they have done.

Also, Eddie didn't that much bad, just a few mistakes, so would any

one in his position, he shouldn't be blamed for all that happens in

the course of the book.

You can not judge Eddie for the duration of the play. As it is stated,

he did care for Catherine all her life, worked extremely hard, just so