Q) Comment on how the female characters are developed in Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge”
A) Arthur Miller’s “A View from The Bridge” is a broadway play that encapsulates the lives of a lower middle class family and exemplifies what happens when paternal love crosses it’s frontier. The women in the play are subjected to various restrictions as the protagonist, Eddie Carbone, intents to be the dominating head of the family. The play takes the readers through the plight of the women and depicts the development in their characters that helps them procure individualism.
Catherine is portrayed as a naive and submissive girl initially. This can be proved by several instances such as when “she is almost in tears” when Eddie deplores her outfit or when she “lowers her eyes” in dejection as Eddie expresses disapprobation for her job offer. It is only when Beatrice insists Eddie to let Catherine pursue her dreams does Eddie agree on the idea. Hence, in the inceptive part of the play, Catherine’s character was reliant on Beatrice for emotional support and highly influenced by Eddie’s opinions. Her compliant behaviour seems to stem from her deep love and respect for Eddie and Beatrice, which is evinced when she excitedly proposes to fix the house with her first pay. However, the arrival of Marco and Rodolpho alters this and she is soon proven to be the most dynamic character in the play. Although Eddie repeatedly warns Catherine about Rodolpho and even says “he’s only bowin’ to his passport” to imply he wishes to marry Catherine solely to acquire American Citizenship, she proceeds with having a relationship with him. It could be considered that Rodolpho started to have a significant impact on her decisions.
The plot eventually reaches a point where Catherine does not feel the need to receive Eddie’s assent before deciding to marry Rodolpho. She resists his orders to stay in the house and screams “Let go, ya hear me! Ill kill you!” when he attacks Rodolpho. Furthermore she even states “You got no more right to tell nobody nothin’! Nobody!” when Eddie informs the police about the illegal immigrants. These instances act as confirmation of Catherine’s evolution as a character. Initially, her character symbolised the stereotype of the women back in the 1950s, which is when the play was written, who would heed to the control of oppressive men out of naivety. However, she eventually transcends the social norms and transforms herself into an independent women with the support of Beatrice and Rodolpho. (hes a rat he belongs in the sewer)
Beatrice’s character is significant in the play through numerous aspects. She is a woman replete with admirable qualities. She is caring and hospitable, which becomes evident when she very consciously decorates the house prior to the guests’ arrival. Eddie even mentions that the last time a guest was over, she and him slept on the floor so they could enjoy the comfort of the bed. Her encouraging behaviour is crucial in Catherine’s growth. There are copious instances where she defends Catherine, for e.g: “well, tell him, honey. The money ended late.” — here Beatrice is speaking for Catherine, justifying her staying out with Rodolpho till late, as she is aware that Catherine is not bold enough to stand against Eddie. She remains supportive of Catherine’s decisions throughout the play, while also staying by Eddie despite his actions, proving her to be the ideal housewife who keeps the family together.
Apart from the laudable qualities, Beatrice has to contend with Eddie’s negligence towards her. She is a symbol for all the women who endure being mistreated by their husbands. She loves Eddie despite being aware of his incestuous feelings towards Catherine. It may be argued that this is because she would have nowhere to go without Eddie, however her mother-like qualities assure the audience that her intentions are solely to love and care for her family members. Although her character does not exhibit too much development, her ability to speak up definitely augments through the play. At first, she is seen to be more vulnerable towards Eddie, asking him “when am i gonna be a wife again… well, tell me, am i doing something wrong?” however, in the climax she confronts Eddie with “you can never have her!”.
There are many similarities between the two female characters in the play; they both in some way feel like the are indebted to Eddie and as a result they tolerate Eddie’s misconducts. They both are also admirable in distinct ways, with discrete qualities that they procure by the end of the play. However, they serve different roles in “A View from The Bridge” and this dissimilarity is paramount to the plot of the play.
prepIGCSE 