Love

Love is a strong theme in this play, as it seems to be Love, not hatred, that fuels the violence. Love is seen, in Catherine, in its purest form, but seems to be the heart of Beatrices problems. This is shown by the way that her love for Eddie is no longer returned, and is increasingly in conflict for the love she feels for Catherine. Although we see that Beatrice doesnt blame Catherine for this. There are different types of love shown in this play: Family Love Parental Love Brotherly Love Romantic Love Love between friends Love for your country.

Family Love
This type of love strong, however, as seen by the story of Vinny Bolzano, family love is broken when a member of the family brings dishonour or betrayal to the family and often leads to this member being excluded from the family or, more often that not, it leads to ruthless treatment of the traitor. Family love is the core of Marcos hatred towards Eddie. The main piece of evidence for that is when Marco, after being arrested by the immigration officers, spits in Eddies face and afterwards, points at Eddie and say; That one! He killed my children! That one stole the food from my children!

Parental Love
Eddie Although Eddies feelings in the play begin to tip towards a sexual kind of love, he does also show us his love for her in a parental manner. Examples of this include: His initial protectiveness towards her about her walking wavy Beatrice We are clearly shown by Miller that there is a strong bond between Beatrice and Catherine. We know this because when Beatrice finally confronts Catherine about Eddie and his feelings, although she never actually says exactly how he feels, she does it gently. Suggesting that she doesnt blame Catherine for Eddies twisted feelings. However she does warn Catherine that, Nobody can make [her] mind up for [her] anymore and that [shes] gotta give him to understand that he cant give [her] orders no more. This shows us Beatrices protectiveness for Catherine, from Eddie. When Beatrice says to Catherine [Shes] a grown women now and [shes] in the same house with a grown man. So [she has] gotta act different now. This is the first instance where Beatrice really comes to voice her fear of Eddies feelings for Catherine and she is trying to protect Catherine from getting anymore hurt by his obsession.

Brotherly Love
The love between Marco and Rodolpho is shown in three main areas of the play. The first time is when we see the amiable squabble between Marco and Rodolpho about the success of Rodolpho singing performance in Rome. He sang to loud why to loudtoo loud... this shown the brotherly affections, as Marco is more grounded about it but Rodolpho is elated and exaggerating. Brotherly love in the play is shown between Marco and Rodolpho. The first incidence in which we really see the full extent of the love between the two is after the boxing lesson between Eddie and Rodolpho. Marco asks Eddie to lift the chair in a certain way. After Eddie fails to do this Marco shows Eddie that he can. The stage direction on page 58 shows us that Marco is face-to-face with Eddie, a strained tension gripping his eyes and jaw, his neck stiff, the chair raised like a weapon over Eddies head - and he transform what might appear like a glare of warning into a smile of triumph, and Eddies grin vanishes as he absorbs his look. This stage direction suggests that Marco was perhaps warning Eddie that he sees what Eddie is doing and perhaps he is trying to wean him off of his unwanted hatred toward Rodolpho. Another event that shows the brotherly love between Marco and Rodolpho is when Rodolpho is trying to get Marco to promise Alfieri that he wont kill Eddie. He does this because he is aware of the consequences that Marco will suffer if he does, he is trying to protect Marco from himself. When he realises this will fail he then attempts to return Eddies honour, even though he doesnt himself believe that Eddie personal honour has been tarnished by Marco but the rather other way around. However, when he reaches for Eddies hand, Eddie snaps it away from him and says that only Marco can return his name and restore his honour. Rodolpho does everything he can to try and stop the inevitable confrontation between the two stubborn men.

Romantic Love
The Play shows us the love can have a positive effect and can also have a negative effect.

Positive Love
Catherine and Rodolpho The love between Catherine and Rodolpho is seen as positive because the truly love each other. They share a pure untainted love for each other. There are several quotes to support this thesis. When Catherine tries to test Rodolphos love for he by asking him is he would still marry her if they lived/ moved to Italy. His response is simply and at the start rather unexpected. His immediate response is NO. However we understand this response when he provides a further explanation. When she tells him that she thinks they would be happier there, his response is:

Happier! What would you eat? You cant cook the view. The last part of this statement is in referral to Catherines reason for moving was because Rodolpho told her that the view was so beautiful. This shows us that even though Rodolpho loves her, he isnt willing to put her through the suffering she would have to endure if the only way they could be together was to live in Italy. This shows that he is willing to put her safety or rather her happiness with living conditions and food shortages, in front of his own happiness and longing for her. Rodolpho says that if he were to take her from a rich country to suffer in a poor country that [he] would be a criminal stealing her face. This is because in Italy after two year [she] would have an old, hungry face. On page 62 we finally see Catherine verbally confess her love to Rodolpho. This is clearly evident when she says: I love you, Rodolpho, I love you. Catherine feels safe with Rodolpho, which is evident when she asks Rodolpho to hold [her]. Rodolpho says Oh my little girl! This suggests that he really cares about her and feels the need to protect her, but give her freedom at the same time. Unlike Eddie.

Beatrice and Eddie My B! These are the lasts words that Eddie says before he dies. It shows that after everything he did actually love her. It was as if a sudden realisation of how he had everything he needed with her and he had someone who loved him unconditionally, which he didnt realise until the end, when it was too late to fix his mistakes. Beatrice chooses to stay with Eddie, rather than go to Catherines wedding, when Eddie gave her that ultimatum. Which shows that she loved him, as she would rather stay there that risk not being able to come back. Which begs the question: Does she love Eddie more than Catherine?

Negative Love
Eddie and Catherine Eddie has an obsessive love for Catherine. During a conversation with Rodolpho, Catherine confesses that she likes Eddie but she doesnt know why, She tells Rodolpho that [shes] afraid of Eddie here. She tells Rodolpho that she likes him but doesnt want to be around anymore. All of this shows Catherines confusion about her feelings toward Eddie. No, you tell me, B! Gee, I am all mixed up. See, I he looks so sad now, it hurts me Shows that Catherine doesnt know what to do as she has conflicting feelings about Eddie and Rodolpho and she is realising that she may have to choose one but doesnt know how or who she will choose. Eddie after returning home drunk, kisses Catherine on the mouth. This is the first direct move that Eddie has made, sexually, towards Catherine. This frightens her and in the end leads her to choose Rodolpho over Eddie.

Alfieri in attempt to help Eddie tell him that, Every mans got somebody he love. But sometimes there is too much A man works hard, he brings up a child, sometimes its a niece, sometimes even a daughter, and he never realises it, but through the years there is too much love for the daughter, there is too much love for the niece. This quote, although Alfieri never says it, is directed at Eddie and his situation. Alfieris next quote is more direct and Eddie finally realises what he ahs been saying. She cant marry you, can she? Eddies response to this is very defensive and shows Eddies denial for his feelings for Catherine. Whatre you talkin about, marry me! I dont know what the hell you are talkin about!

Love Between Friends

Love between friends, as shown in this play, EXISTS ONLY, where there is honour and dignity. Evidence of this would be where Louis and Mike walk away from Eddie once it becomes clear that he has broken the unspoken code of honour. We are shown this in the Stage direction on page 77. Louis barely turns, then walks off and exits down right with Mike. Even after Eddie calls after them they barely turn showing that they wont even give him a chance to speak to them and they wont speak to him as the community has decided him guilty.

Love For Your Country/ A Place

Love you your country, or Patriotism, is shown by the fact the Italian community still practices their traditions even though they like in Red Hook, not Sicily. This is shown in many parts of the play: The ruthless treatment and the story of Vinny Bolzano. Marco spit in Eddies face, Rodolpho trying to kiss Eddies hand, The Liparis keening (weeping) for the immigrants (illegal). Marco wanting (and actually succeeding) to kill Eddie for being dishonourable and taking the food from [Marcos] children by having him deported.

These events are all in the Italian tradition and are upheld still in America by the Italian immigrants (legal). Marco unlike Alfieri chooses honour over law. Alfieri states that he like America better. Proof of this is in the opening speech. But this is Red Hook, not Sicily. This is the slum of that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge. This is the gullet of New York swallowing the tonnage of the world. And now we are quite civilised, quite American. Now we settle for half, and I like it better. Now I no longer keep a pistol in my filing cabinet. Rodolpho also loves America. Catherine says: "He's crazy for New York."


Type of Love Love of a family

Love in 'A View From the Bridge'

Characters

Beatrice, Eddie and Catherine are first seen as a loving family. Marco loves his family deeply. He has come to America to help them. He misses them a lot. In the wider sense, Beatrice loves her family in Sicily enough to support her cousins. Family ties are very important.

Father daughter love Brotherly love Romantic / married love

Eddie and Catherine, although uncle and niece, have become more like a father and daughter. Eddie made a lot of sacrifices to provide Catherine with the best education he could. Marco and Rodolpho have a strong bond - great enough for Marco to lay down his life for his brother's cause. Eddie and Beatrice's marriage is obviously not as strong as it used to be: Beatrice asks, "When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?" Catherine and Rodolpho quickly fall deeply in love. Eddie's love for Catherine has become sexual, even though he refuses to admit it. This is the cause of the friction in his own marriage and the dispute with Rodolpho and Marco.

Love of a place

Rodolpho and Marco love their homeland. Rodolpho also loves America. Catherine says, "he's crazy for New York."

The play shows us that love is not always beautiful - it is responsible for all the conflict between the characters. It is a deep passion that can create jealousy and cause pain both to the person who loves, the person who is loved and those around them. For Eddie, love also causes conflict within himself when he cannot admit to his illicit love for Catherine.

Family
This play shows us that the concept of family can be sinister as well as comforting. The horrific tale of Vinny Bolzano illustrates this as it demonstrates to us the idea that those who betray the family are met with ruthless and unmerciful treatment as well as segregation and disownment.