In A View From the Bridge by Arthur Miller, Eddie's death is all the more tragic that it stems from his inability to understand – let alone express – his feelings. The play depicts the downfall and death of an honest man due to a fatal flaw. While Eddie's incestuous desire for Catherine is the cause of his downfall and Rodolpho's threat is the catalyst, what ultimately causes his destruction is his inherent inability to understand or express what he feels. As a result, Eddie suffers confusion and inner turmoil which leads to extreme overprotection of his niece, intense hatred towards Rodolpho, and problems in his own married life. All of these problems stem from Eddie's inability to understand or express his feelings, and ultimately lead to his death. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The play is carefully crafted such that the audience gradually becomes aware of Eddie's feelings for Catherine, first accepting his protectiveness as a natural fatherly concern, and then growing into it. growing more and more uneasy as hints of a deeper inappropriate attraction emerge, until by the conclusion of the first act there is no doubt in the audience's mind that Eddie found himself consumed by a forbidden desire. The interaction between Eddie and Catherine at the beginning of the play exudes subtle undercurrents of unease: while not actually in love, they share many moments of gentle flirtation and affection beyond the usual levels of intimacy commonly shared between uncle and niece. Catherine flatters Eddie, "walks him to the chair", "takes his arm" and lights his cigar, an action which, although perhaps lost on a modern audience, would have a more uncomfortable effect on an audience of the fifties. , as in films of this period, such a gesture was used to clearly express sexual attraction and, although the audience never sees it, Beatrice's speech reveals that Catherine often walks around in a catsuit in front of Eddie, or remains seated at talking to him while he shaves in his underwear. The stage directions often indicate the obsession that Eddie himself cannot express - despite his disorder, he "can't help but smile at the sight of her", and whenever Catherine is not present, his gaze lowers or turns away. At one point, when Catherine leaves the room, Eddie "stays for a moment looking towards the kitchen", his gaze lingering on her, and he is "pleased, and therefore shy" at the attention his niece is giving him. . indications build up to establish an awareness of the truth in the audience's consciousness, which is then underscored by the assertions of Alfieri and Beatrice, who can also sense what Eddie cannot. Alfieri tries to gently advise Eddie that "every man has someone he loves, but sometimes there are too many... there are too many and it goes where it's not supposed to", and urges him to give up his possessive hold on Catherine. Later, he defies him more blatantly: “She wants to get married. She can't marry you, can she? but, rather than absorb this suggestion, Eddie's frustration explodes into rage, shouting "I don't know what you're talking about!" Likewise, Beatrice's speech often reveals an awareness of Eddie's feelings that she lacks. She warns Catherine to behave age-appropriately ("You're a grown woman and you live in the same house as a grown man. So you're going to act differently now, huh?"), suggesting that she isaware of the problem. effect that Catherine's overly affectionate behavior has on Eddie. She bursts into a “sweet, sad laugh” as she comments wryly that Catherine should have thought about Beatrice’s jealousy before. She gets impatient with Eddie and says, “I want you to stop this now, you hear me? I don't like it! but Eddie dismisses her coldly, refusing to even consider a deeper cause for her feelings. Eddie knows that something is wrong in his life, that there is something that is upsetting him and causing such a confusing spectrum of emotions, but he cannot decipher the cause of these feelings. Since he doesn't have the ability to think deeply about his emotions and understand what the problem is, he transfers the real problem onto whatever he can. Initially, her repressed desire manifests itself as intense overprotection of Catherine, worrying about the dangers of her new job. He denounces the place as unsafe, shouting "I don't like that neighborhood over there" and warning that "near the Navy Yard, a lot of things can happen in a block and a half" , concluding that he wants her to be "with a different type of person." Although his concern for his safety is surely real, Eddie deludes himself that it is the main cause of his panic. In fact, his despair comes more from the desire to keep Catherine in his sight, worried about seeing her move away from him, both physically ("Where is she going?" and "Then you will move away") and emotionally. (“Why didn’t you ask me before accepting a job?”). Similarly, he complains about Catherine being "in the street at noon" and even waits outside for her and Rodolpho to return from the cinema, believing that his distress at the thought of her being outside with another man is not resolved. is just a worry for her. his safety. The arrival of Rodolpho and Marco opens a new avenue for Eddie's projected feelings, and as Catherine becomes more and more "captivated" by Rodolpho's eccentric appearance and exuberant personality, Eddie comes "more and more s 'address to Marco only'. His initial "hidden suspicions" towards the young man quickly turn into an intense and irrational hatred which Eddie justifies with a series of different accusations and slights against his character. In his first campaign against Rodolphe, he denigrates what he perceives as excessively effeminate qualities, distrusting her blond hair, her frivolity, and her talent for singing, cooking, and making dresses. “He’s like a weirdo,” he scorns, unable to clearly express what he means, explaining simply that “this guy isn’t right.” Second, he convinces himself, and attempts to convince Catherine, that Rodolpho is “only bowing to his passport,” using it to gain the right to be an American. When these verbal attempts fail, Eddie resorts to expressing his feelings through action, attempting to humiliate Rodolpho by "slightly staggering" him in a supposedly playful boxing game and later, in a drunken rage, by beating him. kissing to “show Catherine what he is”. .” Eventually, “the passion that settled in his body like a stranger” pushes Eddie to commit the ultimate betrayal: reporting Marco and Rodolpho to Immigration. Eddie also takes out his frustration on Beatrice, periodically blaming her for being "angry with [him] lately" and victimizing him, interpreting his own dramatic change in character as a change in Beatrice. “Before, you were different… you had a whole different way of living,” he complains, claiming that he is continually attacked by his arbitrary reprimands, claiming “it’s a shooting gallery here and I’m the pigeon.” . Beatrice's lament "When will I become a wife again?" reveals to what.