A View from the Bridge: Important Quotations

1. “Justice” 1. 1 Alfieri: “Oh, there were many here who were justly shot by unjust men. Justice is very important here.” (Act 1) 1. 2 Alfieri: We’re only thought of in connection with disasters” 1. 3 Alfieri: “And my practice is entirely unromantic.” 1. 4 Eddie: “On his own uncle!” (Act 1) 1. 5 Beatrice: “The whole neighbourhood was crying” (Act 1) 1. 6 Eddie: “How’s he gonna show his face?” (Act 1) 1. 7 Alfieri: “You won’t have a friend in the world, Eddie! Even those who understand will turn against you, even the ones who feel the same will despise you!” (Act 2) 1. 8 Alfieri: “Now we settle for half, and I like it better.” (Act 2) 1. 9 Eddie: “Come on show me! What’re you gonna be? Show me!” (Act 2) 1. 10 1. 11 Marco: “In my country [Eddie] would be dead now.” (Act 2) Marco: “All the law is not in a book.” (Act 2) 1. 12 Alfieri: “This is not God, Marco. You hear? Only God makes justice.” (Act 2) 2. “Love and Lust” 2. 1 Eddie: “Katie you are walkin’ wavy! I don’t like the looks they’re givin you […] The heads are turnin’ like windmills.” (Act 1) 2. 2 [Stage Direction:] [Catherine] strikes a match and holds it to [Eddie's] cigar. (Act 1) 2. 3 Beatrice: “I’m worried about you, that’s all” (Act 1) 2. 4 Beatrice: “When am I going to be a wife again, Eddie?” (Act 1) 2. 5 Alfieri: “Now, as the weeks passed, there was a future, there was a trouble that would not go away” (Act 1) 2. 6 Alfieri: “there is too much love for the niece.” (Act1) 2. 7 Alfieri: “She can’t marry you can she?” (Act 1) 2. 8 [Stage Direction:] as [Catherine] strives to free herself [Eddie] kisses her on the mouth. (Act 2) 2. 9 [Stage Direction:] Eddie pins [Rodolfo's] arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him. (2.81) 2. 10 Beatrice: “You want somethin’ else, Eddie, and you can never have her!” (Act 2) 3. “Dreams, Hopes, and Plans” 3. 1 Eddie: “You’ll never get nowheres unless you finish school.” (Act 1) 3. 2 Rodolfo: “Me, I want to be an American. And then I want to back to Italy when I am rich, and I will buy a motorcycle.” (Act 1) 3. 3 Marco: “When you have no wife, you have dreams.” (Act 1) 3. 4 Alfieri: “Eddie Carbone had never expected to have a destiny.” (Act 1) 3. 5 Rodolfo: “I would be a criminal stealing your face. In two years you would have an old, hungry face.” (Act 1) 3. 6 Rodolfo: “Once I am a citizen […] I would start to be something wonderful here!” (Act 2) 3. 7 Beatrice: “Go. God bless you, God bless your children.”(Act 2) 4. “Men and Masculinity” 4. 1 Eddie: “The guy ain’t right.” (Act 1) 4. 2 Eddie: “if you close the paper fast, you could blow him over.” (Act 1) 4. 3 Eddie: “He looked so sweet there, like an angel – you could kiss him he was so sweet.” (Act 1) 4. 4 Eddie: “But if I could cook, if I could sing, if I could make dresses, I wouldn’t be on the water front.” (Act 1) 4. 5 Eddie: “I mean I got a couple rights here.[…] This is my house here not their house.” (2.120) 5. “Women and Femininity” 5. 1 Eddie: “You’re getting to be a big girl now, you gotta keep yourself more, you can’t be so friendly, kid.” (Act 1) 5. 2 Eddie: “I guess I just never figure on one thing.” Catherine, smiling: “What?” Eddie: “That you would ever grow up.” (Act 1) 5. 3 Eddie: “What’s the high heels for, Garbo?” 5. 4 Refer to “2.3” 5. 5 Catherine: “He still thinks I’m a baby.” Beatrice: “Because you think you’re a baby.” (Act 1) 5. 6 Rodolfo: “You think I would carry on my back the rest of my life a woman I didn’t love just to be an American?” (Act 2) 5. 7 Catherine: “If I was a wife I would make a man happy instead of goin’ at him all the time.” (Act 2) 5. 8 Eddie: “A wife is supposed to believe the husband.” (Act 2) 6. “Respect and Reputation” 6. 1 Eddie: “I’m ashamed. Paper Doll they call him. Blondie now.” (Act 1) 6. 2 Eddie: “Katie…if you wasn’t an orphan, wouldn’t he ask your father’s permission before he run around with you like this?” (Act 2) 6. 3 Eddie: “I want my respect!” (Act 2) 6. 4 Marco: “That one! [Eddie] He killed my children! That one stole the food from my children!” (Act 2) 6. 5 Eddie: [Marco's] gonna take that back or I’ll kill him! (Act 2) 6. 6 Catherine: “He’s a rat! He belongs in the sewer!” Catherine: “In the garbage he belongs!” Stage Directions: Eddie seems about to pick up the table and fling it at her. (Act 2) 7. “Epiphany” 7. 1 Catherine: “Eddie, I never meant to do nothing bad to you.” (Act 2) 7. 2 Eddie: “Then why – Oh, B.!” Eddie: “My B.!” (Act 2) Important notes: Beatrice often acts as the mediator, so does Alfieri. Arthur Miller uses Alfieri’s to communicate what concepts that he wishes the audience to consider. A catalyst – Rodolfo, causes the rapid acceleration of Eddie’s ever-growing love for Catherine. Alfieri is the confidant of Eddie. Alfieri is regarded as an objective character. He acts as the chorus, due to his commitment with the characters and the audience. Marco is phlegmatic, reserved, and family-orientated, whilst Rodolfo is ebullient, humorous, and lacks experience. Display of strength and masculinity can be seen in the Boxing sequence (Eddie v. Rodolfo) and the Chair-lifting sequence (Eddie and Marco). Even though the chair-lifting scene signals a possible brawl, Marco’s belligerence, and animal-like elements can only be confirmed after Eddie “snitches”. Catherine shows traits of womanhood throughout the play; she shows loyalty in the whole play, despite her aggressive and hostile stance against Eddie towards the end of the play. The quotation “Eddie, I never meant to do nothing bad to you” shows Catherine’s underlying loyalty and naivety. Eddie’s hamartia can be summarised with: his jealousy, ambition, self-delusion, failure to apprehend the injustice he causes for other people. There is a lack of catharsis during the end of the play because Eddie does not realise his self-delusion.