An essay on a play we did in Year 12. Hurray for the American Dream.
In the play A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, the author constructs his characters to help define some ideological issues associated with the social class of that time. The play revolves around a family – Eddie, Beatrice and their adopted niece Catherine, who falls in love with Beatrice’s cousin Rodolpho. He is an illegal immigrant in America along with his brother Marco, and has different goals in the play from coming to America. The characters all contain different traits which help to define what each class was like in America in the 1950’s, contrasting to the stereotypes of the classes of the time. They all help to define issues about class such as wealth, family and community values and attitudes, and powers of both genders. The contrasting character traits of Alfieri, the narrator and middle class man of the play, along with Rodolpho, Eddie and Marco help to define these ideological issues about the middle and working class of that time.
The middle class in America 1950’s was ideologically much better off than the poorer working class. Back then from the working class point of view, the middle class was seen as having something to strive for, and being much more important. Middle class people were respected and had more opportunities. The working class on the other hand was seen as completely different – they were seen as uneducated, uncivilized and mobilized in their class. It was also typically made of mostly migrants, such as the Italians from the play. They were looked down upon by the middle and upper class, because they were seen as stealing jobs from the native Americans. Because of the lack of jobs and increasing number of immigrants into America, jobs were highly valued in the working class. Family and community became very important in the Italian working class, as most weren’t trusted by the Americans, and they could help each other out in times of need. This in turn helped to create the mafia and gangs in the working class became common. This created the Italians as violent people. These ideologies of class are defined in A View from the Bridge, through the varying character traits.
The first contrasting character trait in the play is concerned with masculinity, and involves the working class’s family system and the changing values of the Italian working class. While Eddie is characterizes as being the male provider of his family, fitting into the ‘masculine’ role, Rodolpho contrasts this trait by acting the total opposite to him. Eddie is seen as a character that lives in a very patriarchal family system, where he is the head of the family and what he wants, goes. Catherine and Beatrice are seen in the play tending to his every need – cooking dinner for him, and Catherine getting a cigar for Eddie. Rodolpho contrasts with Eddie’s masculine traits though, and instead is seen helping around the house with Beatrice. He also can sing, dance and sew – “Oh sure, I sing jazz,” and “Rodolpho makin’ you a dress?” This contrasting trait between the two characters question masculinity in the working class, and is showing that the working class was slowly moving out of the patriarchal family life and roles in the house were slowly becoming mixed between the two genders. These contrasting traits between the “masculine” Eddie and the “feminine” Rodolpho could also be saying that while some Italian immigrants like Eddie held on to their traditions and customs, others embraced America’s culture. This is seen with Rodolpho, and him moving out of the masculine role shows he was changing to become an American, which was also slowly moving out of the patriarchal system at that time. This shows that there were Italians in the working class that wanted to live the American dream, and were willing to let go of tradition and custom to become and American and become rich.
The idea that the people in the working class were stuck in the working class and were forever going to live in poverty is also challenged in this play. Contrasting traits between Alfieri and Eddie and Catherine help to define this issue about their class – and from the play show that it was possible to get what you wanted in life even if you were a working class Italian. Alfieri is a major character in the play that represents the American dream quite well – he was a migrant in America, but made it to the middle class were he is seen as a successful lawyer, who is respected in society. This shows that anyone, not just Americans could make it in America as a successful businessman, even if you were a migrant. “You wouldn’t know it but something amusing just happened. “You see how uneasily they nod to me? That’s because I am a lawyer,” gives the reader the impression that Alfieri is very much respected from the working class point of view. His part in the play as narrator also puts him above the working class and makes him seem like a powerful character in the play. These character traits contrast with Eddie, who is also an Italian migrant. Although he has been in America for quite some time, he is still working on the docks in the working class, and is just surviving, which is the total opposite to Alfieri. This shows that life in America was what you made of it – and that success was not restricted to the middle class and above. Everyone had a chance to make it big in America, even the migrants. Catherine also shows this by wanting to get a good job. Even Eddie says “I want you to be in an office. Maybe a lawyer’s office someplace in New York in one of them nice buildings. I mean if you’re gonna get outa here then get out; don’t go practically in the same neighbourhood.” This shows that the middle class position was aspired to by the working class, and that the working class could actually move up the classes whether they were migrants or not, and were not mobilized in their class.
Family life and community is also seen as important in the working class, through the actions of the characters. In the working class, family & community play a key role in their lives. Marco and Eddies are both seen as providers for their family, and it is clear that they both care a lot for their family. Some could even read Eddie as just being overprotective of Catherine, and that she was just being used by Rodolpho to gain citizenship in America. “My wife…I want to send maybe 20 dollars right away…” shows Marco putting his family first instead of himself. This shows the importance of his family to him, and the fact he is going to so much trouble to get money for his family reinforces the strong value of family in the working class. While Alfieri represents the middle class, his character traits show the audience that family and community is not as important in the middle class. “And my practice is entirely unromantic...” gives the audience the impression that he spends more time with his work than his family. Alfieri’s character trait contrasts with the characters of the working class, and from this shows the reader that family is much more valued in the working than middle class.
The Vinny Bolzano story is also another example of how important family is in the working class. It emphasizes the importance of family and the major consequences from betraying your own family and community. When Vinny betrays his uncle who is an illegal immigrant, he is condemned for his actions by his family and community – “And they spit on him in the street, his own father and his brothers.” This shows that loyalty is especially important to your family, even if it is above the law. This contrasts with Alfieri, who represents the law and justice system in America. He is a lawyer and follows the laws of the country. As a middle class man he represents the middle class as law abiding and ruled by justice. Him following the law contrasts with Eddie who uses instinct and emotions rather than rules and laws to justify his actions. This brings in another contrasting trait between the characters, and shows the difference between the working and middle class. While the middle class is run by law, the working class is run on instinct and emotions. This is shown with Eddie’s actions even if the laws said that nothing could be done about the situation with Catherine and Rodolpho. From the contrasting character traits between the working class characters, and Alfieri, it can be seen that the working class of that time was powered by instinct rather than laws, like the middle class. Family and community were also seen as important in the working class, much more than the middle class, and played a key role in their lives.
From the contrasting character traits of the characters in the working and middle class, represented by Alfieri the narrator, Arthur miller helps to define the ideological issues about class of that time. From the contrasting characters, it can be seen that everyone in America had the chance to be successful, even the working class migrants. Family and community was a very important part of the Italian American community, much more than the middle class. Law was also something that they handled in their own hands, rather than following the countries laws like the middle class. The play also shows the working class changing, and becoming more “Americanized”. Rodolpho clearly represents this where he is shown as being willing to let go of his past and tradition to become a full American. His role in the house shows that the roles of the genders were becoming mixed, instead of the female being the only ones who cooked and cleaned. This is the same with America at the time which was slowly moving out of the patriarchal system. From these contrasting character traits between the characters of the middle and working class, Miller helps to define the ideological issues about class of that time.