View from the Bridge - Part Two

[vce_2007]

hey guys i really need some feed back on this part two essay, something that i'm not very good at :S

just letting you guys know, this is probably one of my worst pieces ever...
all feedback will be taken seriously...a grade out of 10 would be nice


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?Eddie has a particular view of what it means to be a man?. How does Miller examine the idea of manliness in his society?

Society has its predetermined expectations of males and their roles in society. They are presumed to take up the role of the dominant breadwinner, be strong, robust and take charge of household decisions, whilst women are expected to cook, clean, sow and remain at home. Arthur Miller examines manliness in various angles in ?A View from the Bridge? through the male characters and their roles in the play. Men have a stereotypical role of working to provide the main source of income, display their strength through the physical labour of working. However a portion of men display more feminine traits and are shunned and suspected in society for being different.

A typical trait of the male stereotype is that he dominates the household. The man of the house makes decisions and his words are final. Miller examines the role of men in the 1950s society in ?A View from the Bridge? through Eddie Carbone, a man who ?work like a dog? to provide for his family. Miller exhibits Eddie as the dominant patriarchal figure in the Carbone family, as Catherine?s future is confirmed with Eddie. His approval is sought before finalising any decision for her career. Throughout the play there is continuos symbolism of his dominance portraying the importance a male in the society. Every decision made in the Carbone family is discussed with Eddie, whether it directly involves him or not. Marco on the other hand is the head of the extended family and takes control of the situation between Eddie and Rodolpho as an obligation to protect his brother. Miller shows that the men control their own families, whilst the women merely obey the instructions served, as the knowledge of their manliness to dominate is apparent.

Additionally, males provide a roof over their families heads and necessities. Without the income of a male, the family will fall into financial strife. Miller observes the responsibility of male to supply for his family the necessities required to live. Eddie Carbone ?work [on] the docks? as a ?longshoreman? to get by, together with his wife and niece. There have been times where he has had to take ?out of [his] own mouth? to feed he niece and sometimes even ?out of [his] wife?s? in order to get by. Through the Carbone family, Miller shows that without the male income, society would be endowed in poverty.

Men who are ?regular bull? are considered to be masculine and ?strong?, and this remains to be the most typical trait of the male role. These characteristics of masculine men are used to defend ones property and family. ?A View from the Bridge? brings Marco?s character to life through his manly traits of being a ?regular bull? implying his exceptional strength to work all day and ?load [a] whole ship by himself?. Eddie proves his own strength to Rodolpho, the ?punk?, by ?teach[ing]? him how to box, but in pretext employs it to physically attack him in an attempt to swerve him away from Catherine. However Marco goes a step further and manipulates the situation to display his own abilities to Eddie, ultimately as a threat to leave his family alone. These displays of individual strengths depict the typical traits of a man?s masculinity. They assert others of a man?s domain, boundaries and possessions and serve as a warning.

However, some men display more feminine qualities than masculine. The extent to which they do maybe minimal or in some cases quite apparent. Arthur Miller displays society?s reactions to such individuals through the fragile character of Rodolpho, who would ?blow?over? if one ?close[d] the paper fast?. He can ?cook, clean, sing? and sow, many of the traits that a woman possess, yet Miller still allows Rodolpho to be primarily masculine and very much in love with Catherine. However these feminine qualities are what Eddie picks on that separates him from the others. Eddie remarks that he ?can?t sing?can?t make dresses, so [he?s] on the waterfront?, sarcastically implying he lacks masculinity something that Eddie surely does not lack. Eddie sees himself as a ?man?, one that works hard hours to provide for his family. Louis and Mike also jest at the ?Paper Doll? that Rodolpho is, who always makes ?remarks? and ?the way he says? things makes them laugh. He different personality sticks out in such a conservative society, that he is shunned by some such as Eddie. Masculinity is an identity for men, his strengths, qualities and dominance sets him apart from females, but some men lack these traits, leaving them spurned by their male counterparts.

Men are perceived to be strong, robust, hardworking labourers striving to set food on the table. Society sees that they reserve the right to dominate the household and decisions are finalised by their final words. Arthur Miller encapsulates these masculine qualities that make up men and examines them through the characters of Eddie Carbone, Rodolpho and Marco. Men use their strength to emphasize to others their domain, property and family, whilst using it to provide necessities. However a lack of these traits can lead to a sense of deceit by their own counterparts in societies where masculinity plays an important role of everyday life.