Arthur Miller's 'A View from the Bridge' - a clash of cultures

Dr. Senerath TENNAKOON

Arthur Miller's 'A View from the Bridge' dealing with the social and cultural issues of illegal immigrants is considered a tragedy without a hero. It is essentially a social or psychological drama of just two acts. Its genre essentially resembles a Greek tragedy, as the key character, the tragic protagonist 'Eddie' gets finally destroyed by his own inner emotional upheavals. Because of the simplicity of the plot, without hidden mysteries or secrets, instead of following the five act pattern in his drama, Miller has used only two acts in its structure.

The plot is not complex. In the first act Miller, has attempted to safeguard his pretty niece 'Catherine' from the developing love with one of the handsome illegal immigrants from Italy, Rodolpho. In essence, Eddie too has a soft corner in his heart for Catherine, and he knows that if Catherine and Rodolpho tighten their love knot and enter into marriage; then Rodolpho would become a citizen of the USA.

A mini-climax is reached in the fifth scene of the first act when Marco (another nature illegal immigrant) challenges the authority of Eddie by winning a game designed to show ones strength.

While Marco raises a chair one-handed, Eddie could not summon his strength to do it.

Marco is a hard worker who earned money and sent it to Italy to support his wife and children. He is a genuine worker. Eddie's legal wife, Beatrice often acts as a peace maker when disputes occur between the illegal immigrants.

She very well knows the sexual interests of her husband towards his niece and his jealousy about the developing love between Catherine and Rodolpho. She is all out to help the lovers. In Freudian terms it is the 'id' of Eddie that is disturbing his instinct and behaviour. In the second act, the audience observe the further development of the relationship between the lovers and Eddie becoming crazy. Eddie's motives become brutal and clear. He even informs the officers of the Department of Immigration of the illegal immigrants. He also reveals his intentions to the legal advisor about the relationship between an illegal immigrant and his niece. Marco is arrested and imprisoned to be released later. On his return the tragic death of Eddie takes place while Marco jabs Eddie's knife on Eddie as a form of self defence.

The style of the drama is largely dominated by power packed dialogues. Miller employs bare colloquial speech patterns which are sometimes ungrammatical. However, the lawyer 'Alfieri' often uses metaphorical language.

There is rhetoric and eloquence in his speech. But there are scenes without such speech which by the mere action itself reveals the emotional or sexual intentions of a character. One act is the act of lighting the cigar by Catherine and it shows the regard of Catherine to her uncle on the one hand and on the other hand it excites the sexual feelings of Eddie. Eddie really enjoys this act.

He was deeply affected by the Depression that played havoc in America in the 1930s. Miller always took the side of the struggling common man and he always regarded 'the Great American Dream' as a false notion of American prosperity.

His political vision was liberal in nature, scope and content. Once he was labelled as a 'Communist' and had to face state criticism and pay a fine too. But his dramatic creations were much liked by the American community.

'All My Sons' (1947), 'Death of a Salesman' (1949) and 'The Crucible' (1953) are some of his major dreams. He wrote 'A View from the Bridge' as a screenplay called 'The Hook' in 1955. At first it was one act play which was not quite successful. So he modified it to a two act drama in 1956. Illegal immigrants have become a major social issue in many developed countries. Even today it is a great socio-economic and cultural issue. When Miller wrote this play postwar Italy was a country of destitution, and the United States of America has been a beacon of hope of the Italian immigrants. As in the 1950s the immigration issue is a source for making big money by the 'syndicates' who engage in the business of smuggling people across borders by boat, ship or by plane. But how many try to go to Italy - even Sri Lankans.

After the Second World War the general public thought that the women should return to their rightful place in the kitchen.

Although Miller was a social realist, he perhaps had to restrict the activities and the power of women to a limited sphere in the home. Catherine in this play is just a girl of seventeen being looked after jealously by her mature and married uncle. Her freedom is restricted. But when she realises the motives of Eddie she calls him "rat who belongs in the sewer."

Reference: McNamara K (2005). A View from the Bridge, Cambridge University Press.