A View From The Bridge

A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller marriage so
violently nor do any of the other people who are involved.
Searching around for a plausible reason Eddie convinces
himself that the young Italian is a homosexual whose only
motive in marrying Catherine is a chance to legitimize his
citizenship in America. But Eddies real motive is the
undeclared unrecognized unappeased hunger he has for
himself. Like the heroes of Greek tragedy he topples the
whole house down on himself in the final catastrophe of a
haunted play. Mr. Miller understands the full tragic
significance of this stark drama. Although he scrupulously
underwrites the narrative he introduces a neighborhood
lawyer in a pool of light on one side of the stage to
serve as commentator. Played compassionately by J. Carrol
Naish the lawyer analyzes Eddies malady and puts it into
human perspective. He also introduces a poetic strain by
relating the Italian immigrants to the heroes of Roman
history and the great myths of classical literature. And
Boris Aronsons brooding set serves much the same purpose.
Although it faithfully defines the battered home in Red
Hook where a longshoremans family lives it also suggests
the majesty of Greek tragedy and the timeless seas of the
ancient world where Mediterranean heroes sailed. In the
main story Mr. Miller writes like an able reporter. But
the dimensions of A View From the Bridge are those of
imaginative drama. Mr. Miller is straining for all the
altitudes he can reach and he is an uncommonly tall man.
The story is vivid. He meets it head-on. His intimate
knowledge of the people-their living habits their
principles their idiom-is solid. What he has to say about
life in Italy today makes an illuminating contrast that
all the characters like to conjure with. Everything about
A View From the Bridge rings true.