Eddie Carbone As A Hero in A View from the Bridge Essay

To what extent can Eddie Carbone be recognized as the hero of A View from the Bridge?

A Greek tragedy repeating itself in the modern society, witnessed from the View from the Bridge where the rise and fall of a most average man caused quite a commotion in the neighborhood. This man indeed had nothing extraordinary about himself; he was a middle-aged man, a husky, slightly overweight longshoreman lives in a small house together with his big-hearted wife and a surrogate daughter. This seemingly simple and happy life concealed the complexity of an ominous fate that awaited Eddie Carbone in the end of the play. This play revolves about a hero who undergoes suffering even without the main character himself knowing why.

Pretending if Eddie was to be alive for his second life, which of these options would he believe of his character to reflect on: a hero or a villain? Clearly, acknowledging that heroes have always been committed to his profession in the name of justice, he would prefer himself as a hero. Without doubt he wouldve positioned himself as a hard-working man for he had worked like a dog for twenty years, classifying it as a good deed served for the people (that is to be his wife and the niece) to fight the villain (the impoverished life condition).

Not only that, he wouldve thought that generosity characterized his genes likewise the hero who rescues the citizens without paybacks, otherwise why would he accept to add a burden on his shoulder to feed one more person in his house. Bear in mind that Eddie wasnt a well-off guy who could have easily adopted a child, providing the girl 3 meals a day, buy her shirts and skirts, and also pay for her education to get them a better life than it was then. It was as a matter of fact for the sake of his late wifes sister too that he would share his love from his wife for the child and by setting an example of being the generous, humorous and kind man had given the girl a caring personality tooagain, this has left an impression to the audience that Eddie is the real heroine in the neighborhood.

In contrast to those righteous acts, Eddie had actually one incontestable motive; a motive that provided him power to do so. This idea is so simplistic one could never care more of, though in a way it would be something of a great importance for all human beingsparticularly for men. Pride is indeed something men can never live without; once one is a patsy, a longshoreman and a common man, nothing to brag about and be proud ofexcept that. Men are beings that live on pride, losing his face may as well means losing his entire life. This is especially true for Eddie; evidently he always want my respect. Never the less, the lack of comprehension over respecting matters had lead to a misconception. Apparently Eddie showed that he didnt even understand how to respect others to gain his own respect. A following example below explains how.

One time Catherine the niece arrived home late night, accompanied by the immigrant Rodolfo (who was also a cousin to Eddies wife, Beatrice) to watch at Paramount where they went to see how the environment in America differs to Italy (specifically in Sicily). Having brought up Catherine from her childhood to nearing her adulthood, Eddies nature as (more than) a father-in-law warned himself that he had been disrespected in the way that Rodolfo didnt ask permission from him to take her away(even just for a day). This tiny mistake had taken him to disliking Rodolfo. Later in the play, Marco (Rodolfos elder brother) perceived the twisted treatment of Eddie towards Rodolfo. An incident followed, Marco accused him to have killed my children! That one stole the food from my children!" and spat on his face in front of the community Eddie had lived with for as long as he lived. From this point Eddie should really took an introspection of himself from what hed through with Marco having left such bottomless abhorrence. However, since Marcos got my name while his name equals to his life, drove him towards the wrong end. He would literally kill him and get down to the battle of honor. This generous man had turned into a careless, blinded beast whose bent bravery for he awaited Marco at home brewed problem which at the end guided to death. Finally, the result of him acting in disrespect resulted him being disrespected too.

Another factor for having Eddie classified as a villain was his false feeling towards Catherine. How could he not, by the fact that he lives half of his life with a growing up woman in a house, there grew too much love for the niece. It was indeed what Eddie couldnt accept to himself. He couldnt understand why it was so wrong to love a surrogate daughter, to protect her, to keep her close to him forever. There was a conflict in his own mind, not allowing separating his position between as a surrogate dad and a man who is passionate towards women. To be a hero, he should be able to control himself from going against the justice, even if its breakin my heart.

Of course to care for someone is not sinful, moreover wanting to protect a woman from a man whom they only lived together for less than a year. What Eddie had done so improper was when he reached the Hamartia, a Greek word to express the climax of an error. He kisses her on the mouth was the crime committed by Eddie to innocent Catherine. Being extremely hostile of her marrying Rodolfo was another huge fault leading her to go around shakin all the time. Catherine was without doubt in a great confusion upon what decision should she take. In one hand, she naturally devoted her life for Eddie, she could even as far as sense when he was blue; in the other hand, never having met such a characteristically bizarre man, multi-talented too, Catherine literally turned head on heels with Rodolfo. She cant even go to sleepfrom being over-protective, he then transformed to evoke how himself had no heart as a human being. Why wouldnt he renounce his honor and passionate for the sake of the much-loved person if the person had to end up being in most pain. Thats what you call responsible for her? the wise wife had enough of Eddies misleading actions. Up till then he had entirely lost his charisma as a gentleman, and so he had shown his demonic manners altering him to the world of villainy.