Masculinity in A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller Essay

Masculinity in A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller Miller uses several forms of masculinity to show the audience that in different circumstances and cultures different forms of masculinity are possible. This is shown to us by comparing both extremes of masculinity and what they both involve. In the longshoreman culture respect is as much a part of a man as is his own image. This leads to those members of the community going to extraordinary lengths to keep their reputation in order to stop them being emasculated in the eyes of the community. In the Sicilian culture this is not so true and a form of masculinity that has certain feminine qualities is shown to us. The Longshoreman way of†¦show more content†¦Another form of masculinity that is shown to us in A View From The Bridge that is also based upon physical masculine strength is that of Marco. His masculinity is of a similar style to that of Eddies, but differs in one fundamental way. Instead of Eddies obsession with his image in the community Marco is obsessed with honour and above all family honour. This can clearly be seen by the way he looks after his brother and family, spending his first money on medicine for [his] boy. When looking out for his brother, Rodolfo, more often than not he is stopping him from getting into trouble, Youll be quiet, Rodolfo, You come home early now. The problem with this style of masculinity that we are shown by Miller is that when it comes into contact with similar styles of masculinity it can cause friction in relationships between people. We can see this clearly in Marco and Eddies relationship. In the beginning Eddie admires Marco because hes a strong guy, but at the tension grows superficially Marco seems calm. This is particularly noticeable in the scene with the chair being lifted. In the West Yorkshire Play House production of the play the sound of a gramophone needle scratching in a heartbeat style noise was used to give a sense of tension. But later when is honour is damaged he explodes in a much less impressive way andShow MoreRelatedHelping the Audience Understand the Themes of A View from the Bridge1044 Words   |  5 Pageshelping the audience to understand the themes of A View from the Bridge. In the play, A View from the Bridge. Arthur Miller uses a variety of language and dramatic devices. These techniques are used to express the play more creatively, helping the audience to develop an enhanced understanding of the text. He uses elements such as character and language to convey the in-depth meanings of the themes within the play. 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