A View from the Bridge: Act 1 Summary & Analysis

The play is set in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook in the 1950s, near the small apartment of a man named Eddie. A middle-aged lawyer named Alfieri comes on stage and addresses the audience directly. He says that the people of this neighborhood distrust lawyers, just as their Sicilian ancestors always have. Describing Red Hook, he says that all the Italian immigrants there are “quite civilized, quite American,” and says, “justice is very important here.”

Alfieri says that he has mostly dealt with simple, petty cases during his career, but occasionally finds a serious case that some ancient lawyer in Italy “in some Caesar’s year” would have dealt with. Eddie enters, and Alfieri introduces him to the audience as Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman who works on the docks. Eddie is returning home after work, and sees his niece Catherine.

Eddie notices that Catherine is well dressed and has made her hair look nice. He asks where she’s planning on going, and she says that she has news for him. Eddie says her skirt is too short, but Catherine disagrees. Eddie tells her that she should change how she walks down the sidewalk, because she’s drawing the attention of men.

Catherine begins to get upset, and Eddie reminds her that he promised her mother as she was dying that he would watch over Catherine. He tells Catherine that she is a “baby” and doesn’t “doesn’t understand these things.” Eddie calls for his wife, Beatrice, and says that her cousins have arrived from Italy. Beatrice enters and is surprised that they have come early. She worries that the house is not ready for them yet, but Eddie tells her that the cousins will “think it’s a millionaire’s house compared to the way they live.”

Beatrice is nervous for her cousins’ arrival, but Eddie says that it will be fine, as long as the cousins “know where they’re gonna sleep.” He’s worried that Beatrice is so generous she’ll give them her bed and Eddie and Beatrice will end up sleeping on the floor. He tells Beatrice she has “too big a heart.” Beatrice calls Eddie an angel for letting her cousins stay with them.

As the three prepare to eat dinner, Catherine shares her news with Eddie. She has gotten a job as a typist at a plumbing company, having been picked as the best student in her typing class. Catherine is excited, but Eddie is hesitant and doesn’t want her to be “with a lotta plumbers.” He says he doesn’t want Catherine to go to the neighborhood where the company is. Beatrice tries to persuade Eddie that Catherine would be safe there, and asks him, “you gonna keep her in the house all her life?”

Eddie tells Catherine her hair makes her look like “the madonna type.” He relents and tells her she can take the job. Catherine is ecstatic and talks about what she’ll buy with her first paycheck. Eddie says Catherine will probably move out soon, and “come visit on Sundays, then once a month, then Christmas and New Year’s, finally.” He tells Catherine not to trust people and to be cautious.

The three eat dinner, and then conversation returns to the topic of Beatrice’s cousins. Eddie reminds her of the importance of not saying anything to anyone about the cousins, since they are staying in the apartment illegally and are not legal immigrants. He says that the Immigration Bureau has people paid off in the neighborhood to report on illegal immigrants.

Eddie and Beatrice tell Catherine the story of a nearby boy who “snitched to the Immigration” about his illegal immigrant uncle. The boy’s family was so enraged by this betrayal that they “pulled him down the stairs,” beat him, and “spit on him in the street.” Catherine promises not to say a word about Beatrice’s cousins.

Catherine says she is supposed to start work the next Monday, and Eddie wishes her luck, with tears in his eyes. He jokes that he “never figured on” Catherine growing up. Catherine goes to get Eddie his cigar, and Eddie asks Beatrice why she is mad at him. She says she isn’t, and that he is the one who is mad. As this dinner scene comes to an end, Alfieri comes on stage and tells the audience that Eddie was a good, hard-working man. He says that around ten o’clock that night, Beatrice’s cousins arrived.

A man escorts Beatrice’s cousins, Rodolpho and Marco, to Eddie’s apartment. Marco and Rodolpho enter the apartment and meet Beatrice and Eddie. Marco thanks them for letting Rodolpho and him stay and says that as soon as Eddie wants them out, they will leave. Catherine notices and remarks on Rodolpho’s light blond hair.

Eddie tells Marco and Rodolpho about the work they will have, on the docks. They talk about how there are no jobs where they are from in Italy, and people struggle to make money, pushing taxis up hills for example. Marco describes his wife and children, whom he has left back in Italy and to whom he is going to send back money as he works here. He and Rodolpho are excited at the opportunity to make money in the U.S. and are delighted when Eddie tells them they could make thirty or forty dollars a week.

Catherine asks if Rodolpho is married. He isn’t, and he says he wants to stay in the U.S., become a rich American, and then one day return to Italy with a motorcycle. Rodolpho talks about what a status symbol a motorcycle is in Italy, and then says that he is also a singer, and once made money singing at a hotel. Catherine is intrigued and wants to hear him sing. He sings a song called “Paper Doll.”

The lyrics of the song talk about being disillusioned with love, and say “I’m gonna buy a paper doll that I can call my own, a doll that other fellows cannot steal.” Eddie tells Rodolpho to stop singing, as it will alert neighbors that someone new is staying in the apartment. Marco tells Rodolpho to be quiet. Eddie notices that Catherine is wearing high-heeled shoes, and tells her to go into her room and change them.

As this scene comes to a close, Alfieri comes on stage and says that, ‘as the weeks passed . . . there was a trouble that would not go away.” The play resumes following Eddie and his family a few weeks in the future. Eddie is waiting impatiently for Catherine and Rodolpho to return from seeing a movie. He tells Beatrice that Rodolpho is supposed to stay inside when he isn’t working, to avoid getting caught. Beatrice tells him to stop worrying.

Eddie asks Beatrice if Catherine has said anything about Rodolpho, and Beatrice says that Rodolpho is “a nice kid." Eddie disagrees, and Beatrice says he’s jealous of him. Eddie thinks this is ridiculous, and is displeased at the idea of Rodolpho and Catherine being together. He says that Rodolpho sings while working, so that the other longshoremen have nicknamed him Paper Doll. He says Rodolpho is “weird” and has “wacky hair.”

Eddie says that Marco “goes around like a man,” in contrast to Rodolpho. He says he didn’t bring Catherine up for someone like Rodolpho. Beatrice changes the subject and asks, “When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?” She says it’s been months since they’ve slept together, and Eddie says he doesn’t want to talk about it. He goes back to the subject of Catherine, and Beatrice says that Catherine is eighteen and old enough to make her own decisions.

Eddie goes outside and talks with two neighbors, Mike and Louis, about Marco and Rodolpho. They compliment Marco’s strength and work ethic, but then say that Rodolpho “has a sense of humor,” and seem to suggest that something is strange about him. They say that Rodolpho is “just humorous,” though they seem to be implying something more, as they laugh about Rodolpho. Mike and Louis leave, just as Rodolpho and Catherine enter.

Eddie asks where Catherine and Rodolpho have been, wanting to make sure they haven’t gone to Times Square. Catherine says that Rodolpho has been telling her about Italy, where there are fountains in every town and orange and lemon trees. Eddie tells Rodolpho that he wants to talk to Catherine alone. Rodolpho leaves, and Eddie says that he never sees Catherine anymore. He says she used to always be there when he got home, but now she is “a big girl,” and he doesn’t know how to talk to her.

Eddie asks Catherine if she likes Rodolpho. She says she does, and he warns her that Rodolpho doesn’t respect her, and hasn’t asked his permission to “run around” with her. Catherine insists that Rodolpho respects both her and Eddie. Eddie says that Rodolpho is trying to use Catherine to become an American citizen through marriage. He says that he is suspicious because Rodolpho hasn’t sent his money back to Italy, but has used it to buy “snappy new” clothes.

Catherine is upset, and insists that Rodolpho loves her. She runs into the apartment and Eddie follows her. Inside, Beatrice angrily tells Eddie to leave Catherine alone. Eddie walks outside, and Beatrice talks to Catherine. She tells Catherine that she is no longer a baby, and asks what she wants to do. Catherine says she wants to get married but is worried because Eddie is so against it. Beatrice tells her that no man would be good enough for Catherine in Eddie’s eyes.

Beatrice tells Catherine, “you gotta be your own self more,” and encourages her to make her own decisions and not let Eddie order her around. Beatrice tells Catherine to stop acting like a little girl around Eddie, “talkin’ to him when he’s shavin’ in his underwear,” and throwing herself at him when he comes home, “like when you was twelve years old.”

Beatrice tells Catherine that she needs to act differently and tell Eddie not to order her around, because if Beatrice tells him this, he will only think she is jealous of Catherine. Catherine is astonished and asks if Eddie said Beatrice was jealous of her. Beatrice says no, and that she isn’t jealous. Beatrice tells Catherine that she is a woman now, and Catherine promises to behave more like an adult.

Alfieri comes on stage and tells the audience that around this time, Eddie first came to him. He says that when Eddie came to his office, he looked passionate and upset. Alfieri goes to his office, where Eddie is sitting. He asks Eddie what he wants him to do, since there is nothing illegal about Catherine falling in love with Rodolpho.

Eddie says that Rodolpho is only interested in Catherine in order to become an American citizen, but Alfieri says there is no proof of this. Eddie says that Rodolpho isn’t saving his money but is spending it on all sorts of things, which is very suspicious because most illegal immigrants are only in New York to work and save up money to send back home.

Eddie then tells Alfieri that Rodolpho “ain’t right.” Alfieri tries to get Eddie to be more specific, and Eddie says that Rodolpho has bright blond hair and is skinny and weak. He describes how Rodolpho sings and hits very high notes with an almost womanly voice. He says that recently Catherine had a dress that was too small for her, and Rodolpho took it apart and sewed it up into a new dress for her.

Eddie says that people on the docks call Rodolpho “Paper Doll” and “Blondie,” and laugh at him. Alfieri again tells Eddie that there is no legal action he can take. Eddie reiterates that Rodolpho “ain’t right,” but Alfieri says the only legal matter here is the fact that Rodolpho is an illegal immigrant. Eddie says he’d never report Rodolpho to the Immigration Bureau.

Alfieri tells Eddie that sometimes there’s simply too much love in a man’s life and “it goes where it musn’t.” He says that sometimes a man works so hard to bring up a child that “he never realizes it, but through the years—there is too much love for the daughter, there is too much love for the niece.” Eddie doesn’t quite get Alfieri’s point, and Alfieri tells him that children have to grow up and advises him to let Catherine go.

Eddie gets up to go, and talks about how hard he has worked, going anywhere he could find jobs, just to support Catherine and raise her. He angrily talks about how he has taken Rodolpho in and given him shelter, and now he “puts his dirty filthy hands on her like a goddam thief!” He shouts that Rodolpho is stealing from him. Alfieri tells Eddie that Catherine wants to get married, and says she can’t marry Eddie. Eddie is shocked and asks what Alfieri is talking about. Alfieri tells Eddie to stop worrying about Catherine and Rodolpho.

Eddie leaves, and Alfieri tells the audience that he knew then what would happen, but was powerless to stop it. Back at Eddie’s apartment, Catherine tells Beatrice about how Rodolpho and Marco once went to Africa on a fishing boat. Marco and Rodolpho talk about working on fishing boats in the ocean. Catherine is fascinated by the idea of traveling all over on a boat, and talks about the orange and lemon trees Rodolpho says are in Italy.

Marco talks about how much money he has been able to save and send back to his wife in Italy. Eddie jokes that there must be “plenty surprises sometimes” when people return home to Italy and find more children there than when they left. Marco says, “the women wait, Eddie,” and Rodolpho says it’s “more strict” in Italy and “not so free” as it is in America. Getting upset, Eddie says it “ain’t so free here either,” and says one wouldn’t “drag off some girl without permission” in America.

Rodolpho assures Eddie that he has respect for Catherine and asks if he has done anything wrong. Eddie says that Rodolpho has come home late with Catherine, and Marco tells Rodolpho to get home early from now on. Eddie says that Rodolpho shouldn’t go out so much, as he risks getting caught, and that if he came to “make a livin’” for his family, he should spend his time working.

Catherine puts on a record, playing the song “Paper Doll,” and asks Rodolpho if he wants to dance. Rodolpho and Catherine dance, and Beatrice asks Marco about the fishing boats he worked on. Marco talks about the kitchen on the boat, and says that Rodolpho was a very good cook. Eddie sarcastically says, “It’s wonderful. He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses.”

Eddie says that the docks aren’t the place for Rodolpho to be working, and says he would work somewhere else if he could make dresses, like a dress store. Eddie asks Marco if he wants to go see a boxing fight, and then asks Rodolpho if he has ever boxed. He offers to teach him, and Rodolpho and Eddie stand up to practice boxing. He starts to show Rodolpho some boxing moves, and then asks Rodolpho to try to hit him.

Rodolpho grazes Eddie’s jaw, and Eddie tells him to try to block his punch now. Eddie lands a blow on Rodolpho, and Marco stands up in protest, but Rodolpho says he’s fine. Eddie says he’ll teach Rodolpho again sometime. Catherine and Rodolpho dance again to “Paper Doll.”

Marco places a chair in front of Eddie and asks if he can lift it with one hand, from one of the chair’s legs, while kneeling on the ground. Eddie can’t. Marco gets on the ground and lifts the chair with one hand. He stands up so that he is holding the chair above his head, face to face with Eddie. He gives Eddie a look of warning that then turns into “a smile of triumph.”