A View from the Bridge

Arthur Miller is noted for expressing familial strain in his plays. Such a theme is expressed in The Crucible, Death of a Salesman and All My Sons.

Eddie Carbone has a steady life at home with his wife Beatrice and niece Catherine. But problems arise when Beatrice's cousins, illegal immigrants from Italy, arrive and one of them starts to romance Catherine.

It isn't mentioned, but it's clear that Eddie has an unhealthy liking towards Catherine. He finds that Catherine growing up is a threat to him and he'll be willing to keep Catherine to himself.

The themes in A View from the Bridge mirror those in Death of a Salesman. Both focus on a family trying to comprehend the mental state of the patriarch. The events throughout both plays lead to the fall of the patriarch.

A View from the Bridge is one of Miller's best plays and for good reason too. It shows the often painful realities of life at home. A must-read.

My Rating: *****