Arthur Miller Explores the Idea of Justice in A View From The Bridge :: English Literature

How does Arthur Miller explore the idea of justice in A View From The Bridge. The play ‘A View From The Bridge’ by Arthur Miller is set in the American Sicilian community of Red Hook, in Brooklyn. Community bonds and strong codes of justice are very important in the community. Betrayal of your family or your community is the worst crime you can commit. For instance the story of Vinny Bolzano that Eddie told to Catherine and Beatrice. The story that Eddie told Catherine and Beatrice was the story of Vinny Bolzano. It was about a boy aged about fourteen years old who told the police that his family were hiding his uncle, who was an illegal immigrant. When his family found out that it was Vinny who had told the police about the uncle they disowned him. The whole community turned against him. They even kicked and beat him. â€Å"grabbed him in the kitchen and pulled him down the stairs – three flights his head was bouncin’ like a coconut.† Not betraying your family was so important to Eddie as you would be going against the community codes and this was not done. If it were, the community would disown you. Honour and reputation are also very important to the community. Eddie says to Catherine â€Å"You can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away.† Eddie is saying that once you have lost your reputation you will find it nearly impossible to get back. In the play the character Alfieri role is to act as the narrator and to move the play along in time. He knows what will happen in the play. For instance he knows that Eddie Carbone will be killed at some point within the play. He refers to this in his very first speech. â€Å"This ones name was Eddie Carbone† â€Å"and watched it run its bloody course.† When reading or watching the play you will know that Eddie will be killed some time within the play but you do not know when, this creates dramatic tension. So you’ll know that they wont be a happy ending but you’ll be curious as to how the play will end. He also makes lots of references to the law particularly in his first speech. â€Å"a lawyer means the law† â€Å"the law has not been friendly.† The second quote comes from Alfieri in his first speech and he is saying that in the community Red Hook, where he works, a lawyer is thought of as unlucky. This is because they are only connected with disaster. Because the community of Red Hook is a poor community and nobody has