Alfieri: ‘A lawyer means the law…’ Explore the significance of the different kinds of law in the play. You must consider language, form, structure and imagery in your answer.
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Answer:
All of the characters in A View from the Bridge are of Italian/Sicilian descent. Some of them, such as Eddie, Beatrice and Catherine, were born in the United States because their parents or grandparents had immigrated to America around 1900. Other characters, such as Alfieri, Marco and Rodolpho, were born in Italy and have made the voyage themselves.
Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, America was welcoming immigrants from all over Europe; many of those people considered that the ‘old world’ was finished and their futures lay in the ‘new world’. However, many people who came from Italy, and especially the south of Italy or Sicily, brought with them their ancient values. They thought that if somebody wronged them, or failed to show respect, it was their duty to seek revenge.
Italy has had a violent past because of gangs such as the Mafia. Many judges, lawyers and police officers have been murdered by the Mafia as revenge for people being arrested and sent to prison. Indeed, this still happens today. Miller wanted to show how this old way of thinking could not work in 1950s America, and that is why Alfieri’s narrative voice is so important.