Foreshadowing the Breakdown of Catherine and Eddies...

Foreshadowing the Breakdown of Catherine and Eddies Relationship Arthur Miller’s fascinating tale â€Å"A view from the Bridge† was actually based on a true story. He was researching on Pete Panto, a longshoreman, who was executed for attempting to revolt against his union. He came across another tale, about a man who had told the immigration bureau about his relatives. This longshoreman was trying to prevent his niece from marrying one of the brothers. The man soon disappeared and was rumoured to be killed by one of his brothers. America in the 1950’s was considered a working heaven. â€Å"Good pay, no more back breaking hours of work, no more crime, clean houses, running water, round-the-clock electricity and even good schools.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Maybe this is because he cares for the welfare of women, or because his manhood is at stake. Catherine is Beatrice’s niece who has been orphaned since she was young. She has bee with Eddie and Beatrice since she was orphaned and both uncle and niece treat her like their own child. Eddie and Catherine have a very strong father-daughter like relationship, and both treated each other with tremendous respect. This father-daughter love was an immensely deep one. Eddie, in Act 1 was always the over-powering one and Catherine being immature and not being able to understand always let him, considering Eddie to be a father and taking care of her. During the play, it is Catherine’s emerging confidence that results in the breakdown in Eddie’s and Catherine’s relationship. Eddie is simply not prepared for this. Eddie is the man of the house, and the protagonist in the play. He is well loved by both his wife and a lot by his niece Catherine. Catherine shows how much she loves him as a father by greeting him in a father-daughter way. â€Å"Hi Eddie!† Eddie, a man who does not reveal his emotions, does not respond to this gesture but asks his niece a question. Although his emotions are not revealed through his speech, they are clearly revealed through Miller’s stage directions. Miller states that when Catherine greets him, â€Å"Eddie is pleased and therefore shy about it.† Miller uses stage directions all throughout