English Play

Front 1

'Now we settle for half and i like it better'

Back 1

Alfieri is a bridge between the old ways of sicilly (where he was born) and Red Hook (where he works as a lawyer)

Front 2

'Another lawyer...heard the same complaint and set there powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course'

Back 2

ALFIERI homodiagetic narator (knows whats going to happen) gives a sense of tragic inevitability

Front 3

'Running her hands over her skirt'

Back 3

Stage direction- CATHERINE she wants eddies approval (seems like a couple. In begining, so not yet aware of relarionship) (ambiguity audience unaware of true feelings)

Front 4

'She sits on her heels beside him'

Back 4

Stage direction- CATHERINE. Shows audience her deference to eddie and a physical representation of the power distrobution

Front 5

'You ain't all the girls'

Back 5

EDDIE- shows his jealousy at other guys looking at what he sees as 'his'

Front 6

'Enters wiping her hands with a towel'

Back 6

STAGE DIRECTION- BEATRICE- First time we see B and this implies she's being doing something in the kitchen. Constructs her as maternal domestic character

Front 7

'I was gunna wash the walls'

Back 7

BEATRICE- Wants to be a good hostess, wants her guests (the cousins) to be comfortable and at home

Front 8

'You got too big a heart'

Back 8

EDDIE- B is self-sacrificing (puts others before herself). Miller has constructed her as the embodiment of christian love

Front 9

'I don't like that neighbourhood'

Back 9

EDDIE- Red Hook is dangerous 'gullet of new york'

Front 10

'You look like a maddona'

Back 10

EDDIE- Weird view of catherine because he feels sexual love for her (she is growing into her sexuality) but a maddona is a pure, virginal (almost childlike) figure

Front 11

'You'll never see him no more'

Back 11

EDDIE- About the Vinnie Bolzano (cautionary) story. Loyalty is a key part of the community. They don't snitch on 'submarines'

Front 12

'Laughing'/ 'smiling'

Back 12

STAGE DIRECTION- RODOLPHO- In his first scene most of his stage directions have him laughing

Front 13

'I will buy a motorcycle'

Back 13

RODOLPHO- Buys into the american dream. He wants to become rich (he dreams of a better life)

Front 14

'Katie he's only bowin' to his pasport'

Back 14

EDDIE- Jealous of Rodolpho's relationship with Catherine. Sowing seeds of doubt ib Catherines mind

Front 15

'Honey'/'baby'

Back 15

STAGE DIRECTIONS- Pet names towards Catherine (by Eddie and mainly B) that baby and infantalise her

Front 16

'His eyes were like tunnels'

Back 16

ALFIERI- Implying Eddies monomania and obsession towards Catherine. Gives the audience a sense of tragic inevitability only one possible ending. This is a repeated motif throught the play

Front 17

' When am I gonna be a wife again'

'It's almost three months you dont feel good'

Back 17

BEATRICE- Trying to talk to Eddie about their strained relationship (they're not close and have no physical relationship) (makes audience feel sympathetic towards B she is a brave character)

Front 18

'You should have thought of it before'

Back 18

B- (When she's trying to convince Catherineto grow up) Is B just trying to convince Catherine to be happy (with Rodolpho) or is she jealous. Does she just want her 'competition' out of the way?

Front 19

' it was only a passion that had moved into his body like a stranger'

Back 19

ALFIERI- This a passive construction, implying that Eddie is a victim in all of this. Again seems to give a sense of tragic inevitability as though nothing can be done

Front 20

'Too much love'

Back 20

ALFIERI- Repetition of 'too much' throught the speech. Implies Eddie loves Catherine 'too much' and shows that Alfieri is picking up on it

Front 21

'She can't marry you can she'

Back 21

ALFIERI- First time anyone has directly said about Eddies inapropriate feelings for catherine

Front 22

'He's stealing from me'

Back 22

EDDIE- Patriachal society. Eddie believes that Catherine belongs to him. Also tells of Eddies sexual jealousy

Front 23

'Furiously'

Back 23

STAGE DIRECTION- EDDIE - angry at giving up feelings to Alfieri as he hasn't even admitted them to himself yet

Front 24

'You wanna dance Rodolpho'

Back 24

CATHERINE- Knows that this will annoy Eddie. Seems to be beginning to gain independence and maybe she's not as naive

Front 25

'Bent the rolled paper and it suddenly tears in two'

Back 25

STAGE DIRECTION- EDDIE- Symbolises the beginning of the end. Permenant damage has been done to the relationship it is irreparable

Front 26

'Chair raised like a weapon over Eddie's head'

Back 26

STAGE DIRECTION- MARCO- Showing Eddie how much stronger he is (domibance over him, anamalistic) Marco has tried to please Eddie but is now saying that he is the 'alpha male'

Front 27

'He kisses her on the mouth'

Back 27

STAGE DIRECTION- EDDIE- Eddie is drunk and has just come home to catch Rodolpho and Catherine coming out of the bedroom. He is asserting power over her by being agressive. His desire has broken through

Front 28

'Suddenly kisses him'

Back 28

STAGE DIRECTION- EDDIE- Kisses Rodolpho. Eddie trying to show power over Rodolpho and imply that he's gay. Effeminate Rodolpho isn't violent.

Front 29

'He ain't right'

Back 29

EDDIE- Eddies distorted view of Rodolpho being gay

Front 30

'When the law is wrong it is because it is unnatural'

'A river will drown you if you buck it now'

Back 30

ALFIERI- The law is right. There is nothing that can be done. Sense of inevitabikity with river quote

Front 31

'A phone booth begins to glow'

Back 31

STAGE DIRECTION- (The phone booth has been present on stage all play) The temptation to call immagration something he has never seriously considered before now. Tells the audience that this can not end well. Gives sense of tragic inevitability

Front 32

'A faint lonely blue'

Back 32

STAGE DIRECTION- PHONE BOOTH- Implys hiw what Eddie is going to do will leave him alone with no friends s

Front 33

'I'm no different'

Back 33

BEATRICE- Eddie's changed not her. He's gotten agressive and violent

Front 34

'Marco spits in Eddies face"

Back 34

STAGE DIRECTION- Marco calling Eddie a traitor (taking his name). Lack of trust in a public shaming

Front 35

Lipari the butcher walks over to the two strange men abd kisses them

Back 35

STAGE DIRECTION- Show of loyalty towards cousins. Shunning of Eddie the traitor

Front 36

Only Beatrice is left on stoop

Back 36

STAGE DIRECTION- B- B is the only one left she is loyal to a fault. (Embodiment of christian love in the play)

Front 37

'I'll kill him'

Back 37

EDDIE- Repetition to show sincerity. As though he's fooling himself that it's not his fault. Because he won't own up violent action must be taken

Front 38

'All the law is not in a book'

'Yes. In a book. There is no other law'

Back 38

MARCO/ ALFIERI- The law is not always morally right. The law is imperfect, there is not always a good outcome

Front 39

'With fear going to Eddie'

Back 39

STAGE DIRECTION- BEATRICE- Near the end of the play Eddie is becoming more of a violent controlling bully.

Front 40

'You got no more right to tell nobody nothin'

Back 40

CATHERINE- Finally standing up to Eddie. Negation she is negating Eddies entire identity

Front 41

'He's a rat. he belongs in a sewer'

Back 41

CATHERINE- Continued metaphor of rat (double meaning- informer and vermin)

Front 42

Then we all belong in the garbage

Back 42

B- Saying that all of them had a part in what happened. (Even after everything Eddie has done she is still loyal to him)

Front 43

'I must admit with a certain alarm (that) something perversly pure calls to me from his memory'

Back 43

ALFIERI- Miller is constructing sympathy for Eddie