Ask the Expert Tutor: A View from the Bridge
As part of our ‘Ask the Expert Tutor’ series, we will be discussing Arthur Miller’s play, A View from the Bridge. This text is frequently studied at IBDP.
Understanding context
For IB English students to succeed, it is essential that not only do they have a keen understanding of the text but also the context of a work. For those IB candidates studying A View from the Bridge this means having some knowledge of Arthur Miller’s life and what inspired his writing of the play.
In the 1950s, the American Senator Joseph McCarthy led a political campaign to root out suspected communists and communist sympathisers within the United States. This often involved public hearings organised by the House Un-American Activities Committee. While Miller’s play The Crucible is a more direct response to these events, A View from the Bridge can be seen as a critical response to the testimony of stage and screen director Elia Kazan, a one time friend of Miller’s, who outed a number of individuals from the theatre world as communists. The play also functions as a response to Kazan’s On the Waterfront, a film concerned with one man’s fight against corruption on the New York docks. In On the Waterfront, Kazan, through his protagonist, attempts to portray his decisions in a positive light; in A View from the Bridge, Kazan is Eddie who uses spurious lies and slander to defame Rodolpho.
Gender in A View from the Bridge
A commonly discussed aspect of A View from the Bridge, and, therefore, a useful analytical point for IB candidates, is its deception of gender roles. Eddie, for example, is portrayed as hyper masculine, exhibiting traits that today would be fitting with the term ‘toxic masculinity’. Eddie’s relationships with his wife, Beatrice, and adopted daughter, Catherine, are also deplorable. Yet, due to the constraints placed upon women at the time, little can be done, at least for Beatrice. Miller is clearly critical of this traditional notion of gender relationships and seeks for the audience to question the ways in which society operates.
In contrast to Eddie, the character of Rodolpho, a young immigrant, is presented as somewhat more modern in his relationship to the concept of gender. In this sense, Rodolpho is a threat to the established order as represented by Eddie. The play, in this way, seeks to explore the evolving nature of masculinity in American society and how views like those espoused by Eddie are outdated.
Another tragedy
A View from the Bridge is regularly discussed in relation to Greek tragedy. In this way, it shares some similarities with Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden, another common IB text that was the focus of a previous entry in the ‘Ask the Expert Tutor’ series.
Miller’s play was originally written as a one-act verse drama, but due to its unsuccessful first run the playwright decided to expand the text substantially, adding a second act. The original one-act structure, however, is a way in which A View from the Bridge can be seen as reflecting Ancient Greek tragedy, as these plays would conventionally be restricted to a single act and take place over a single day.
Moreover, the character of Alfieri can be seen as a kind of ‘Chorus’ figure. Like the Ancient Greek Chorus, Alfieri clarifies information for the audience, keeps the audience’s attention during scene transitions, and acts as a mediator between characters. The Chorus in Ancient Greek tragedy also commonly reflect on their own inability to intervene in the narrative and change the outcome of events, strengthening the connection between Alfieri and the Chorus.
IB English and BartyED
IB English, whether it is IB Language and Literature or IB Literature, is a challenging subject. At BartyED, our team of expert English tutors have worked with countless IB Language and Literature and IB Literature students from their first weeks in the programme to their final examinations. Our tutors have assisted with all aspects of the IB English curriculum, be it honing exam techniques, developing coursework, or analysing key texts. So, if you or your child could benefit from the expertise of a highly trained IB English tutor, reach out to us via email at enquiries@bartyed.com, or via phone (+852 2882 1017).