39 pages • 1 hour read
Arthur MillerA View from the Bridge
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1955A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller is a two-act play set in the Italian American neighborhood of Red Hook, New York, in the 1950s. Longshoreman Eddie Carbone lives with his wife Beatrice and her niece Catherine in a small apartment. Tensions arise when Beatrice’s immigrant cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, arrive from Italy to stay. Eddie becomes increasingly troubled by Catherine’s romantic interest in Rodolpho, leading to a dramatic conflict that ultimately reveals Eddie’s deeper motivations and causes a tragic outcome. The play includes depictions of a man’s quasi-incestuous desire for his surrogate daughter and references to anti-immigrant sentiment.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge is praised for its intense emotional depth and exploration of complex human themes such as justice and betrayal. The play's gripping narrative and well-crafted characters are standout features, though some critics feel its pacing can be slow at times. Overall, it remains a powerful and compelling drama.
Who Should Read A View from the Bridge?
A reader who would enjoy Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge is likely someone captivated by intense human drama and moral dilemmas. They would appreciate complex character studies akin to Miller's Death of a Salesman or Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, favoring narratives with strong emotional and ethical conflicts.