logo

39 pages 1 hour read

A View from the Bridge

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1955

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Book Brief

logo
Arthur Miller

A View from the Bridge

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1955
Book Details
Pages

72

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

Red Hook, Brooklyn • 1950s

Publication Year

1955

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

16-18 years

Roundup icon

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.

Gritty

Emotional

Challenging

Suspenseful

Dark

Reviews & Readership

4.1

16,899 ratings

62%

Loved it

28%

Mixed feelings

11%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

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 this

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.

4.1

16,899 ratings

62%

Loved it

28%

Mixed feelings

11%

Not a fan

Character List

Alfieri

A first-generation Italian American lawyer who narrates and comments on the events of the play, offering a perspective rooted in both the immigrant community and the broader culture and laws of America.

A hardworking longshoreman in Red Hook who struggles with inner conflicts and complex relationships within his family, particularly with his niece Catherine.

Eddie's perceptive and compassionate wife, who navigates the family dynamics with insight and dedication to maintaining familial harmony.

Beatrice's charming and artistic cousin from Italy, whose arrival in the Carbone household sparks significant changes and tensions, especially concerning his relationship with Catherine.

Book Details
Pages

72

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

Red Hook, Brooklyn • 1950s

Publication Year

1955

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

16-18 years

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.