We debated over whether or not to call this category "love." There's no actual sex in A View from the Bridge. The characters' forbidden desires are all in the subtext. The play explores what happens when paternal love becomes too extreme. In other words: incest. Or, should we say, strong incestuous subtext. So strong that it's obvious that the main character's desires have mutated from love into something much more carnal. The play also touches on themes of supposed homosexuality, marital impotence, and a young girl's sexual awakening. It probably won't be a Disney movie anytime soon.
Questions About Sex
- Has Eddie ever consciously thought of having sex with his niece?
- When Eddie kisses Rodolpho, is he revealing an actual sexual interest in Rodolpho?
- Why is Eddie really not having sex with his wife?
- Why is it not incest for Catherine to be with Rodolpho? Aren't they cousins?
Chew on This
Eddie's repressed sexual desire is the demon that drives him toward his own destruction.
Eddie's feelings toward Catherine have much more to do with issues of ownership than they do with sexual attraction.