The+Bridge

=What do I need to know about ... The Bridge?=

Brief Description[[image:http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/img/elviewbridgecont04.jpg width="303" height="241" align="right" caption="image: postcard of Brooklyn Bridge"]]
Its a bridge, that joins Manhattan to Brooklyn over the East River in the modern metropolis of New York. It represents a deep cultural feeling amongst the people of New York as it bridges the divide between the classes, the rich (Manhattan) and the poor (Brooklyn), the main focus of the play's setting.

Key Quotations

 * //"This is the slum that faces the bay on the other side of the bridge"//** - Alfieri shows in this quote what their living environment is like, which tells us about the harsh living conditions that Eddie and his family have to deal with on a daily basis. Moreover, the quotation also shows the location where they are situated within the city, indicating that they are on the poorer side of the bridge and 'face' the other side, Manhattan.
 * //"A View from the Bridge"//** - Alfieri acting like a divine being watching the events unfold from the holy heights of the Brooklyn Bridge which is in between both Italy and America showed his lack of bias. The title of the play also allows to isolate the distinct beginning and ending of the play, similar to the distinct end and begging of the bridge itself, the play starts and ends with Alfieri.

Its role in the novel
The Bridge is representative of the bridge between two very different cultures, and to cross the bridge from the poverty of Italy towards the goal of achieving the American Dream. The bridge connects the close knit community of Red Hook to the hustle and bustle of the modern metropolis of Manhattan. From the bridge one is able to see the happenings of both communities, Alfieri takes it upon himself to cater for the needs of both sides of the bridge, as he is in a position between both the communities where he represents law, justice and order, While taking into consideration traditional Italian culture and American modernism. The bridge is Alfieri's mountain on high where he can view his subjects and the goings on in the community he loves so much, this gives him the benefit of better vision when it comes to looking at past events and looking at events which could occur in the future.