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Alfieri Character Analysis

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In Arthur Miller’s play, ’A View from the Bridge’, there is a unique character called Alfieri who has multiple functions in the play, by narrating the story, being a character and other aspects. Alfieri is an Italian lawyer who moved to Brooklyn, New York for the same reason that many other Sicilians immigrants moved to America - to start a career. He lives in a neighbourhood called Red Hook where, as a lawyer, people are guarded and wary around him. In this harbour area, lawyers are thought to be dangerous and will lead you to trouble. He plays an unusual and impactful role in the play, although having a limited amount of speech. The play is set in the 1950’s; however, when Alfieri is a narrator, he tells the story from the future. …show more content…

It provides background information that will help the audience thoroughly understand the themes later and characters in the play. Another example of Alfieri as a narrator is when he has short lines just to show a scene change. For example, he says, “toward ten o’clock of that night, after they had eaten, the cousins came.” This is not a very important line in the play; however, he is used to provide more information for the audience because it might be confusing as to what is happening if he didn’t explicitly set the new scene. It helps the audience better visualise it. He also says, “It was at this time that he first came to me.” There are two times in the play where he speaks like this quotation before becoming a character; both of these times, there is a transition that is shown between being a narrator and a character. He is still talking to the audience, but it is now a personal matter and it is the first time that he mentions himself in relation to the other characters. He introduces the conversation by looking back on it. This is because Alfieri is the narrator and is looking back on the whole story, as a flashback and he is retelling the story from the future. He also starts Act Two where he tells the date and sets the new scene. This helps the audience adjust to a new setting. Overall, Alfieri is a very helpful character to the audience, as he gives extra information about scene changes or supplies background details. Alfieri also works as a

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