Set in the 1950s Brooklyn waterfront, this drama follows Eddie Carbone, an Italian-American longshoreman who lives with his wife Beatrice and their orphaned niece Catherine. Eddie’s protective affection for Catherine curdles into obsession when two of Beatrice’s cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, enter the country illegally and seek refuge in their home. When Rodolpho and Catherine begin a romance, Eddie’s jealousy leads him to violate the strict code of silence within his immigrant community. He betrays his relatives to the immigration authorities, triggering a violent confrontation with Marco that results in a public loss of honor and his own death.
Readers of classic tragedy and mid-century social realism look to this play to understand how unspoken desires destroy social structures. It attracts those interested in the tension between ancient tribal justice and modern civil law. The reader walks away with a clear view of how self-delusion and the refusal to admit one’s true motivations can isolate an individual from their peers and lead to inevitable self-destruction.
Deep and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1955
- Language
- EN
