Theme of Honour

1. Theme of Honour By: U-Nice & Sam,Well

2. Intro to theme of honour: • Honour is a something that is mostly embodied by the male characters of the play. • Means a lot for the male characters to have respect • To be honourable is to be respected and have a good reputation • Codes of honour bind families and the whole neighbourhood. Everyone should look out for one another and to betray someone is the most dishonourable action imaginable.

3. Characters that embody honour: Eddie - Family honour is something that matters a lot to eddie, such as keeping the reputation of your families name high would be honourable of you. He also follows the honour code to not snitch, because snitching is for yuck. Vinny Bolzano - Vinny is ironically the opposite of eddie. Vinny dishonours his family by snitching on them to the immigration, therefore having the family except vinny, arrested. Eddie then goes on to say how a boy like that wouldn’t dare show his face around these parts again. This is because people who snitch are considered extremely dishonourable, therefore if anyone recognised vinny, he’d have the risk of being killed on the streets.

4. Characters & Honour #2 Marco - Marco leaves his family of 3, his wife, and his hometown in sicily to move to New York for what he plans to be a maximum of 6 years to be able to pay for his childrens education and food. Rodolpho says smiling, “He trusts his wife”, showing that there is enough family honour within Marco’s family for him to trust his wife not to go with another man, as what Marco doing is very honourable; leaving his life to allow his children to live.

5. Quotes #1 “Catherine, i don’t want to be a pest, but I’m tellin’ you you’re walking wavy!” - Eddie. (p.4) If Katie were to walk around ‘wavy’, she would be dishonouring the Carbone name by dressing and walking inappropriately, insinuating she is something she is not. “It’s an honour, B. I mean it”- Eddie (shows that it’s an honour for a man to come into a different country and have someone offer them a place to live in.) Story of Vinny Bolzano- shows the significance of honour and that no matter what age you are, honour still applies.

6. Quotes #2 “The kid snitched?”- Catherine (shows that no matter how young you are, honour still matters) “And they spit on him in the street, his own father and his brothers.”- Beatrice (if you snitch on your family members, it’s dishonourable and you will lose your name and respect from anybody in the neighbourhood. You will be severely punished by your family members and disowned- shows the importance of honour and respect amongst the neighbourhood and families.)

7. Quotes #3 “She nods. He kisses her hand.”- stage directions (shows the respect and honour that Marco has towards the Carbone family that have taken them in.) “Mr Alfieri, they’re laughin’ at him on the piers. I’m ashamed. Paper Doll they call him. Blondie now.”- Eddie (shows the uncomfort that Eddie has with Rodolpho’s ways at the piers. He feels that with Rodolpho acting this way, it brings shame to his family as Rodolpho is constantly being laughed at, and since Rodolpho and Marco are staying with the Carbone family, they’re immediately associated with them, causing Eddie to feel as if the people on the pier are laughing at him when they are laughing at Rodolpho.)

8. Quotes #4 “Katie.. if you wasn’t an orphan, wouldn’t he ask your father’s permission before he run around with you like this?”- Eddie (shows that Eddie wants Rodolpho to respect him and doesn’t feel like he’s getting it from Rodolpho)

9. Websites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/dramaviewbridge/4drama_viewbridge_themerev3.shtml https://wikis.glowscotland.org.uk/0001083/A_View_From_The_Bridge/Themes_and_Topics/Honour_and_Respect http://www.shmoop.com/view-from-the-bridge/respect-reputation-quotes.html http://www.slideshare.net/JXS1/honour