Beatrices words Essays

Beatrices words Essays Beatrices words Essay Beatrices words Essay Task: Then we all belong in the garbage. You, and me too whatever happened we all done it, and dont you ever forget it, Catherine. (Page 61)  Explore the implications of Beatrices words and say to what extent you agree with her assessment of what has happened.  There are many relationships within the Carbone family, one being between Eddie and Beatrice, husband and wife. At the beginning of the play you can tell that Eddie and Beatrices relationship is not warm and affectionate at the moment. There is a sense of love between them but they seem distant in some respect. They argue over Catherines job opportunity, where at first Eddie disagrees about her having the job and is concerned about her and Beatrice encourages Catherine to take the job because it is a new experience for her. Beatrice gets annoyed with Eddies actions easily as evident in this exchange: BEATRICE: Listen, if nothin happened to her in this neighbourhood it aint gonna happen noplace else. (She turns his face to her.) Look, you gotta get used to it, (He turns his head away.) You hear me? (She is angering.) I dont understand you; shes seventeen years old, you gonna keep her in the house all her life?  Here you can see that Beatrice is getting annoyed with Eddie and tries to make him see that he cant protect her all her life, he has to let her go. You can see that there is more than what meets the eye in this situation from how Eddie and Beatrice react to each other, yet Catherine doesnt have a clue about whats going on except for the fact that they are talking about her job. As we read on there are more signs of trouble in the relationship between Eddie and Beatrice quoting, She hurries out. There is a slight pause, and EDDIE turns to BEATRICE, who has been avoiding his gaze.  EDDIE: What are you mad at me lately?  BEATRICE: Whos mad? (She gets up, clearing the dishes.) Im not mad. (She picks up the dishes and turns to him.) Youre the one is mad. (She turns and goes into the kitchen as CATHERINE enters from the bedroom with a cigar and a pack of matches.)  The second relationship within the Carbone family is between Eddie and Catherine, uncle and niece. This relationship is one that exists on more than one level, many surfaces and the way that they behave towards each other is often intamate:  CATHERINE: Here! Ill light it for you! (She strikes a match and holds it to his cigar. He puffs. Quietly) Dont worry about me, Eddie, heh? EDDIE: Dont burn yourself. (Just in time she blows out the match.)  You better go in help her with the dishes.  CATHETINE: (turns quickly to the table, and, seeing the table cleared, she says, almost guiltily) Oh! (She hurries into the kitchen, and as she exits there) Ill do the dishes, B.!  Alone, EDDIE stands looking towards the kitchen for a moment  Here there is a sort of flirting going on, when a girl lights the cigarette, or a cigar in this case, for the guy there is a bit of sexual seductiveness to it. The two are uncle and niece and Eddie is more of a father figure to Catherine yet there are also hints of a sexual tension between them. He is very protective over her and doesnt want her to work:  Its not wonderful. Youll never get nowheres unless you finish school. You cant take no job. Why didnt you ask me before you take a job? He gives several reasons but eventually gives in to the idea to make Catherine happy.  Lastly there is the relationship between Catherine and Beatrice, the aunty and the niece. At the beginning of the play Beatrice stands up for Catherine a lot; when Eddie says she cant have a job she argues with him for Catherines sake:  (with sympathy but insistent force) Well, I dont understand when it ends. First it was gonna be when she graduated high school, so she graduated high school. The it was when she learned stenographer, so she learned stenographer. So whatre we gonna wait for now? I mean it, Eddie, sometimes I dont understand you; they picked her out of the whole class, its an honour for her.  Even though Catherine isnt present right then Beatrice is sticking up for her so that she can do what she wants to do; work. Also Beatrice is aware of the sexual tension between her husband, Eddie, and her niece, Catherine, and gradually her loyalty shifts to her husband when she realises that he is becoming isolated. Once her cousins arrive Catherine is more interested in Rodolfo so Eddie is feeling left out, unwanted and isolated.