10. A View From The Bridge
Answer both parts of (a) and either part (b) or part (c).
You are advised to spend about 20 minutes on part (a), and about 40 minutes on part (b) or part (c).
(a) Read the extract on the opposite page. Then answer the following questions:
(i) What do you think of the way Eddie speaks and behaves here? Give reasons for what
you say. [5]
(ii) What do you think of the way Catherine speaks and behaves here? Give reasons for
what you say. [5]
CATHERINE: What happens, Eddie, when that ship pulls out and they ain’t on it, though? Don’t the
captain say nothin’?
EDDIE: (slicing an apple with his pocket knife) Captain’s pieced off, what do you mean?
CATHERINE: Even the captain?
EDDIE: What’s the matter, the captain don’t have to live? Captain gets a piece, maybe one of
the mates, piece for the guy in Italy who fixed the papers for them, Tony here’ll get a
little bite ....
BEATRICE: I just hope they get work here, that’s all I hope.
EDDIE: Oh, the syndicate’ll fix jobs for them; till they pay ’em off they’ll get them work
every day. It’s after the pay-off, then they’ll have to scramble like the rest of us.
BEATRICE: Well, it be better than they got there.
EDDIE: Oh sure, well, listen. So you gonna start Monday, heh, Madonna?
CATHERINE: (embarrassed) I’m supposed to, yeah.
EDDIE is standing facing the two seated women. First BEATRICE smiles, then
CATHERINE, for a powerful emotion is on him, a childish one and a knowing fear, and
the tears show in his eyes – and they are shy before the avowal.
EDDIE: (sadly smiling, yet somehow proud of her) Well ... I hope you have good luck. I wish
you the best. You know that, kid.
CATHERINE: (rising, trying to laugh) You sound like I’m goin’ a million miles!
EDDIE: I know. I guess I just never figured on one thing.
CATHERINE: (smiling) What?
EDDIE: That you would ever grow up. (He utters a soundless laugh at himself, feeling the
breast pocket of his shirt.) I left a cigar in my other coat, I think. (He starts for the
bedroom.)
CATHERINE: Stay there! I’ll get it for you.
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: Who’s mad? (She gets up, clearing the dishes.) I’m not mad. (She picks up the dishes
and turns to him.) You’re 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.)
CATHERINE: Here! I’ll light it for you! (She strikes a match and holds it to his cigar. He puffs.
Quietly) Don’t worry about me, Eddie, heh?
EDDIE: Don’t burn yourself. (Just in time she blows out the match.) You better go in help her
with the dishes.
CATHERINE: (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) I’ll do the dishes, B.!
Alone, EDDIE stands looking toward the kitchen for a moment. Then he takes out his
watch, glances at it, replaces it in his pocket, sits in the armchair, and stares at the
smoke flowing out of his mouth.
Your exams and how this blog works
In your English lessons, you are studying for TWO GCSEs.
English
and English Literature.
English
60% exam (2 2-hour papers, Paper One and Paper Two)
20% speaking and listening coursework
20% written coursework (four essays: creative writing, transactional writing, Shakespeare, poems from other cultures)
English Literature
70% exam (one 2.5-hour paper consisting of three sections - one on a play, one on a novel, one on an unseen poem)
30% coursework (four essays: Shakespeare, poems from other cultures, pre-1914 poetry, pre-1914 prose)
The exam board is WJEC, the Welsh board.
This blog has been designed to help you understand and revise for all three papers. There is lots of information, tips, practice questions and links.If you look on the right, there is a list of labels. Click on these and it will direct you to all the information about that particular label. For example, click on An Inspector Calls and you will get four posts about the play, how to answer a question on it, key quotes, etc. Or, if you are worried about answering Section B type questions, click on that and you will get all the posts helping with that.
