Characters – WJECMarco

• Marco is described as a square-built peasant of thirty-two, suspicious, tender, and quiet-voiced. He has just arrived from Sicily as an illegal immigrant. He has a wife and three children, the eldest of whom is sick in his chest He hopes to spend Maybe four, five, six years I think. in America, working and saving money. When he talks about his children, he tells the Carbone family that if I stay [in Sicily] they will never grow up. They eat the sunshine. It is through Marco that we learn of the terrible poverty in post-war Italy. He means that if he were to remain with his family in Sicily, he would never find a job or be able to provide for them. They would literally starve to death.
• Marco represents the old-style attitudes about respect and justice. In mafia law, revenge is quite acceptable; in fact it is seen as necessary. Marco, along with Eddie, finds it hard to change his way of thinking. He cannot see that there is a better way of dealing with problems, as Alfieri points out; and that is to let the written law sort them out. Near the end of the play, when Alfieri is telling Marco that he will not be allowed out of prison on bail unless he gives his word not to attack Eddie, because To promise not to kill is not dishonourable, the stage directions say that Marco is [gesturing with his head – this is a new idea.]
• He is a peace-maker, content to let Rodolpho do most of the talking. He considers him to be an impulsive kid brother, and he sometimes warns him to calm down; for example, when Rodolpho is told by Eddie that he is drawing attention to himself by singing, Marco tells him, Yes, yes. You’ll be quiet, Rodolpho. Also, when he sees that Eddie is upset that Rodolpho is keeping Catherine out late every night, he warns his brother, You come home early now.
• Marco sees that trouble is brewing before Rodolpho does. When they are discussing boxing with Eddie, the stage directions say that Marco is uneasy because he can see that Eddie is trying to make Rodolpho hit him so that Eddie can hit him back. As the conversation continues to become more threatening, he challenges Eddie to lift a chair by its leg, using only one hand. Eddie cannot do it, but Marco lifts the chair like a weapon over Eddie’s head – and he transforms what might appear like a glare of warning into a smile of triumph.
• When Eddie informs the Immigration Authority about Marco and Rodolpho, Marco breaks away from the arresting officers and spits into Eddie’s face. This marks the beginning of the final showdown between the two men. It is interesting that Eddie is not at all bothered about Rodolpho any more, only Marco.
• Marco thinks that if he promises not to seek revenge, it will be seen as dishonourable. He tells Alfieri, All the law is not in a book. (He is more or less following the Old Testament saying of an eye for an eye, whereas the New Testament says that when we are wronged we should turn the other cheek). He goes to church to pray for forgiveness before he goes to attack Eddie. It is important that Marco does not have a weapon. He wants a fair fight. However, Eddie is so beyond reason at this point that he produces a knife, and this is the weapon which Marco turns against Eddie, killing him. Marco’s final word as he kills Eddie is a long drawn-out cry – Anima-a-a-l! This emphasises how far away the two men are from the more human, American law.

Traditional

How is Marco like this?

Marco has traditional values. He loves his family and believes that a man must provide for them. He also believes in the ancient, unwritten law which has been followed by generations of Italians.

Evidence

But I’m lonesome.

My wife is very lonesome.

Oh, no, she saves. I send everything.

Analysis

Marco has come to America to earn money which he sends home to his wife. He knows that it will be hard on his wife and himself that he is away, but he sees it as his duty.

Hard working

How is Marco like this?

Marco is willing to do any kind of work.

Louis and Mike are full of admiration for the way Marco works so hard.

Evidence

Whatever there is, anything.

That older one, boy, he’s a regular bull. I seen him the other day liftin’ coffee bags over the Matson Line. They leave him alone he woulda load the whole ship by himself.

Analysis

Marco has come from Italy, where there is no employment, so he understands that beggars can’t be choosers.

Marco is working as hard as possible in order to send money home to his wife and children for food, as well as medicine for the oldest child.

Realistic

How is Marco like this?

Marco knows that he is in a different position to Rodolpho. He has responsibilities back home.

Evidence

When you have no wife you have dreams.

Analysis

Marco does not regret having ties. He is simply being realistic and knows that he has to provide for his family. He feels as strongly about this as about the unwritten Mafia laws.

Social and historical context

Italy was left in a terrible state after the Second World War, there was a great deal of devastation and bomb damage, as well as extremely high rates of unemployment. Large numbers of people tried to immigrate from Italy and Sicily to the United States, but not everyone managed to enter legally. Therefore there was a thriving business in smuggling people into the country illegally. These immigrants were referred to as 'submarines' because they came in under the radar, without papers. They would be given work as soon as they arrived so that they could pay off the debt they owed for their transport costs. Once they had paid their debts, their jobs were no longer guaranteed.

Analysing the evidence

In my country he would be dead now. He would not live this long. (Marco)