When Rodolpho tells Catherine that he can sing, she asks him to sing the song “Paper Doll” for her. He ends up singing the song repeatedly throughout the play, and apparently sings it so much while working that he earns the nickname Paper Doll. As a popular song, “Paper Doll” is something that the young Rodolpho and Catherine share together, and which Eddie is therefore jealous of. He is irritated when they dance together to the song near the end of Act One, as bonding together over the song has drawn Rodolpho and Catherine closer together. In addition, the title and lyrics of the song are symbolically significant. The idea of the paper doll is important as Rodolpho’s nickname because of its connotations of fragility. The nickname is a result of Rodolpho’s odd behavior on the docks, including singing in a high voice, and makes Eddie uncomfortable because it suggests that Rodolpho is effeminate, and potentially not heterosexual. In terms of lyrics, the song says, “I’m gonna buy a paper doll that I can call my own, a doll that other fellows cannot steal.” The idea of having a woman completely under one’s control and in one’s possession, like a paper doll, is eerily similar to Eddie’s ideal relationship with Catherine. His love for her is so possessive and oppressive that he treats her more like a doll he wants to control than a family member.
“Paper Doll” Quotes in A View from the Bridge
The A View from the Bridge quotes below all refer to the symbol of “Paper Doll”. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 1
Quotes
I’m gonna buy a paper doll that I can call my own, A doll that other fellows cannot steal.
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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“Paper Doll” Symbol Timeline in A View from the Bridge
The timeline below shows where the symbol “Paper Doll” appears in A View from the Bridge. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1
...Catherine is intrigued and wants to hear him sing. He sings a song called “ Paper Doll .”
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...He says that Rodolpho sings while working, so that the other longshoremen have nicknamed him Paper Doll . He says Rodolpho is “weird” and has “wacky hair.”
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Eddie says that people on the docks call Rodolpho “ Paper Doll ” and “Blondie,” and laugh at him. Alfieri again tells Eddie that there is no...
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Catherine puts on a record, playing the song “ Paper Doll ,” and asks Rodolpho if he wants to dance. Rodolpho and Catherine dance, and Beatrice...
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...fine. Eddie says he’ll teach Rodolpho again sometime. Catherine and Rodolpho dance again to “ Paper Doll .”
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