After ordering Catherine to remove her high heels, Eddie says that “all actresses they want to be around here” (397). His comment highlights the ways Eddie defines femininity versus masculinity. To be the object of aesthetic attention is to be feminine. Any form of performance, such as singing or dancing, is feminine in Eddie’s eyes, as are things that draw attention, such as flashy or attractive clothes. In contrast, in Eddie’s Red Hook community, masculinity is defined by work, particularly physical labor. Work is antithetical to performance in that it is practical rather than aesthetic. The kind of work Eddie does at the piers is a means to support a family; the work does not draw attention to itself. Marco, for instance, is described as a “regular bull” who works hard with his hands to provide for his family without seeking praise or attention (400). Likewise, Eddie talks about how he “worked like a dog twenty years” (409), and how “in the worst times […] didn’t stand around lookin’ for relief” (409).

It is for these reasons that Eddie regards Rodolpho as unmanly. What raises Eddie’s suspicions about Rodolpho, in contrast to Marco, is that Rodolpho’s aspirations involve performance.