I believe the meeting URL will remain the same for all future meetings.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87640595501?pwd=YlRuTTZpMmlVeUw0TmpSMU5YdlpEQT09

Meeting ID: 876 4059 5501
Passcode: 057478

 

-- Is the Don a hero? Do you root for him, do you want him to win? Do you think his enemies are bad people?

-- Everybody hates Carlo. But why do they get rid of him?

-- 

-- THEMES from your assignments:    loyalty to the family; even when they are criminals? Would you cover up for your brother or sister if they committed crimes?

-- Love- the broken hearted Kay. Abandoned without a reason. She becomes the gangster's girl, going against her upbringing, the ultimate Wasp. But she does not show signs of deep trouble or internal conflict.

-- Some said Puzo does not know how to represent a credible woman character.

-- The backstory: how does he become a gangster. Fanucci (the Black Hand?).

-- Is it well written?

--- If this was your only introduction to Italian Americans, would you like to hang out with people like that, with that kind of family-oriented mentality (not just the criminal aspect?)

As I was reading the book, I found myself enjoying the violent parts, where the Corleone family inflicted pain upon those who hurt them. I especially loved the parts where Sonny beat Carlo each time he found out that his sister was hurt.. I did not enjoy the pain she went through as a woman who put her life in the hands of a domestic abuser to the point where she was unable to stand up for herself. I believe Kay was forced in the family rather than making her own decision to involve herself. I believe we enjoy these emotions because we need to feel some sort of satisfaction towards what people deserve and when they get it, it calms us knowing they have received far more pain.

I did find myself rooting for Don and Tom the most in the story. I really enjoyed their dynamic even in the most difficult of moments. I didn’t find Michael that redeeming of a character to root for. I surprisingly didn’t hate Solozzo, Tattaglia and Barzini because as the family said a lot of what they are in the business of is greed and keeping it strictly “business” – even though that often wasn’t the case for motivations. The Mike’s restaurant shooting, Don’s shooting, and Sonny’s toll booth murder were some of the most detailed and engaging sequences. Honorable mention was Paulie’s disposal – that whole POV chapter was interesting to get inside the heads of the so-called henchmen who do the dirty work but are quite smart. I wasn’t too surprised by Kay’s final initiation into the family and acceptance of her Mafia role. She always seemed ride or die for Mike even before everything went down. I think I enjoyed the drama, loyalty, backstabbing, secrecy, and anger is because they feel like real raw emotions. Even in the moments of thinking and staying calm you still feel like things can be turned on its head in any moment. Reading the intimate thoughts of the characters as everyone around them feels like the situation is on thin ice and any next move can be just as fatal as the last was exciting and engaging. And the moments of sincerity and passion felt just as important to the telling of the story and characters as it brought back their humanity (i.e., including deep detailed backstories of the smaller character and how certain choices can influence decision farther in your life).

GODFATHER: The PEAK of the ascent

Cartoons:  (dangerous, deviant, non-human)
caricature and distant representation

SON  from the other side of the Atlantic at the same time of cartoons.
Real, autobiographical, streets and foods and smells and blood and death.
Slave replacement labor: lowest of the lowest.
The other side of the moon, oppressed, exploited, unity falls apart.

THE ITALIAN. Urban. The technology introduces the notion of narrative of these immigrants. they can be narrated in full stories, bigger depth.
Still potentially dangerous, not quite civilized yet, but probably they will make it.
America is still not their land, they come here to escape, for money and family, not to be part of the nation, to be American.

CHRIST: They want in. they settled, buy a house, strive to become GREAT AMERICANS.
they created a community, they are essential, but still MARGINALIZED, EXPENDABLE.
THEY ARE KEPT AT THE MARGIN

and instead of integrating, THEY STAY AT THE MARGIN.

GODFATHER: STILL AT THE MARGIN   Fabula time is 1946, the real time is 1969.

Do you remember the video about the 'Mericans' (Italian who realizes he is an American when he is already an adult?)

From the '30's to the '70's  they are still not integrated.

FAILURE OF INTEGRATION: kept outside, and they reacted by pushing themselves to the extreme.

POLITICAL STATEMENT:

 in 1972, ITAM bring a suit against CUNY for discrimination of the work place.
They win the suit: ITAM are protected class (Affirmative Action) in CUNY.

What does it mean to you? They were being kept out. AS A GROUP, and also as INDIVIDUALS.

IN THE FILM: INSULAR AND MARGINALIZED:
The wedding in a walled garden. In their world.
Traditions. But why not at the Warldorf Astoria or the Plaza? They have the money to do it.

Senators, judges etc CANNOT GO. They are toxic, not proper to associate with Corleone in public.

They bring in their own entertainer, top of the charts, Frank Sinatra.

SYMBOLISM of EXTREME EMARGINATION: 
who is the most brutal, the most violent, the most out of control, even in his loyalty?

In the movie a moment where Corleone is afraid.     CLIP

(The worst handled character in the movie LUCA BRASI)

WHY is it FAILED INTEGRATION?

IDEOLOGY: pag 362, Michael to Kay.  (Hubris)

Speech to BOSSES: 284/285 
(rationalization of criminal behavior: if I don't do it, someone else will: we are better 287/288)

290 WE REFUSED TO BE FOOLS, PUPPETS TOTALLY DELUSIONAL,

HIS CHOICE: kill Fanucci (could have been a also run petty criminal until he got a job)

Establish OLIVE OIL monopoly: burns down competitors

Swearing on grand children  p.291

Metaphysics of hatred == malocchio
(p 291, speech to Mafia bosses)

Loyalty? 
389 making money defrauding Johnnie Fontane.

oath of honor on his grandchildren that he won't seek revenge

FILM: Michael's tie.

Baptism: godfather in the Catholic sense (renounce Satan)

Don Vito's death: the monster.

441 -442

LUCIFER

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferno_-_Canto_trentaquattresimo

===================================
The REAL GODFATHER


Bonanno

======================================

June 6, 1968  Assassination of Robert Kennedy

=======================

The HERO (from the Greek tradition to Rome - to the chivalric tradition - to the military leader.)

Notion of hero switches to a Northern interpretation, the conqueror= chivalry, medieval feudal cast system.

The Christian hero (Parsifal)  Crusades= the Knights - hero for a cause not for personal gain.

HERO as patriot (formation of nation states, 1500 - 1800)

NATION STATES/ ITALY

ITALIAN PSYCHE: the underdogs

National anthem NOI FUMMO PER SECOLI CALPESTI E DERISI  (1800's)
COMMENT

Anger, resentment, humiliation, revenge, poor self esteem, inferiority complex.

WWI  LA VITTORIA MUTILATA

MUSSOLINI  --

Italians AND Italian Americans invest emotionally very heavily in Mussolini.

GLORIES of ROMAN EMPIRE

WWII - defeat.................. MUSSOLINI BUFFOON

NOTES FROM BOOK

WORKSHEET