1972

Defining Characteristics:

1. To be American means to chase power and security through ambition and reinovation

2. To be American means to protect family and loyalty, even when those values conflict with the law.

3. To be American means to believe in success, but the film shows how the American Dream can become corrupted.

1. Vito Corleone begins as an immigrant outsider and becomes a powerful figure in American society. The opening wedding scene shows politicians, businessmen, and community members coming to him for favors. Bonasera says, “I believe in America”, but then turns to Don Corleone when the legal system fails him. The film shows that many Americans seek security, respect, and influence. However, it also shows a darker side, when legal institutions feel unfair, people may search for power outside the law. This connects to the American Dream because the Corleones rise from immigrant struggle to wealth and influence, but their version of success is corrupted.

 

2. Don Corleone repeatedly presents himself as a protector of family and community. He says fragments like “a man who doesn’t spend time with his family is not a man” and emphasizes loyalty above almost everything else. Michael also joins the family business after Vito is attacked, even though he first says he is different from them. The film suggests that American identity often includes strong family loyalty and responsibility. But it complicates that idea by showing how loyalty can become dangerous when family protection is used to justify crime, revenge, and silence.

 

3. Michael starts as a war hero and outsider to the family business. He tells Kay, “That’s my family… not me.” By the end, he becomes the head of the crime family. The final door closing on Kay symbolizes Michael’s full transformation into a powerful but morally corrupt leader. Michael’s journey shows reinvention, which is a classic American idea, but in a tragic way. He gains success, power, and control, yet loses honesty and moral freedom. The film argues that American success can become empty or corrupt when it is built on violence.

 

 

"I believe in America..."

"A man who doesn't spend time with his family is not a man"

Specific Historical Case Studies:

1. Italian immigration to the United States, 1880s to 1920s.

 

Millions of Italian immigrants came to the U.S during this period seeking jobs, safety, and opportunity. Many faced poverty, discrimination, crowded urban housing, and suspicion from older immigrant groups. This connects to the Corleone family because they represent immigrants trying to gain respect in a society that often excludes them. Furthermore, it demonstraites that being American can mean reinventing yourself and fighting for opportunity, but also facing barriers that make the American Dream unequal.

2. Immigrant mutual aid networks and ethnic communities in cities like New York and Chicago

 

Immigrant communities often relied on family, churches, neighborhood groups, and ethnic businesses for jobs, protection, and support because government systems were not always welcoming or reliable. This supports the film’s idea that American identity can be built through community loyalty. However, The Godfather shows an extreme and criminal version of this. The historical case study helps explain why loyalty and protection mattered so much to immigrant families trying to survive in America.

3. Prohibition and organized crime, 1920 to 1933

 

The 18th Amendment banned alcohol, but illegal demand created opportunities for bootlegging gangs. Influential figures like Al Capone became wealthy and powerful by using bribery, violence, and illegal business networks. This directly connects to the film’s theme of corrupted success.

=> Prohibition shows how people could become rich and influential in America outside the law. It supports the argument that the American Dream can become distorted when wealth and power matter more than morality or citizenship.