The Godfather
The American dream has been an issue of contention between several individuals and groups. Authors and movie stars have also not been left out in the contentious discussion. Generally, the American dream is based on the continuous efforts of American to move towards success amid uncompromised freedom. Mario Puzo is one of the authors who have held on to their opinion concerning the American dream and capitalism. Puzo explains the existence in American as existence in death as it involves sacrificing one’s ethnic freedom to fit in a society that values change above humanity. The issue of the American dream repeatedly appears in Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather” and forms the central argument that Puzo has to pass to his audience.
The idea of the American dream has been involved in the development of the story Mario Puzo through the various depiction of characters and their experiences. The first instance is brought up by a conflict that ensues between Don Vito and Amerigo Bonasera concerning Bonasera’s daughter (Husaini, n. p). Don Vito is being accused of sexually assaulting Bonasera’s daughter and how the case proceeds bring out a real picture of the American dream. Amerigo’s name is used symbolically to represent America, a country where Bonasera and his country have found their fortune and Bonasera has become a prominent business person: “I believe in America. America has made my fortune” Puzo (19). The case reveals two groups of Americans, where one group dreams of an America that is founded on truth and justice, while the other believes that money and power are essential in the survival in America. Bonasera trusts the American Judicial system and reports his girl’s mistreatment while The Don believes that they should have handled the case without involving the police. The reality of the direction of the American dream is, however, revealed by the course that the case takes after being taken to court.
America is composed of a society that believes in success in terms of possessions and power. The activities surrounding the American dream are interpreted differently by different groups. The main challenge that Puzo presents in his mention of the American dream and capitalism is that Americans do not understand that capitalism makes people more concerned about themselves and pay little attention towards the interests of other people. When Bonasera’s case is taken to court, the outcome does not go as expected. Bonasera had been relieved in knowing that the offenders would spend three years in prison. However, Bonasera’s relieve was short-lived as the offenders were granted suspended sentence by the fact that they were from wealthy families: “They went free that very day” Puzo (20). The system around the American dream is founded around two types of people where one group believes in legal means of survival while the other survives through illegal methods.
In sum, the issue of the American dream repeatedly appears in Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather” and forms the central argument that Puzo has to pass to his audience. The American dream has been corrupted by the different interpretations given to capitalism. The American dream appears differently among different groups, but everyone has continued to survive under the mercies of the American dream. Generally, everyone in the US lives according to the fate that the American dream takes them through.
Works Cited
Husaini, A. (2016). AN ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP STYLE REFLECTED BY VITO CORLEONE IN “THE GODFATHER” NOVEL BY MARIO PUZO (Doctoral dissertation, University of Muhammadiyah Malang).
Puzo, Mario. The godfather. Penguin, 2005.