The Tragic Fate of Vito Corleone in The Godfather

In the iconic novel and subsequent film The Godfather, the character of Vito Corleone is a deeply tragic one. His journey through life, marked by an attempt to move his family into mainstream legitimacy, serves as a testament to the complex and often sorrowful nature of the American Dream for many immigrants.

Among the many tragic aspects of Vito's character, the most poignant is his inability to achieve a life of honesty and normalcy. Vito's path to crime was often forced upon him by external factors, such as the tyrannical and corrupt mob boss Al Gianni Fanucci. Vito believed that a man must look after his family, and in his view, the only way to do so was through the only means available to him. This forced his family into a life of illegality, a choice he saw as a brutal necessity rather than a preferred option.

Craving Normality

Throughout the novel, Vito's desire for normalcy is a constant theme. He craved the ability to live a life free from the constant threats and violence that surrounded his family. However, fate constantly intervened, denying him these aspirations.

First, Vito lost his family in Sicily to the war and violence that marked his homeland, forcing him to rebuild his life and family in America with an entirely different set of challenges. Next, he lost his legitimate livelihood, looking after the family's needs through illegal means rather than a legal business or career. His traditional, honest ambitions were thwarted by the nature of the criminal underworld. Lastly, despite his best efforts to provide his sons with a better life through education and a legal career, Vito's sons were drawn into the criminal world. He managed to send one son, Tom, to law school, but it was never the son who would carry on the family's legacy.

This cycle of loss and desire for a peaceful life is poignantly portrayed in the novel. Vito's heart was shattered when he watched his favorite son, Michael, take over the family's criminal enterprise. In one pivotal scene, Michael, with disdain and dismissiveness, suggests becoming a senator or governor is just another 'pezzonovante', a term roughly equivalent to a small-time boss.

Michael's backpedaling and attempt to reassure Vito that 'they would get there' while his eyes betray his true thoughts, reflect the depth of Vito's disappointment and the harsh reality that his dream of a legitimate life for his sons was slipping away.

Parallel with Personal Experiences

This narrative is not unlike many immigrant stories, where the parents' dreams for their children can often be different from the path their children ultimately follow. The author relates to this experience, sharing how their parents wanted the best for them but sometimes their aspirations were different from what the children needed.

Vito's desire for his sons to achieve a life through college and law school, representing the American Dream, was thwarted. Sonny, Fredo, and Michael all took paths that were far from Vito's initial intentions. Tom, the adopted son, fulfilled Vito's dream of a respectable career, but he too was not biologically his son.

Vito's deepest regret was that he could not provide his sons with the life he had envisioned. In a critical scene, Vito tells Michael, 'I never wanted this for you.' The irony is that while Vito's sons were held back from a legitimate life, in many ways, Michael had to step into the role of the 'Don', a title Vito never intended for him.

By the end of the novel, Vito can only witness his sons turning to the criminal life he had hoped to avoid, symbolizing the ultimate tragedy of Vito's character.