Personal Review

         I enjoyed this book a lot. When I read this book and read about the family

 closeness and trustworthiness it hit home for me. My father’s family is a traditional New

 York City family. They were all born and raised there and they all speak their minds and

 stay close to their family no matter what, just like the book. However my father’s family

 was not in the mob. Perhaps my favorite part of this book was the fact that it was about a

 true Italian gangster. I enjoy learning about Al Capone and other mobsters so to read a

 fictional book about a fictional family was a great way to look at the full story from

 another person’s point of view. I enjoyed the suspense of the book and I also enjoyed

 learning about the characters and the personal struggles they faced. For example Johnny

 Fontane had a drinking problem and his wife was cheating on him.

            I did not however enjoy the vulgar parts of the book. When I read it I imagined

 the scenes and it was very gory and disturbing to imagine half the things that were said in

 the book. I also did not enjoy the length of the book. Since the book was so long it felt to

 me at some times the book was just repeating an endlessness of violence and cruel

 beatings. I think that Mario Puzo may have been able to shorten his book had he not gone

 into such in-depth descriptions. But regardless this book was not in any way predictable. I

 was always left guessing and wanting more.

            Over all though this book was one of my favorite books I have read. I liked the

 show the Sopranos while it was airing and this was similar in a way to the show. I plan on

 reading the other books and perhaps even watching the movies later on. 

Text Connections

          The Godfather to me is limited on text connections. I did however come up with a

 text-to-text connection, although my second text is a show. The show The Sopranos has

 been on for many years. My parents have enjoyed that show for as long as I can

 remember. The families in the show and in the book are very similar to each other in the

 ways that they are both about an Italian mob family. In the show the family kills people

 and stays together like a close-knit Italian mob family. The same thing happens in The

 Godfather.

            Another connection would be text-to-world. The Godfather is a fictional story

 however what is descried and done in this novel was actually happening on the east coast

 during the 1930s. Italian gangsters like Al Capone, Joe Masseria, and Charles Luciano

 were just a few of the many mob leaders back in the day. So although The Godfather is a

 fictional story the events that took place in the novel had similar events happening in the

 real world. 

Syntax

In The Godfather the author, Mario Puzo, uses a variety of sentence structure to

convey his style. The author’s style, like previously mentioned, is serious, bland and

almost blunt. Puzo’s use of short and choppy sentences help to convey a blunt style.

            For example when the author is describing a moment between Johnny and Tom

Hagen he says, “Hagen never made any excuses for his actions. He could not” (167). The

short sentences prove that the author is being blunt. He speaks from a third person point

of view and this shows his non-bias and serious tone and style.

            Syntax in this novel not only show the author’s style but also show the author’s

violent tone. When Paulie Gatto and two “big men” are called upon by the godfather to

do a job (beating Kevin Moonan and Wagner). This brutal scene is described as “beating

Moonan to jelly…each blow landed with a splat of flesh splitting open” (65).  This use of

imagery not only helps the reader picture the beating but also this is an example of

sentence structure, syntax, helping to prove the authors violent tone. 

            Profanity and vulgarity is also used in this novel to help the author create a violent

tone. When Michael and Sonny start to bicker about how Michael wanted to hurt the cops

who verbally assaulted him Sonny begins to laugh at him. Sonny thinks that Michael is

being ridiculous and childish. Michael says, “Don’t you think I can do it, you son of a

b****” (134). This author’s choice to incorporate profanity into the sentences of the

novel depict the vulgar and violent tone of the book. 

Diction

Throughout The Godfather Mario Puzo creates a few different tones. The most apparent tone being a violent tone. His use of diction aids to the tone of the novel. Puzo describes many beatings and fights that are very gruesome and violent.

            When Johnny Fontane’s wife returns home after cheating on her husband he begins to beat her. Johnny “punched her in the stomach and she fell to the floor…he punched her on the arms and on the thigh…a painful punishment that would leave no lasting disfigurement” (13).  Fontane beats his wife due his jealousy, which was triggered by his alcohol abuse. He becomes very angry when he is drunk and takes his anger out by physically hurting his wife, whom he “hates”/

            Throughout the novel Puzo writes using colloquial language. Most of his words are not too academic and to a point where most lay people can understand the story.

            Later in the novel Vito Corleone shoots and kills Don Fanucci. Puzo writes that “Fanucci fell to his knees, propping the door open. He let out a terrible groan, the groan of a man in great physical distress…[then] Fanucci slumped into death, jamming the door open with his body” (206).  Corleone kills Fanucci to help gain control of his neighborhood. This demonstrates the violent tone through the use of words such as “physical distress” and “painful punishment”.

            Violence is shown all through The Godfather Puzo uses violent and disturbing imagery and words to procreate a violent tone. 

Rhetorical Strategies

• Imagery- “ His face was that of a gross Cupid, the features even but the bow-shape lips thickly sensual, the dimpled cleft chin in some curious way obscene” (Puzo 15).
• Simile- “He was built as powerfully as a bull” (Puzo 15).
• Appositive- “He, Amerigo Bonasera, would lay down his life for the blessed Godfather” (Puzo 67)
• Rhetorical question- “Did Jack Woltz have the balls to risk everything, to run the chance of losing all on a matter of principle, on a matter of honor; for revenge?” (Puzo 67).
• Personification- “Genco Abbandando had run a long race with death” (Puzo 46).

The Godfather is a book about a Sicilian family living in New York, The head of their household being Don Vito Corleone. The author of this book, Mario Puzo, writes this book in a very bland, blunt and serious style. The book is written in the third person so it is told from a non-bias view. The reader can see the style of the author from his use of rhetorical strategies. His imagery shows his style because he talks from a third person and is very serious. His use of other rhetorical strategies demonstrates Puzo’s style. The author’s use of language from formal to informal and sentences from long to short and choppy show his blunt style.