Previous
Chapter 3
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Godfather, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Crime and Justice
Power
Masculinity and Patriarchy
Family
Loyalty and Betrayal
Summary
Analysis
Michael Corleone arrives at the mall. Clemenza greets him and tells him that the Don is going to be okay. Fredo is sleeping in another room, while Sonny and Tessio are waiting in Don Corleone’s corner office. Michael notices a “hit list” that includes the names Phillip Tattaglia and Sollozzo. Hagen’s wife, Theresa, sits anxiously, awaiting any word about her husband.
Despite his earlier inclination to approach the powerful Sollozzo with tact and restraint, Sonny’s temper drives his to assemble a hit list. This suggests that he is really only capable of violent retaliation and doesn’t have his father’s quiet strength and tact.
Themes
After some thinking, the men conclude that Paulie Gatto is the one who betrayed Don Corleone because he stands to gain the most from colluding with Sollozzo and the Tattaglias. Sonny confirms their suspicions after tracking Paulie’s phone calls back to a pay phone outside of Don Corleone’s office building. Sonny recognizes that his interest in the drug deal inspired Sollozzo to try to negotiate directly with him by hitting the Don. His temper rising, Sonny vows to kill Sollozzo and the Tattaglias. Soon after, Tom Hagen arrives.
The speed with which the Corleone Family decides that Paulie must die testifies to the severity with which they punish treachery. That Paulie would commit such an act despite the penalty of death speaks to the constant and overwhelming temptation towards betrayal that comes with the mob lifestyle. Meanwhile, even the realization that Sollozzo wants to make a deal does not stop Sonny from seeking immediate and violent revenge for his father’s near-assassination.
Themes
