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 in Las Vegas with his new bodyguard, Albert Neri, and Tom Hagen. That evening, Michael dines with Fredo, Tom, Lucy, Jules, Nino, and Johnny. Everyone notes how Michael resembles his father in both speech and manor. Michael reveals, “the Corleone Family is thinking of moving out here to Vegas. Selling out all our interests in the olive oil business and settling here.” He says that Moe Greene will sell his interest to give the Corleones full ownership of the hotel. Fredo is unsure Moe will sell, but Michael promises to “make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
Michael’s gradual transformation into a man like his father is nearly complete. Not only does he share his father’s mannerisms and speech, but also his father’s strategic use of “negotiation” backed by the implied promise of violence. Michael repeats Don Corleone’s line regarding an “offer he can’t refuse” because he understands what must be done to restore the Corleone Family’s position of power in the underworld.
Themes
Michael requests that Johnny sign a contract to appear at the hotel five times per year for weeklong engagements to draw in visitors. “I’ll do anything for my Godfather, you know that, Mike,” Johnny responds. Next, Michael promises Jules a surgeon’s job in a special hospital under construction in Las Vegas and makes him medical director for the Family’s existing hotels until the hospital opens. Michael tells Fredo that Don Corleone has special plans for him, and Fredo wonders if the Don is angry over the hotel losing money. Michael tells him not to worry.
Like Don Corleone, Michael knows that dispensing favors and then cashing in on them is an essential step towards the success of a new business venture. However, he leaves Fredo conspicuously out of the Family’s new Las Vegas plans, suggesting that Fredo has lost the Family’s confidence to run any major operation for this point onward.
Themes
Moe Green unexpectedly arrives and requests to talk to Michael. Greene buys the group a round of playing chips and demands to know why the Corleone Family thinks it can buy his casino. “I’ll buy you out. You don’t buy me out,” he says. “Your casino has been losing money against all the odds,” Michael explains, “[…] maybe we can do better.” Michael’s “quietly reasonable” proposition infuriates Moe, who curses out the “goddamn Dagos” and calls them ungrateful for him looking after Fredo.
Michael expertly applies his father’s advice to the process of negotiation. When Greene responds angrily to the offer to buy him out, Michael remains calm and displays no anger of his own. Even in the face of Greene’s ethnic slurs, Michael adheres to Don Corleone’s rule that those in positions of power can be taken care of at the proper time.
Themes
Michael coldly accuse Moe of “slap[ping] [Fredo] around in public.” Fredo sticks up for Moe, claiming that “Moe didn’t mean anything” by it and that they’re “good friends,” while Moe claims he merely “straightened [Fredo] out” because Fredo kept sleeping with the cocktail waitresses. Michael chafes at this disrespect towards the Corleone Family. He explains that he has reduced Tom’s position from Consigliere to Family lawyer, and he urges Moe, “don’t insult people who are trying to help you.” Michael then turns to Fredo and warns, “you’re my older brother, I have respect for you. But don’t ever take sides with anybody against the Family again.” Fredo and Moe leave the room without further discussion.
Michael’s warning to Fredo not to cross the Family underscores the severity with which the Mafia treats potential disloyalty. In addition to expressing his own misgivings about Michael’s offer to buy out Greene, Fredo has inadvertently disrespected his Family’s reputation by allowing Greene to reprimand him physically in a public setting and for standing up for Moe in front of Michael.
Themes
Get the entire The Godfather LitChart as a printable PDF.
The next morning, Fredo tells Michael that Moe will not give up his casino, to which Michael shrugs. They visit Fontane and Nino in their suite. They are shocked to see that Nino is clearly at death’s door. Before they depart for the airport, Al Neri tells Michael that he has Moe Greene “mugged and numbered up here.”
Michael is unconcerned by Greene’s refusal to sell because he expected this refusal and already has a plan to deal with it. Al Neri confirms this plan when he tells Michael that Greene has been “mugged,” indicating that Michael has robbed him blind even if Greene is unware that he has been mugged.
Themes
