Rhetorical Strategies: The Godfather

Rhetorical Strategies

• Repetition: “We are all men who have refused to be fools, who have refused to be puppets dancing on a string pulled by the men on high... We will manage our world for ourselves because it is our world, cosa nostra” (292).

As part of an iconic speach made by Don Corleone to members of the heads of the prominent new york crime families of the time, Puzo uses repetition to emphasize the decision of the crime bosses to reject the laws and rule of the government, instead choosing to live by their own rules in the world of the cosa nostra, which is a synonym for the Italian mafia. Puzo writes with a very tense, and choppy style, paralleling the harsh life of the mafia underworld, as demonstrated by Corleones assertion that the world is theirs for the taking.

• Metaphor: “Time erodes gratitude more quickly than it does beauty” (258).

Furthering the themes of family, respect, and honor, Puzo uses this metaphor to emphasize the importance of gratitude and respect in the mob life, and the perceived lack of it in the outside world. 

• Undertone: “There are things that have to be done and you do them and you never talk about them. You don't try to justify them. They can't be justified. You just do them. Then you forget it” (147).

This excerpt characterizes the feeling of lostness and confusion amongst some of the family members. With in the novel-wide tone of violence and aversion, lies an undertone of confusions about the reasons for the actions of the family. This confusion contributes to the terse style of Puzo in that some members such as Vito are clear in their direction and actions, others such as Fredo are not.

• Cause and Effect: “Clemenza was a storyteller; Vito Corleone was a listener to storytellers. They became casual friends” (197).

Puzo’s summary of the relationship between Clemenza and Vito is a further indication of his frank style that while choppy, frequently employing incredibly short sentences, is remarkably straight foreward. This summation of their relations stems from their conversation twards the beginning of the novel in which Clemenza pleads for justice from Vito for the injustices against his daughter.