ipl-logo

Moral Corruption In The Godfather And Goodfellas

1379 Words6 Pages

Moral corruption is a notable and recurrent theme of gangster films. The protagonist usually has an initial innocence, or ignorance of the means and ways of the life of crime. He gets involved with this world out of necessity due to financial problems, or comes from a social or ethnic background, where crime is an easier and more profitable way of living than legitimate business. In the beginning of his involvement the hero is reluctant to use violence and hesitant to manipulate people, as evidenced in The Godfather and Goodfellas. But as his ties with the world of crime strengthen and he gets caught up in it, he becomes disillusioned with the usefulness of morality, and starts to see his own survival and domination as more important than morality in the conventional sense. The rise to power comes to be the most crucial goal, and moral principles are an obstacle to it. The more powerful the hero becomes, the more rapid is the decline of his ethics. This engrossment in power is demoralizing and causes the hero to dissociate from healthier aspects of life, such as his …show more content…

The first one is his emotional and psychological failure: by the end of the fifteenth episode of the fifth season he is alone, isolated, alienated and rejected by his wife and children who are now appalled by his actions. He is wanted by the police and he is hiding in a mountain cabin in New Hampshire. All his great schemes and plans have failed, his so much desired money is in the hands of Uncle Jack’s neo-Nazi gang, his brother-in-law is dead because of him, and his cancer has reappeared. He is in a state of inaction, waiting for his death to come. His motivation to act again and bring a conclusion to his unfinished deeds, comes through the reappearance of Elliot and Gretchen who talk in a derogatory way about him on a TV show. They put his hurt ego again in motion and instead of surrendering to the police he decides to go back to

Show More
Related

  • Made Men: Mafia Culture And The Power, Ritual, And Myth

    411 Words  | 2 Pages

    The film Donnie Brasco tells the story of Joe Pistone, an undercover FBI agent who investigates a large crime family in New York City. Pistone goes undercover as Donnie Brasco, who is a new member of the Bonanno crime family. His new companion and mentor is Lefty Ruggiero, who has been a member of the family for years. Lefty teaches Brasco the ins and outs of being a member of a gang, and a bond between Lefty and Pistone form. As time goes by, Pistone becomes more involved with the Mafia and does not realize he is starting to become a real criminal instead of an agent.

    Read More

  • Delinquency In The Outsiders

    933 Words  | 4 Pages

    Director of The Outsiders (1983), Francis Coppola, used the relationships among gang members and between gangs to explore causes of delinquency and criticize the stereotypes surrounding lower class gang members. Like Coppola, Robert Agnew understood that middle and upper classes commit crimes as well, therefore his theory claims that external stressors, such as unmet expectations or negative stimuli, cause delinquency. Over the course of the movie, both the affluent “Socs” and the underprivileged “Greasers” experience aggravations that provoke criminal behavior. Two of the main characters, Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, show that despite outside stressors and labels, a “delinquent” can still be considered a hero.

    Read More

  • How Did Al Capone Contribute To Chicago

    608 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand” – Al Capone. 1920’s Chicago, a place riddled with crime and vice became victim to a cultural widespread of lawlessness. Research indicates that the iconic mafia Lord Al Capone “Scarface” saw Chicago as his domain to commit unjust actions however his actions weren’t the sole contributor to the Chicagoan chaos in 1920’s - 1930’s.

    Read More

  • Dispense Justice In Goodfellas

    777 Words  | 4 Pages

    Just like the scene from Goodfellas where a young Henry Hill gets pinched for the first time and everyone is waiting for him outside of the courtroom and Jimmy Conway says to him, “never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.” After this first arrest, John quickly filled his rap sheet with charges such as burglary, disorderly conduct, and unlawful assembly when he was caught during a gambling raid, but that didn’t stop him.1 John continued to essentially do what he wanted due to never getting severe sentences each time he broke the law. In 1962 John Gotti became familiar with how to value goods and the operations of a shipper warehouse when he began working for a trucking company as a truck driver helper. This exposed him to a whole world of theft and how to successfully steal without being caught.

    Read More

  • The Death Of Chris Mccandless

    362 Words  | 2 Pages

    A trait simply described as the overestimation of oneself can be a quintessential element in understanding a character’s downfall. People such as Chris McCandless, Oedipus and Tiger Woods are key examples when trying to relate, understand, and analyze what we know today as “Hubris”. The connections that can be made between each of these characters describe the very nature of how a hero will ultimately meet their bane as a result of being blinded by their own flaws. The death of Chris McCandless was an extremely controversial subject that involved many different people. The justification of his death can be argued in a way .

    Read More

  • Goodfellas: Foundations Of The American Mafia

    1102 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut” (Quotes from Goodfellas, n.d.). This quote from the 1990 critically acclaimed film Goodfellas encompasses some of the main foundations the American Mafia is built upon. And although this film was a major motion picture created in Hollywood, it was based on a true story and kept most of the key aspects of the Mafia’s culture. The role that family played in each individual sect across the country was unified in the sense that it was, by far, the most important to every member of the American Mafia. In the Mafia’s prime (approximately 1920-1985), it shared enough values with the dominant American culture, while maintaining a good amount of differences, to be considered a U.S. co-culture.

    Read More

  • How Did Al Capone Contribute To The Rise Of Organized Crime

    703 Words  | 3 Pages

    In other words, it had been a classic case of, “hero cop captures scumbag criminal.” In the 1920s, crime became somewhat of an art form. Al Capone, a psychopathic gang leader, rose to the mainstream, racketeering became

    Read More

  • Vitality Of A Single Person In Fahrenheit 451

    685 Words  | 3 Pages

    For example, the United States have tried on numerous occasions to cure disease or the hunger epidemic on its own. The influence that America’s government may have on an individual who has a large sense of self can cause what is called a hero complex. The hero complex is a phenomenon affecting people who seek recognition, usually by creating a desperate situation which they can resolve. This can include unlawful acts, such as arson. Obviously, this may cause issues within a society such as the one in Fahrenheit 451.

    Read More

  • Corruption In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    768 Words  | 4 Pages

    Great Gatsby Literary Analysis “The first sign of corruption in a society that is still alive, is that the end justifies the means” - Georges Bernanos. Corruption is quite an evil thing. It is a compromise of integrity and breaks the morals of a human being. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a prime example of a novel with constant corruption. The author does a great job of telling the story of a young man named Jay Gatsby and how his life takes a turn for the worse when corruption begins to occur.

    Read More

  • Al Capone: A Ruthless Man In Chicago

    1547 Words  | 7 Pages

    One of the most dangerous and ruthless men to ever walk the streets of Chicago was born on January 17, 1899--Alphonse Gabriel Capone. Living with his mother and father, Teresina and Gabriele, along with his older brothers Vincenzo and Raffaele, his family moved to a poor tenement in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. Growing up, Capone never exhibited any signs of becoming the master criminal known about today (Biography 1). Al Capone became notorious for holding Chicago in the palm of his hand, controlling the police, judges and the politicians while spreading vice throughout the city. Capone was a promising student, but was expelled from his catholic school at the age of 14 for striking a female teacher, while being disciplined.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Rational Choice Theory In Goodfellas

    520 Words  | 3 Pages

    The lower-class subculture has a unique set of values and beliefs, which are invariably in conflict with conventional social norms. An example of cultural deviance applying to criminal behavior because the theory reflects how the subculture is attractive to many youths in the inner city because role models such as drug dealers, thieves, and pimps are so readily observable. The scene from Goodfellas that applies to cultural deviance theory is where Henry talks about his dad not understanding that he was a part of something and how he felt he finally belonged

    Read More

  • Al Capone's Gang Related Crime

    961 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the 1920’s gang related crime was a serious issue. The leader of all this violence and corruption was a man named Al “Scarface” Capone (“Al Capone”). This organized crime, dehumanization, and corruption, became the ultimate image of Chicago for people throughout the world. He was largely immersed in things like gambling, prostitution, and the illegal sale of liquor. He was not convicted for any of his crimes, even the St. Valentine's Day massacre of 1929, until he was imprisoned for tax evasion (Horan).

    Read More

  • How Do Mobsters Corrupt The 1920s

    1278 Words  | 6 Pages

    Anna Witte Adella Parnell Eng. III Pre-Ap February 13, 2023 Gangsters Corrupting the 1920s The nineteen twenties were full of many memorable moments shaped by writers, politicians, and mobsters. Yet, why do people not know about this fact? Consequently, that would be due to the corruption, bribes, and secrecy mobsters used behind the scenes to drive such social movements during those years.

    Read More

  • Essay On 1920s Mafia

    1523 Words  | 7 Pages

    The 1920s were a time of poverty and strife. This, though, could be avoided at the cost of one's own morality. Due to the fact that the 1920s were a time full of struggle, the mafia and its bosses were able to provide illegal services and established themselves as one of the most powerful groups within America at the time. The mob's capacity to prey on the weak and disenfranchised elements of society during the 1920s and beyond was one of the main factors that contributed to their success.

    Read More

  • Is Okonkwo A Tragic Hero Analysis

    836 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first characteristic which tragic hero need is that the character must be man of high status or noble. “Things Fall Apart” is a contemporary

    Read More

More about Moral Corruption In The Godfather And Goodfellas

Open Document