Topic #1: Rhetorical Strategies

-dialogue: ‘His mother looked at him steadily for a moment and then asked in Italian, “Have they shot him?” Sonny nodded’ (83).

            Mario Puzo’s chief method of conveying the mood of the book is through dialogue. Although actual events are portrayed through narration, it is through dialogue that the characters interpretations of these events are conveyed to the reader. These interpretations are vital to the book, as there are many main characters all of whom play an important role in the final outcome. This dialogue is especially potent in revealing discrepancies between the three leaders of the family, Don Corleone, Sonny, and Michael.

-colloquialisms: “He was not the Don and only the Don could replace the caopregimes and the Consigliere” (268).

            The Godfather is very ethnic novel, and to exemplify the Italian heritage that is a main theme of the novel, Puzo uses many Italian colloquialisms throughout the novel. These words are often actual Italian words, and the make the book seem much more authentic. Mario Puzo, being an Italian, is qualified to write about the Italian culture of his time period, and he expresses his familiarity with the topic through his use of Italian colloquialisms.

-metaphor: “…the Turk Sollozzo broke the peace and plunged the Don’s world into its own war…” (239).

            Puzo uses metaphors to exaggerate certain aspects of the book. In this quote, he refers to the battle between the Italian mafia families as actually “plunging the Don’s world” into war, when in fact they are really just conducting an underground gang fight. By exaggerating parts of the story, Puzo adds interest to his novel and brings the plot a heightened sense of anticipation and suspense.

-imagery: “On the embalming table was the bullet-smashed face of Sonny Corleone. The left eye drowned in blood had a star fracture in its lens. The bridge of his nose and the left cheekbone were hammered into pulp” (275).

            As this novel is based on much violence, imagery is a key aspect to Puzo’s style. By gruesomely describing the victims of the mafia war, he is able to bring a sense of horror and dark interest to his readers, as was his intent. The imagery also serves to give color to the story and paint a bloody picture for the reader, which is one of the book’s most notable aspects.