The Godfather Returns | Style

The Godfather Returns Style

Point of View The Godfather Returns primarily alternates between omniscient third person narrator and first person point of view through the eyes of Nick. The invention of Nick Geraci was a brilliant move on the author's part. Nick's character becomes the observer of the crime family. Not an impartial observer, as Nick is part of that world, but a newer perspective than any we've seen in previous Godfather stories. The fact that he is new, Nick is free to express his opinions and thoughts on the page without contradicting what we already know about any of the previous characters.

By employing the third person omniscient narrator as well, Mark Winegardner is able to create additional tension because we are aware of events of which the characters in the scene are not. The author jumps briefly into the other characters' minds from the first person, and it is interesting to note his choices here. We see events in first person through the eyes of Francesca Corleone, who, as Vito's granddaughter, is a peripheral character, not active in most of the plots and schemes, yet Winegardner finds she makes and ideal observer. Michael himself is written in first person rarely, and for brief moments only. We also get brief peeks into the minds of some of the other Dons, as well as other peripheral characters like Nick Geraci's dad, the original Fausto. Still most of what we learn comes from the ever-clever Nick or the omniscient narrator.

Setting The setting is post-World War II America, when the U.S. had the world by the tail and the future was ripe with promise. Las Vegas was booming as an entertainment capitol, a place to get away from it all for a well-deserved celebration. America had been through a gruesome war, and it was time to turn attention to families, careers, and enjoying life. Going to Las Vegas was a way of keeping hard-earned vacation dollars in the U.S. For those who were running things, however, it was all about building an empire. Give the "suckers" a little glitz and they'll come running; grease the wheels with a little "juice" and they'll leave their money in your casino.

Legitimized gambling was already...
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