The Corleone family is built upon strong family ties and preservation of their Italian culture. Accompanying their Italian culture comes their Roman Catholic faith. Now, these aspects may seem like minuscule details, but they support the plot and portray a real image of this family. Furthermore, it is important to note women’s roles in this film because they are a representation of the Italian culture and religion the family shares. This film takes place in the 1940’s after WW2, in New York City. Women’s roles at this time and place were traditional; men had dominance over women. It was the typical “my husband works while I stay home and make dinner” type of environment.
The movie starts out with Connie and Carlo’s big traditional wedding. Throughout the movie Carlo is seen as an abusive man, hitting his wife out of anger due to his insignificant role in the family business. Connie is a helpless woman that can’t defend herself. When her brother finds out he gets infuriated but she begs him to leave her husband alone. This is a perfect example of a woman who tolerates her husband solely because he is the patriarch.
Another woman that is important to discuss is Michael’s wife, Kay. At the end of the movie she interrogates Michael because Connie has accused him of killing her husband. With a simple “no,” Kay blindly believes her husband without a doubt. Shortly after, she realizes that all she will ever be to Michael is a powerless woman, as he closes the door on her to talk about the family business.
These two women are both depicted to be naive and inferior to the men in their family. They learn to be a shadow behind the men and do not contribute to the family business.
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Gender Roles 