The genre of crime fiction comprises several subgenres and is only an umbrella term for literature about crime that originated particularly in Great Britain and the United States in a time ranging from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century. When people are confronted
with the genre of crime fiction, they usually associate it with detective fiction or crime thrillers. Some of the most popular writers of crime fiction are Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Raymond Chandler and Edgar Allan Poe and their inventions of such
characters as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Philip Marlowe (Priestman 2003: preface). These works have shaped our understanding of crime literature profoundly and influenced the emergence of other crime fiction genres and their authors. On these grounds this essay will mainly focus on the emergence of a crime genre that is concerned with the American gangster and the myth of the mafia. To be more precise, I will concentrate on the mafia gangster in the United States and analyze his way to success and power. To better understand the phenomenon of the mafia gangster, I will give a brief account of American crime fiction followed by a description of the typical ingredients a successful crime novel has to have. Afterwards, I will present some information on the
American gangster in general and explain the circumstances that facilitated his career in organized crime to become such an important part of American culture. Then I will proceed with the sudden appearance of the mafia gangster in the United States and comment on the etymology of the term mafia in order to explain how he became so
important to the American culture. After the background information has been covered by the first three chapters, I will go on with the analysis of the phenomenon of the mafia in literature and on television. Therefore, the very popular contributions to the mafia genre produced by Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and David Chase will be discussed. The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos will be the main subjects of interest to show how these works contributed to a general understanding of the mafia in the
second half of the twentieth century. Finally, I will give a short account of the decline of the mafia in organized crime within the United States before the Conclusion will be presented.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. American Crime Fiction
2.1 The satisfaction of murder
2.2 The invention of the gangster
2.3 The importance of the gangster in American culture
3. The mafia gangster in American culture
3.1 The etymology of the term “mafia”
4. The phenomenon of the mafia in literature and on television
4.1 Mario Puzo’s The Godfather and the film trilogy by Francis Ford Coppola
4.2 Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990)
4.3 David Chase’s The Sopranos (1999-2007)
5. The decline of the American mafia
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives & Key Themes
This paper examines the emergence and evolution of the "mafia gangster" as a cultural phenomenon in American society, analyzing how literature and television have mythologized these figures through selected key works.
- The historical development of American crime fiction and its subgenres.
- The sociocultural construction of the "public enemy" and the mafia myth.
- An in-depth analysis of The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos as cultural representations.
- The impact of changing societal norms, gender roles, and law enforcement on the decline of the traditional mafia narrative.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Mario Puzo’s The Godfather and the film trilogy by Francis Ford Coppola
When people are confronted with the term mafia in connection with culture then they automatically associate it with the work by the novelist Mario Puzo The Godfather (1969) and/or the equally successful film trilogy by Francis Ford Coppola starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan and Robert De Niro. These works along with the main characters were so successful that they soon won the Americans hearts and souls and gained fame and fortune. The humanization and romanticizing of the mafia in The Godfather also profoundly shaped a general understanding of the mafia in the United States (Finckenauer 2007: 5; Gardaphe 2010: 111 f.). Nevertheless, one should bear in mind that the romantic description of the Corleones family was rather fiction and came from the outside if compared with a first-hand coverage like Talese’s Honor Thy Father (1971). In fact, Puzo was often criticized for not knowing any authentic details about the mafia (Gardaphe 2010: 111 f.).
Anyhow, the release of the book perfectly fit in the “[…] ethnic revival period […]” in the 1960s partially explaining the huge success of the novel that made Mario Puzo world-famous over night (Gardaphe 2010: 112). In his novel, he describes the ups and downs of a Sicilian family, whose Don (boss) Vito Corleone first emigrated from Italy to the United States establishing his familiar Italian structure on a new urban territory. The mafia is depicted as a good counterbalance to the bad American law and business helping people in need and regulating their own life while maintaining good relations to official people from the state.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research focus on the American mafia gangster and the methodology of examining specific literary and television works to understand their cultural impact.
2. American Crime Fiction: Provides a historical overview of crime fiction, highlighting the shift from detective stories to gangster narratives and the role of mass media in defining these figures.
3. The mafia gangster in American culture: Discusses the historical context of Italian-American immigrants and the linguistic/cultural origins of the term "mafia" as a societal concept.
4. The phenomenon of the mafia in literature and on television: Analyzes the representation of the mafia in The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos, focusing on themes of family, masculinity, and identity.
5. The decline of the American mafia: Examines factors contributing to the decline of mafia power, including increased federal law enforcement and shifting societal values.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes how these influential media works shaped the perception of the mafia while reflecting the real-world evolution of the organization.
Keywords
Mafia, American Crime Fiction, The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Sopranos, Organized Crime, Gangster, Cultural Myth, Masculinity, La Cosa Nostra, Media Representation, Prohibition, Social Categorization, Omerta, Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the phenomenon of the "mafia gangster" in American crime fiction, analyzing his rise, evolution, and eventual decline in public perception and reality.
Which specific works are analyzed in this study?
The study centers on the novel and film trilogy 'The Godfather' by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, the film 'Goodfellas' by Martin Scorsese, and the television series 'The Sopranos' by David Chase.
What is the primary objective of this thesis?
The primary goal is to analyze how these specific works contributed to a general understanding of the mafia in the second half of the 20th century and how they reflect social changes.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The author employs a qualitative literary and media analysis, referencing sociological and historical secondary literature to contextualize the fictional narratives.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the history of American crime fiction, the invention of the gangster archetype, the etymology of "mafia," and detailed analyses of masculinity and identity in the selected films and series.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Mafia, American Crime Fiction, Organized Crime, Gangster, Masculinity, Media Representation, and Cultural Myth.
How does the paper differentiate between the 'mafia' and 'organized crime'?
The text explores whether the two terms are synonymous or distinct, noting that while the media often conflates them, there is a historical debate regarding the precise definitions.
What role does 'The Sopranos' play in the narrative of the paper?
The paper uses 'The Sopranos' to illustrate the modern, fragmented identity of the mafia gangster, highlighting how the character Tony Soprano struggles between traditional values and a pluralized, modern American lifestyle.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Diplomsportwissenschaftler David Fußinger (Autor:in), 2012, The Mafia Gangster in American Crime Fiction: an analysis of the phenomenon of the mafia with reference to "The Godfather", "Goodfellas" and "The Sopranos", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/195612
