The characterization that is done with Michael Corleone and the foiling that is done with his brothers is one of the most distinctive literary features so far in the movie. As Michael returns to his home, he is not seen as the strongest characters and does not even associate himself with his family’s acts and business. He is seen as a weak character and does not have much of an input on what is happing around him with his family. He sticks out like a sore thumb at his sister’s wedding and does not involve him much. Not until the news that his father was shot, did he even show any emotional attachment to anything. When goes to the hospital to see his father and he thinks that he is too late and he is on the phone with Sonny and he tells him not to panic, it is the first time that anything of importance is put into his hands. He has the choice to either answer the call or to reject it and he choices to answer it. The second that he puts down the phone he is a different person, he takes all of the matters into his hands and he needs to act on his feet and deal with his unexpected situation on his hands. This is when the character of Michael Corleone changes into one of the main brothers and his jumps feet first into his family’s business.
The use of foil to show what kind of character Michael has become is very evident in the scene when their next move towards Captain McCluskey and Sollozzo is being decided. The position that the brothers are sitting makes the image of the fire and ice evident. The position Sonny one side and Tom Hagen on the other side with Michael in the middle, this is also show the symbolic archetype fire and ice. Sonny is the fire, hot under his collar and always wanting to settle things though violence and fighting and Tom Hagen being the ice, he thinks every action through before he does them and is able to put aside emotional influences and puts the educated decision forward. Michael is right in between the two, he is able to act with emotion when necessary but he thinks his acts through and his able to have an open mind about what is going on around him, which is the best of both worlds and will Michael farther than any of the other brothers.
I agree with your analysis of characterization used in the godfather and how effective it is. The Godfather seems to use many literary devices in its plot and the characterization of Michael Corleon's character seems to be a key one.Starting off in the movie we did not know much about him except that fact that he just returned from serving in the army and had a love interest by the name of Kay Adams. He seemed to have been somewhat an outsider as you mentioned and he did seem to be a weak character. I also thought of him of a safe character in the sense that he did not want anything to do with the 'family buisness'. A safe person who did not like to take risks but he also seemed to be smart. However, I think the key point in the movie so far is the drastic change of how he went from not wanting anything to do with the mafia to a person who commited murder. I like your use of fire and ice in your blog entry and the sentence of Michael being right between the two (his brother and Tom Hagen) and how his character has the best of both worlds.
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