ENGC70H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Don Fanucci, American Mafia, Extortion
Document Summary
Don vito goes to america from sicily; michael goes to sicily twice in his life. Implied that sicilians do not change when they cross the ocean. It is feudal in sicily - you have lords and serfs. Except now the lords are the dons, and the serfs are the regular civilians. The serfs are tied to the land and owe the lord responsibility. Can also be translated into a big man with many followers, or patron and client. To have happiness in this relationship, it is assumed that the lord will protect the serfs. This creates a want in the serfs to serve the lord. Based on reciprocity - exchange of favours and patron-client relations. But reciprocal exchange is cycles of revenge. It is not an equal relationship, but protection can be a very real asset. In part ii, don vito is admired by the people he helps - he plays a robin hood character.
