Italian language and use Italian words. Even, they still eat Italian food. They do their way in an Italian way.
According to Cawelti in Adventure, Mystery, and Romance: Formula Stories as Art and Popular Culture, the best-selling novel and film of the late
1960s and 1970 were Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. Its impact has been so great that millions of copies of the book had been sold in little over three years, and
many more millions of movie admission-that one does not need much prescience to predict that this work will be a major turning point in the evolution of popular
literature Cawelty 51. The novel then inspired Francis Ford Coppola to make The Godfather into the movie. There are three sequels of the film, namely, The
Godfather, The Godfather II, The Godfather III. However, the one that is based on The Godfather novel is the first film, The Godfather. What we can learn from this
novel is the importance of having family loyalty because we can use it as a safeguard and social supports.
Reading this novel can make us feel that we enter The Corleone Family’s world, and live in their rules. The loyalty to the godfather is true, not only from
the godfather’s own family but also from the members of the Corleone organized crime. This kind of loyalty is interesting to study because everyone on the family
is willing to give their lives to the Don, the godfather.
B. Problem Formulation
The problems of this study are formulated as follows: 1.
What is the social background of the Corleone family?
2. Why does the Corleone family maintain severe loyalty with the members
of the family?
C. Objectives of the Study
Based on the explanation above, there are two general objectives of this study. The first one is to reveal the social background of The Corleones. It can be
used as guidance in recognizing the power of this family. The second one is to identify the motivations of upholding never ending loyalty to the family.
D. Benefits of the Study
There are three groups of people who can get benefits from this study. They are readers in general, the teachers of literature, and English Department
students. For the readers in general, it is hoped that they will get some knowledge
about literary work especially Popular Literature and Mario Puzo’s work especially The Godfather. For the readers who are teachers of literature, this study
can be used as a source to help the students understand The Godfather better. For English Department students, it is hoped that they will be encouraged to read
novels because they will get other benefits rather than reading novels for pleasure. We can always learn something from the novels.
The way Don Vito Corleone thinks can make us learn that we have to be careful and wise when dealing with the society around us. This novel brings me
into a bigger appreciation towards my family and my friends. I feel the loyalty for
them is very important as a safeguard and social supports. Therefore, in writing the thesis, I hope that the thesis could give benefits to myself, the readers, teachers
and other students, so we could uphold good loyalty to our family and friends.
E. Definiton of Terms
In this study, there are some key words that I would like to define in order to avoid misunderstanding.
1. Family
: According to Pikunas’ Structure, Sound and Sense, family is an enduring social group based on marriage and blood relationship. As
a primary group, the family with children is bound together by kinship and intimate relations marked by care, affection, and support, as well
as mutual sharing in various activities and concerns Pikunas 58. According to Hawes in The Family in America, a family is a group of
two or more people, including a house holder, related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together Hawes 248. In this
novel, family refers to everyone who has the same views with Don Vito Corleone and they are not only those who have blood
relationship, but also other people who are not included genetically. In this study, those who have the same views with Don Vito are
considered as his family, The Corleone Family. 2.
Loyalty
: According to Lutes, in Loyalty in Life, loyalty means faithful to a cause, faithful to someone to whom fidelity is held to be
due, faithful to an idea, etc. In this study, loyalty is the quality of faithfulness and the condition of being closely tied to another by
affection or faith to the Don.
3. Godfather
: In Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Agnes states that a godfather is the head of a mafia family or syndicate or any
person having much influence or authority in some area Agnes 608. In this study, the godfather is a head of mafia family called The
Corleones. He has much influence on politic and his society.
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
