Once Amerigo Bonasera comes to Don Vito at Constanzias wedding day. He wants Don Vito to do him a favour. His daughter is beaten badly by two boys.
Her nose is broken and her jaw is shattered. He wants Don Vito to kill the boys who are responsible for his daughters misfortune. Don Vito refuses to do so
because he thinks that Bonaseras daughter is still alive. But, because Don Vitos wife is the godmother of Bonaseras daughter, he makes Bonaseras wish: to let the
men suffer as his daughter suffers. When the door closed behind the grateful undertaker, Don Corleone turned
to Hagen and said, Give this affair to Clemenza and tell him to be sure to use reliable people, people who will not be carried away by the smell of
blood. After all, were not murderers, no matter what that corpse valet dreams up in his foolish head. Puzo 31.
A week later, the boys who beat Bonaseras daughter are beaten and badly injured. The men of Don Vito do this quickly. Not more than a minute, the guilty boys
have unrecognized faces and broken bones. The obedience of Don Vito’s men are unquestionable; they do the order right exactly like they are told to do. All
members of the Corleone Family should be willing to do what Don Vito Corleone wants them to do because he is the boss.
b. Loyalty
In The Rules of Conduct, Lucky states that always remain loyal to members of the Family is the concern. The Family always comes first, with no exceptions.
Thus all members must be a team. Everyone should never in the way of each other’s interests. They must be prepared to defend the Family with their life.
Loyalty is very important in the mafia tradition. No matter what it takes, the members should keep loyal to the Godfather Don Vito Corleone. Loyalty means a
lot to Corleone Family because it is the main power in the family. On Constanzias wedding day, Bonasera comes to the Don and asks him to murder the men who
are guilty for beating his daughter badly. Don Vito is not happy with the favor he must do because he thinks that Bonasera just only comes to him when he needs
him. The Don held up his hand. No. Dont speak. You found America a
paradise. You had a good trade, you made a good living, you thought the world a harmless place where you could take your pleasure as you willed.
You never armed yourself with true friends. After all, the police guarded you, there were courts of law, you and yours could come to no harm. You
did not need Don Corleone. Very well. My feelings were wounded but I am not that sort of person who trusts his friendship on those who do not value
it-on those who think me of little account. Puzo 29. Don Vito Corleone thinks Bonasera treats him so disrespectfully, so at first
he refuses to help Bonasera because they live in America and this country has its own rule. Bonasera thinks he does not get justice from the American court so he
asks Don Corleone to take revenge to the boys as they make his daughter suffer. An eye is for an eye. Don Corleone thinks that Bonasera should have asked him
for help in the first place instead of using American court. Don Vito Corleone does not see any loyalty from Bonasera because Bonasera only comes to him
when he needs him. “But if you had come to me, my purse would have been worse. If you had
come to me for justice those scum who ruined your daughter would be weeping bitter tears this day. If by some misfortune an honest man like
yourself made enemies they would become my enemies”-the Don raised his arm, finger pointing at Bonasera-“and then, believe me, they would fear
you.” Puzo 31. The Don feels that Bonasera has forgotten him because Bonasera has found
America interesting. Now when Bonasera gets trouble, he comes to Don Corleone to ask for help.
The Don paused and gave the undertaker a polite, ironic smile. ”Now you come to me and say,’Don Corleone give me justice.’ And you do not ask
with respect. You do not offer me your friendship. You come come into my home on the bridal day of my daughter and you ask me to do murder and
you say” - here the Don’s voice became a scornful mimicry-“ ‘I will pay you anything.’ No, no I am not offended, but what have I ever done to make
you treat me so disrespectfully?” Puzo 30.
Don Corleone does not want either money or material thing, and all he wants is just friendship. He will feel so disrespected if ones come to him and say
that they will pay him anything. But, because this is his daughter wedding and Carmella Corleone is Bonasera daughter’s godmother, he cannot refuse it. Don
Vito still helps Bonasera because he thinks someday Bonasera will give him a favour in return when is needed.
The way of Don Vito thinks about friendship is understood by his son Michael Corleone. He knows that Don Vito is a good man who wants a good
thing in life; that is loyalty. Michael sighed. I guess thats the way it sounds, but let me tell you this.
You know those Arctic explorers who leave caches of food scattered on the route to the North Pole? Just in case they may need them someday? Thats
my father favors. Someday hell be at each one of those peoples houses and they had better come across. Puzo 41.
Actually what Don Vito thinks of a friendship is so simple. We can see that Don Vito is a man who values friendship so much. He only helps people who offer
their friendships to him. When someone has offered their friendship to Don Vito, he will help as best as he can and as much as he has because he believes that
someday when he and his family get in trouble, those who have been given help will help him in return. He wants sincere friendships. He wants loyalty and it
means the world to him.
c. Honor
