Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… with his brothers Sonny and Michael, and his sister Connie. Although he is the second-oldest, after Sonny, he was usually treated like the baby of the family. A bout of pneumonia as an infant may have hurt his physical and mental development, and Fredo is generally considered weaker and less intelligent than his siblings. And he knows it.
Living… as the black sheep of the family. Fredo goes about his life on the outskirts of family business. He’d rather open a casino in Las Vegas than actually uphold legitimate (well, semi-legitimate) business affairs for the Corleone name. His constant woman-chasing gives him a bad reputation, both with his father Vito Corleone, head of the family, and with his siblings, who often find themselves covering for his problems. Fredo would love to inherit the wealth of the Corleone family, but not the responsibilities of earning and protecting that wealth.
Profession… member of an organized crime family. Because of the family Fredo grew up in, he wasn’t given opportunities to choose what he wanted to do in life. Fredo always grew up knowing he would be a part of the family business, and he had no problems taking advantage of the perks it presented him.
Interests… women, Vegas, casinos. Fredo is interested in getting his hands dirty only when he can benefit from the exchange.
Relationship Status… married to Deanna Dunn. Though he is not loyal to his wife she isn’t faithful to him either, because she says he’s not “a real man.” She berates him for being a coward.
Challenge… carrying on the Corleone name without making a fool of himself and, by extension, his whole family. As the years go on, Fredo’s rashness and immaturity has the power to do a lot worse than simply embarrass his family. Fredo must choose between loyalty to his family or the pleasures of women and money. He craves respect, and that craving could lead him down dangerous paths.
Personality… spineless, annoying, and squirrelly. Deep down Fredo wants the best for the Corleone family and loves them deeply, but he just doesn’t know how to show it – or is unable to. It’s way easier to blow money than to make it, and Fredo demonstrates that every day.
Get to Know him in...
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The Godfather chronicles the lives of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family in teh 1940's. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers—launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
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In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.
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In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don, Michael Corleone seeks forgiveness for his sins while taking a young protege under his wing.
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A searing novel of the Mafia underworld, The Godfather introduced readers to the first family of American crime fiction, the Corleones, and the powerful legacy of tradition, blood, and honor that was passed on from father to son. With its themes of the seduction of power, the pitfalls of greed, and family allegiance, it resonated with millions of readers across the world—and became the definitive novel of the virile, violent subculture that remains steeped in intrigue, in controversy, and in our collective consciousness.
