> Let me quote Tom Hagen verbatim to Jack Woltz about Johnny. "Mr Corleone is Johnny's godfather. To the Italian people that a very religious, sacred, close relationship."
Yes. That's nearly a direct quote from the book. He then says, "Italians have a little joke that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, and that's why they have god-fathers. Since Johnny's father died, Mr. Corleone feels his responsibility even more deeply. As for trying you again, Mr. Corleone is much too sensitive. He never asks a second favor where he has been refused the first."
In the conversation that follows, it becomes apparent that the real reason Woltz invited him to dinner was that he thought he could pay off the Corleones and not suffer the union troubles Tom had threatened him with on Johnny's behalf. And it also turns out that Woltz's real grudge against Johnny is that he ruined one of Woltz's most valuable proteges, a girl who Woltz says "was the greatest piece of ass I've ever had and I've had them all over the world." (Yep, that hilarious line is directly from the book. Thank you, Mario Puzo.)
Hagen then lays another story on Woltz, about how Vito held the infant Johnny in his arms when he was baptized, and that Vito "never lets his friends down."
Woltz gets angry and threatens the Corleones. And Tom thinks --
The stupid, stupid son of a bitch. How the hell did he get to be a pezzonovante, Hagen wondered. Advisor to the President, head of the biggest movie studio in the world. Definitely the Don should get into the movie business. And the guy was taking his words at their sentimental face value. He was not getting the message. [emphasis mine]
Now, I don't think you're stupid, and I don't think you're a son of a bitch. But you are making the same mistake Woltz made. You're taking "godfather," "godson," et cetera way too literally. Fortunately you're in little danger of having a horse's head planted in your bed.
Maybe I can make the point with two more quotes from the novel.
In that meeting with Bonasera, Vito doesn't say "accept this justice as a gift on my daughter's wedding day." He says, "consider this justice a gift from my wife, your daughter's godmother."
His daughter's godmother -- with a lowercase "g." That's the religious relationship you're talking about. She stood with the parents and bore witness to the girl's baptism and promised to help in the girl's spiritual education. (And she probably had been praying with the girl many times since the assault.) The same thing Michael later did with Connie and Carlo's infant son, Michael Francis Rizzi. Standing with him at his baptism, and presumably taking responsibility along with Connie and Carlo for his religious upbringing. He was the baby's godfather. Did that make him the baby's Godfather? No. A baby does not have the capacity to consent to that relationship.
In the meeting with Woltz, Hagen tells him, "indeed, [Vito Corleone] is called 'Godfather' by many, many people who wish to show their respect and gratitude for the help he has given them."
Godfather -- capitalized. A title. And Vito was not at most of their baptisms, and we're not talking about relationships that were formed under the auspices of the church with its blessing.
What does it take to have Vito as your Godfather? Again, fealty. In the novel, after Bonasera offers to pay him, Vito asks, "Why do you fear to give your first allegiance to me?"
Here's a point to ponder. Bonasera feared being indebted to Vito. He "didn't want to get into trouble." But if the Godfather and godparent relationships were as intertwined as you seem to think they are, why would Bonasera have ever consented to Carmela being his daughter's godmother at all?
So yes, they're two very different things. Carmela Corleone is the girl's godmother. Vito Corleone is Johnny's Godfather. He's probably godfather to some people too, but just because it's the same word doesn't mean it's the same thing. A "jack" can be a flag, like the "Union Jack," or it can be a device to lift a car for service, but that doesn't mean that when you get a flat tire you can pull Old Glory from the flagpole and put on your spare tire with it. Clemenza and Tessio both call Vito "Godfather" and he sure wasn't at their baptisms, they were all grown men when they met.
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