An offer you can't refuse...

I always loved the last scene of The Godfather. Rocco Lampone paying his respects to Michael Corleone, while Pete Clemenza kisses Michael’s hand and refers to him as “Don Corleone.” The camera then focuses on Michael’s wife, Kay and her staring in the room across and the door closing in front of her. Earlier in the film, Michael assured Kay that he would never enter the mafia family business that his father, Vito, heads. Later on, an assassination attempt on Vito forces Michael to take charge, transforming him into a person a never wanted to become. Before, Michael was the only son in the family who went to college and become a war-decorated hero. Now, he is the head of an organization that is involved in illegal activities. Does Michael reinvent himself in a positive light? No not really. You can almost say that he has achieved “the American Dream.” Michael worked hard to make sure his family didn’t fall apart when his father was unable to perform his duty as the Don. He promised that when his family was on hard times that under his reign, it would take just five years for the Corleone family to be on top again. He is a perfect example of the contrasting ideas that presents itself in Bharati Mukherjee’s Jasmine. Through hard work and dedication, one can achieve their goals and dreams. Although this may seem great, one can lose his or her cultural identity. So the question is it better to reinvent yourself by gaining new identities or do should you go after the American Dream? I believe that the character in Jasmine has continued to reinvent herself throughout the novel.

While most people would move on to what would seem like bigger and better things, Jane, the main character’s name at the time, thinks “dullness is a kind of luxury.” (page 6) Her first husband, Taylor, thought she was crazy when she wanted to leave New York to live in Iowa. Typically, the idea is that usually one leaves a small town and move to a big city such as New York in order to live the American Dream. Jane however would rather live in a small town. She finds familiarity in the atmosphere between Iowa and where she grew up. She’s much more comfortable in the farmers that are “modest people, never boastful, tactful and courtly in their way.” (page 11)

Jane further gains insight about herself during a meeting with her orphan son’s teacher, Mr. Skola. He mentions that Du is a quick study in that he is getting more comfortable being an American. Mr. Skola then goes on to say that he tried to speak a little Vietnamese to Du and he just froze up. Being offended by what was just told to her, Jane states “There are no harmless, compassionate ways to remake oneself. We murder who we were so we can rebirth ourselves in the images of dreams.” (page 29) it’s the allure of the American Dream that pulls us in. The riches and the glamour. To reach that, it seems as though we must destroy the essence of what makes us whole in order to gain that dream. Jane asks why can’t there be another way to reinvent ourselves. Why must we go through pain and strife before we rebirth ourselves.

In the end, Michael Corleone did lose sight of the exact reason why his father did not want him to be in the family business. Vito felt that through all the evil that his organization conducts on a day to day basis, Michael was that one good and pure element in his life. This business can destroy anyone’s character. Michael was unfortunate to see that he was slowly becoming like Vito and lost his identity. Jane realizes that the American Dream isn’t what its shaped up to be and rather would be just called ‘Plain Jane’.