Well... I don't think they're all self-imposed. Yes, Fredo can change some things about himself BUT what he can't change is his I.Q. (that's pretty much set at a young age; it may be possible to gain a few points through study and such, but not significantly); nor can he change what OTHER PEOPLE think of him or how they behave toward him.

I think all of us would naturally feel some resentment or hurt if we weren't accepted for who we are -- for our inherent personalities. Also, sibling rivalry is a common phenomenon, but I don't think a good parent or relative would tell one of the children to change or "to be more like your sister/brother" in order to gain respect. That's a sure way to endanger self-worth, and I think that's what happened to Fredo.

Fredo had several qualities that would have otherwise been valued in the civilized ("non-mafia") world: he was good-hearted (as Michael indicated to Tom), he was unpretentious, he was guileless, he was amicable. But in the criminal milieu in which he was raised, these qualities were deemed worthless; indeed, they were weakenesses.

And his own family didn't bother to hide this from him. We never saw Vito sit down with Fredo and explain why the change of power was being handled as it was. Instead, Michael goes to Las Vegas -- Fredo's area of specialty -- and proposes to buy out Moe Green as part of the future strategy for the family business, all while keeping Fredo completely in the dark until that very moment. In GF2, when Fredo finally blurts out the pent up miseries that caused him to work with Ola and Roth, Michael doesn't hear a word he says. All he focuses on is the betrayal, and immediately makes plans for Fredo's death.

I certainly agree, SB, with your insight that Connie and Fredo (especially Fredo) had unresolved anger toward Vito. But I also think that Michael earned their anger on his own merits. Where Vito said of Connie and Carlo, "Don't interfere" (when actually his interference may have helped), Michael interferes in the extreme, telling Connie who she should (or shouldn't) marry and intimating that he'll cut the purse strings if she doesn't do as he says. Likewise, when Deanna behaves drunkenly at the Tahoe party, Michael certainly doesn't strengthen Fredo's ego by sending Rocco over with an ultimatum (that begins, notably, with the words "Michael says...").

... But then again, examples like the above are probably what you meant when you said that Michael doesn't act like their father would .

Well, SB, the points you brought up have really got me thinking about Fredo and Vito, and I think I'm inspired to start a new thread about their relationship. There's lots of material there to discuss; this was just my "two cents."