Originally posted by Sicilian Babe:
I always felt that Tom was blamed for Sonny's death without merit. When Sonny rushed out of the house after Connie's phone call, Tom tried to stop him. He chased after him, sent bodyguards after him, yet he was blamed for Sonny spinning out of control. ...
I don't really recall either in the film or book ANYONE blaming Tom for Sonny's death. Other than Tom himself, that is...and completely
with merit.
While he did all he could in the immediate moments leading to the hit, Tom's fault is strictly long term. The passage in the novel goes over this wonderfully. He did not anticipate what a 'wartime consigliere' might have surely seen coming. Under the guidance of someone similar to Genco...Sonny would probably not have even been allowed to leave the house.
I also remember reading that Don Vito never mentions it to Tom, never lays blame on him for Sonny's death. Nothing is ever mentioned. However, it's there...and Tom knows it's there and he has to live with that.
He didn't set the trap, he didn't pull the trigger. He wasn't even to blame '... for Sonny spinning out of control...'. But in the world of the Corleone Empire, he was indeed at least partially responsible for Sonny's death on the Causeway.
Apple
