The Narative Structure of the Goodfellas - 1177 Words

Goodfellas narrative structure creates an argument parallel to the proceedings in Platos Republic, Book II Book IX, in which audience members are asked to re-evaluate their own facility toward filmic influences by first idolizing and then reprimanding the tyrannical man. Martin Scorsese makes the gangster life, or the life of an unjust man, seem easy and preferable through his use of romantic elements in his film. His unjust man, Henry Hill, is protected from every angle from the law by way of his position in the mob, and thus is free from punishment. However, when the narrative form of the film switches, it is revealed that Henry is not protected from his own self-indulgence and that his life is much worse than that of a just individual – a man free of harsh personal burdens. Martin Scorsese makes the concept of the Ring of Gyges obtainable for his protagonist Henry Hill, and for his audience, through alluring narrative and filmic elements. In Goodfellas, protagonist Henry Hill is given freedom from the law, freedom from punishment, and is allowed to exploit every corner of his desires. He is given power, protection, and prestige by his fellow mobsters and in his narration claims that he is â€Å"better than the suckers in the well†. In Henrys narration he is constantly ambiguous in the face of adversity. For example, when Henry describes how his father beat him when he was younger, he simply explains â€Å"The way I saw it, everybody has to take a beating sometime.† Moments