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In the Godfather trilogy, men separate themselves and their violence from the innocent world of women, but Tom occupies a middle ground. He is a central figure in family business dealings, but he is kept in the dark about many other matters. Told repeatedly that he is not a “wartime consigliere,” Tom is never asked to get his hands dirty. Although it appears that he is responsible for the horse’s head in Woltz’s bed in Godfather 1, deleted scenes indicate that the thug Luca Brazi did the severing. At times, Tom’s lack of involvement may appear strategic, enabling him to remind people that he is “just a lawyer” and allowing Michael to name him interim Godfather in The Godfather Part II. But Tom is naturally meek and cautious, qualities associated with women throughout the trilogy—though Connie’s aggressive behavior in Part III challenges this notion. Tom’s ambiguous position in the Corleone crime family mirrors his ambiguous position in the actual Corleone family. Though a valued son, he is not a blood relative and not an Italian. He is aware of his tenuous position and is constantly looking for acceptance from his brothers, particularly Michael. Like Michael, Tom is a perpetual outsider, but he is an outsider of a different sort.
