Text Review – The Sopranos

I would like to analyze the television series The Sopranos. This fictional, crime-drama series aired in the early 2000s.  The show revolved around a New Jersey crime, Italian American family, the Sopranos. A difference in power between genders as well as, mental health and how it intersects with masculinity, are two themes that are explored in this series. How traditional Italian beliefs are portrayed surrounding the issues of mental health and gender roles, give us a small insight to a differing cultural viewpoint than what we see today in the modern world.

At the beginning of the series Tony Soprano, the main character, starts to experience panic attacks as he starts to take on a more respected role in the mafia. These episodes force him to attend therapy in which he meets Dr. Jennifer Melfi. This Dr. Melfi was extremely influential in helping Tony realize his panic attacks may be a result of genetics, passed down from his father, a previously deceased mafia boss. Additionally, Tony comes to understand that he also suffers from anxiety and depression. These mental health issues do not align with what a “violent, Italian, mafia boss” is thought to be thus, makes Tony question his identity. Furthermore, mental health issues held more of a stigma in the early 2000s as well as, among traditional Italian men. Those dealing with mental health issues are seen as Other in this film and are invalidated. Although his depression and anxiety were due to genetics and obviously no fault of his o

wn, the negative stigma affected the respect given by Tony’s crew. When a rival boss found out Tony was going to see a “shrink,” word gets around, and people question his leadership abilities. Masculinity being challenged is a major themein The Sopranos. In order to regain superiority and dominance among his men, Tony exaggerates his masculinity by having affairs with various women and demonstrating extreme violence in front of his crew.In the show, infidelity with a “goomah” (mistress) is almost seen as a rite of passage when holding a position in the mafia. Wives are aware of their husbands cheating habits, however, treat it as a mafia cultural norm, and ignore it. The wives, however, could never exhibit such behavior therefore we see an unequal balance of power between the genders.

 

 

 

One thought on “Text Review – The Sopranos

  1. Great review of “The Sopranos”! I recently started watching the series and I’m completely hooked by its deep character development. Balancing my binge-watching with academic responsibilities can be tough, so occasionally I’ve had to turn to https://phdify.com/ just to keep up with my phd. Thanks one more time for your analysis regarding Tony’s complicated personality.

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