. . . Vito . . . didnt want the life he was living for his children . . . Vito's failure to keep his sons out of the business could be seen as a failure.
What do you guys think?
It appears to me that the only male child who Vito wanted to keep "out" of the business was Michael. He sent him off to college to try and provide a "legitimate" life for him. Other than Tom, it doesn't appear that Sonny nor Fredo had a formal education. Nor does it appear that Vito had any type of formal education at all. When Tom broke the news to a recovering (gunshot victim) Vito that it was Mike who had gunned down the Police Captain, Vito appeared to be very sad and resigned to the fact he had failed to protect Michael from the "business."
I dont think that was the issue because i'm sure Vito wanted a better life for all his children before they chose to follow his path. I'm sure as a father Vito failed as he couldnt put his sons on the right path, to a certain extent it was Vitos fault as he influenecd his sons greatly and is the major reasons why they chose the path they did. So as a father he failed.
Vito always favored Michael more than anyone. The scene in Pt II, right after Vito murdered Fanucci, when he came back to his family, he picked up Michael from his wife, not Fredo. He kept telling Michael he loved him very much . . . very much. That sent the signal to me that Michael was special to Vito and he had "special plans" for Michael. Even Tom admitted as much to Michael at the dinner table when he said that he and Vito had discussed Michael's future. College had been part of the plan, but Michel disappointed everyone by dropping out and joining the Marines.
