Michael Corleone, the third son of Don Vito Corleone, is the protagonist of The Godfather. Initially, he is described as “handsome in a delicate way” (11), with features characteristic of the other Corleones but finer. At the beginning of the novel, he is attending Dartmouth College after being discharged from the Marines. He has escaped the family business and defied his father, first by enlisting, despite his father’s attempts to keep him out of the war, and later by enrolling in college rather than returning home after the war. He fought in the Pacific and won medals, attaining the rank of Captain. Michael is smart, thoughtful, and the most like his father of any of the sons. He was considered to be the heir to the Corleone family business before he enlisted. Now that he has returned, Michael is an outsider. Michael is also dating Kay Adams, a Baptist student he met at college who is the opposite of the Sicilian girls he is expected to marry.

Michael’s turning point comes when he goes to visit his father in the hospital and finds him unguarded and vulnerable. He goes against Sonny’s instructions and develops his own plan to ensure the Don’s safety.