How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Goodfellas.
Quote #7
KAREN'S MOM: What kind of people are these?
KAREN: Ma, what do you want me to do?
KAREN'S MOM: Do? What can you do? He's not Jewish. Did you know how these people live? Did you know what they were like? Your father never stayed out all night without calling.
KAREN: Stay out? Daddy never went out at all, Ma! Keep out of it! You don't know how I feel!
KAREN'S MOM: Feel? How do you feel now? You don't know where he is. You don't know who he's with.
While Karen is up to her earlobes in denial about Henry's shady dealings, Karen's mom sure isn't. Her manner may be brusque, but she's just worried about her baby girl.
Quote #8
KAREN: After a while, it got to be all normal. None of it seemed like crime. It was more like Henry was enterprising, and that he and the guys were making a few bucks hustling, while the other guys were sitting on their asses, waiting for handouts. Our husbands weren't brain surgeons; they were blue-collar guys. The only way they could make extra money, real extra money, was to go out and cut a few corners.
Listen, Karen. It may not have seemed like crime, but you can bet your closet full of polyester jumpsuits that it sure as heck was. As the money pours in, Karen has less and less trouble with Henry's line of work and more and more willingness to rationalize the bad behavior away.
Quote #9
TOMMY'S MOM: Why don't you get yourself a nice girl?
TOMMY: I get a nice one almost every night, Ma.
TOMMY'S MOM: Yeah, but get yourself a girl so you can settle down.
TOMMY: I settle down almost every night, but then in the morning, I'm free. I love you! I wanna be with you!
The mob's morals aren't just loose when it comes to crime. As this exchange shows, they're also pretty wobbly when it comes to relationships and commitment.