A lot of The Departed centers on the single neighborhood of Southie, where the community is really Irish and really tight. And by tight, we mean that a dude named Frank Costello pretty much runs the whole place like a king. Some people can hardly do anything without this guy's permission.
The tightness of the Southie community is exactly why Queenan thinks he can use Billy Costigan to get to Frank: Billy's family has been involved in Southie crime for generations. The strange thing about all of this is that Frank actually has a bit of an honor code when it comes to his community. He gives to the Church, and he tries to talk Billy out of a life of crime. But at the end of the day, he's also a cold-blooded murderer who will do whatever it takes to protect his criminal empire.
Questions about Community
- Which character has the strongest connection to Southie and why?
- How do Frank Costello and Captain Queenan know each other? What does it say about their neighborhood?
- What is it about Billy's community background that makes Queenan think he'd be a good undercover cop?
- Why do you think Billy's dad went against his criminal community to avoid a life of crime? How well did it work out for him?
Chew on This
In The Departed, we learn that community can often transcend the law.
The Departed reminds us that community doesn't mean much, because in this world, it's every man for himself.