Tony v. "Pussy"

Tony Soprano is always searching for the explanations behind actions that occur. Most of the time, Tony’s attributions stem from external factors. His attributions deeply affect his emotions and motivation, sometimes causing him to dive into a severe depression where he cannot leave his bed. One of the most clear examples of the attribution theory at play throughout The Sopranos is at the end of season 2 when Tony realizes he has to kill Salvatore “Pussy” Bonpensiero. “Pussy” is one of Tony’s closest/oldest friends and one of his best “made” men. At the beginning of season 2, Pussy gets caught by the FBI for selling heroin. Instead of going to jail, Pussy “flips,” he becomes an informant. Throughout season 2, Tony is suspicious and begins to distrust him. Tony has a series of moments when he realizes what Pussy has done, but a dream confirms it for him. Tony is in so much disbelief because of his relationship and feelings for Pussy. Pussy comes to Tony in a dream and reveals the truth, that he has been an FBI informant for months, who has been spilling crucial facts to the FBI. Tony knows what he has to do, but he does not want to kill him off. This conflict eats Tony up from the inside, causing emotional turmoil through anger, despair, and betrayal. 

    The attribution process for Tony in this situation is as follows. The locus point is that he feels internally betrayed, Tony feels weak because he feels like he was not a strong enough boss to stop Pussy from flipping. He also feels external betrayal because he cannot comprehend why Pussy would do that to him instead of talking to him and figuring out a solution. This makes Tony extremely angry and resentful. His anger acts as a motivational reason and solidifies this choice to kill Pussy. This event is stable, leading him to feel hopeless because there is nothing that he can do now. Tony wants to end it as soon as possible. He now knows there is nothing that he can do to change the situation, so Tony acts fast. He wants to get this over with so that he can stop feeling the anxiety and guilt. Tony believes that Pussy does have the control over his actions, making him even more angry about the situation. Pussy did have a choice, but he took the easy way out and went against the code that their lives are ruled by “omerta.” All of these attributional factors confirm what Tony doesn't want to do, but his emotions spark his motivation. 

              Tony faces many short term repercussions, as he never fully recovers after executing Pussy’s murder. His dreams and guilt cause him to spiral. His panic attacks worsen and he becomes more fearful of everyone around him. This affects his long-term emotions and motivations. This serves as an extreme turning point in the show, as Tony becomes more vengeful, vigilant, and violent.