In This Instance, It Is The Unavoidable Flaws In The Characteristics Of These

In this instance, it is the unavoidable flaws in the characteristics of these men that escalate into bloody violence, and this is a theme which is continued throughout more often that not, it is the characters inability to avoid their own greed or their own machismo which leads to their downfall. The young waiter thinks Tommy is too big for his boots, and can't help but keep adding a little smart line under his breath, even though he knows he is pushing it with a dangerous man. In the same way as Tommy, he refuses to let someone steal whatever level of dominance and respect he may have, however little, even if it increases the threat of injury, or even death. Likewise Tommy's downfall comes in his inability to get comfortable in his station, to tone down his tough-little-guy, bull-in-a-china-shop persona, until he finally realises his mistake with a quiet Oh no as he heads off not to become a made-man, but to be shot in the head. It is this terminal ambition, this tendency to always want more more power, more money, more cocaine, more respect which instigates the violence.
So then we can see not just in Goodfellas but throughout Scorsese's work, there exists tempered a consideration of the repellent nature of violent crime tangled up in a close study of character, and the forces that drive these criminals to their acts of criminality. For all its set pieces and murders, the most memorable aspect of Goodfellas is the way in which the flaws in these characters personalities and the overtly masculine posturing nature of their world always instigate and escalate the violence, and ultimately bring about their own downfall Tommy's slaying of a made man is brought on by the man's big mouth and his desire to have the last word, as well as Tommy's indignation at someone trying to confirm his seniority over him. Like many of the scenes in the film, it starts off banal and escalates through both characters' inability to calm the situation until one of them is dead. At the heart of this is Tommy's dissatisfaction with his status he has some respect, but he wants more. Likewise Jimmy has some power and a big share of their Lufthansa cash, but he wants more. Henry and Karen want more cocaine, more time, a more casual lifestyle. Scorsese seems to be suggesting that crime does pay, just not enough.