SlideShare uma empresa Scribd logo
1 de 4
Baixar para ler offline
Kane’s Loveless Wealth<br />By:<br />Peter Derks<br />March 24, 2010<br />Mr. Kabachia<br />Humanities 30-1<br />The movie Citizen Kane, explores the life and ideals of a wealthy man as he progresses through his life as a businessmen. The protagonist in the film is Charles Foster Kane, his appetite for wealth and possessions results in a loss of true love and a materialistic perception of life. The plot of the film revolves around a young reporter attempting to find the meaning of Kane’s final word: “Rosebud”. Rosebud represents his childhood, and the love he felt, which he could never find in his later years. Struggle is inquired when he attempts to restore honour and certainty by marrying Susan Alexander and pursuing his future in the newspaper industry, which leads to misery and depression. <br />Susan Alexander was Charles Foster Kane’s second wife and illustrates a metaphor for a second chance at find a marriage based upon love instead of material goods. Kane’s first marriage ended when Emily (his first wife) was told Kane was in a relationship with Susan. Prior to meeting Susan, Kane was searching for his childhood and ironically found Susan instead of a sleigh from his young, named Rosebud. The irony created upon meeting Susan is a result of the materialistic marriage, which Kane created by purchasing statues and find goods for Susan and him.  The relationship began when Kane was able to give Susan laughter, and for the first time since his childhood, Kane had given an object without it having a measurable value.    However, the marriage quickly spirals downward, when Kane build her an opera house to eliminate the sarcasm when Susan is referred to as a singer, thus making her an investment and not his cherished wife. Susan explains a rendition of the term “money can’t buy happiness”, by stating to Kane; “sure you can have anything...but you [have to] love me”. The statement is another ironic attack at Kane, because he has everything and the only possession he does not have, at this point in the play, is love.  His perception of Susan as an investment causes him to become detached from her and results in the construction of the Xanadu. When attempting to repair the honour and certainty in his marriage, it produces an outburst from Susan where she states “I never loved you!” Kane dies a lonely man because his mother taught him that love requires wealth and power, when she gave her away as a ward to Thatcher and Co.. Charles is seen as a tragic hero because he faces insurmountable odds, how can one love anything if he does not know what love is. Another aspect of his struggle is how he fails incredibly, because he never finds Rosebud and can never find love.<br />Charles Foster Kane’s marriage is not the only flaw in his attempt to restore honour and certainty, but also his career and his relation to society and fellow writers. Kane wanted to be a representative of the workers, underprivileged and society, when he purchased a small newspaper company. He wanted to become a man of the people; his rushed political career is an example of his attempt to present himself to the world. Kane wished to give the people what they wanted, through his newspaper and speeches. Just like with Susan, this resulted in making his fellow writers and society into a possession. By practicing his ability to state his opinion and ideals in his editorials, he transforms people into objects, which he can invest in. His goals for his career as a writer where much too broad and general, the details of his personal life were over-looked, such as his marriage to Emily. His entire career can be summarized as a scale. When he first purchased the newspaper company, his life was in balance between work and society. However, as his life goes on and he gets married to Emily, the film illustrates their loss of communication through a diminishment in their tone towards each other and a decline in their presence to one another. Work takes precedence and his marriage becomes a heavier and heavier burden, thus tipping the scale. Struggle is inquired because he strains to hold the scale in place, resulting in a deficit in the honour and certainty of his life. Examples when the load on one side of the scale becomes too heavy are when he purchases the opera house (making Susan an investment) and as his small newspaper company flourishes into a massive enterprise. At the end of his life when he lying on his deathbed, he no longer has a wife, no true friend and is isolated with his work in the confines of the Xanadu; the scale bottoms out and he dies a tragic, lonely death.<br />In Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane tragically fails in an attempt to restore honour and certainty. Throughout his career and marriage with Susan he is unable to find love in his life. In the case of Susan, his materialistic perception of her results in a loveless marriage and a lonely death. Through his career he aspires to balance his work with his marriage and results in meaningless wealth. If “[Kane] hadn’t been so rich, [he] might have been a great man”, and had a life filled with love like the people he tried to spoil with possessions and wealth.<br />
Critical Analytical Response
Critical Analytical Response
Critical Analytical Response

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

The Return of the Native Presented by Monir Hossen
The Return of the Native Presented by Monir Hossen The Return of the Native Presented by Monir Hossen
The Return of the Native Presented by Monir Hossen Monir Hossen
 
Jane%20 austin[1] powerpoint
Jane%20 austin[1] powerpointJane%20 austin[1] powerpoint
Jane%20 austin[1] powerpointmstone87110
 
Pride and Prejudice: Context
Pride and Prejudice: ContextPride and Prejudice: Context
Pride and Prejudice: ContextEmma Sinclair
 
A Formalist Criticism: The Lottery
A Formalist Criticism: The LotteryA Formalist Criticism: The Lottery
A Formalist Criticism: The LotteryJewel Vanilli Punay
 
Adaptation of Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas Hardy
Adaptation of Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas HardyAdaptation of Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas Hardy
Adaptation of Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas HardyPrateek Singhal
 
Jane Austen’S Biography
Jane Austen’S BiographyJane Austen’S Biography
Jane Austen’S BiographyLetra Essencia
 
Wives and Daughters
Wives and DaughtersWives and Daughters
Wives and DaughtersSarah Law
 
Character analysis in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen by Husai...
Character analysis in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen by Husai...Character analysis in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen by Husai...
Character analysis in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen by Husai...Husain Necklace
 
Pride and prejudice one pager (2)
Pride and prejudice one pager (2)Pride and prejudice one pager (2)
Pride and prejudice one pager (2)guest133bbd
 
The mayor of_casterbridge
The mayor of_casterbridgeThe mayor of_casterbridge
The mayor of_casterbridgekevinois
 
Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen Monir Hossen
 

Mais procurados (20)

The Return of the Native Presented by Monir Hossen
The Return of the Native Presented by Monir Hossen The Return of the Native Presented by Monir Hossen
The Return of the Native Presented by Monir Hossen
 
A Doll's House
A Doll's HouseA Doll's House
A Doll's House
 
Jane%20 austin[1] powerpoint
Jane%20 austin[1] powerpointJane%20 austin[1] powerpoint
Jane%20 austin[1] powerpoint
 
Pride and Prejudice: Context
Pride and Prejudice: ContextPride and Prejudice: Context
Pride and Prejudice: Context
 
Pride and prejudice
Pride and prejudicePride and prejudice
Pride and prejudice
 
An ideal husband
An ideal husbandAn ideal husband
An ideal husband
 
A Formalist Criticism: The Lottery
A Formalist Criticism: The LotteryA Formalist Criticism: The Lottery
A Formalist Criticism: The Lottery
 
Adaptation of Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas Hardy
Adaptation of Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas HardyAdaptation of Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas Hardy
Adaptation of Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas Hardy
 
Th Mayor Of Casterbridge
Th Mayor Of CasterbridgeTh Mayor Of Casterbridge
Th Mayor Of Casterbridge
 
Jane Austen
Jane AustenJane Austen
Jane Austen
 
Jane Austen’S Biography
Jane Austen’S BiographyJane Austen’S Biography
Jane Austen’S Biography
 
Wives and Daughters
Wives and DaughtersWives and Daughters
Wives and Daughters
 
A doll’s house 1a
A doll’s house 1aA doll’s house 1a
A doll’s house 1a
 
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen's Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
 
Character analysis in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen by Husai...
Character analysis in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen by Husai...Character analysis in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen by Husai...
Character analysis in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen by Husai...
 
Pride and prejudice one pager (2)
Pride and prejudice one pager (2)Pride and prejudice one pager (2)
Pride and prejudice one pager (2)
 
Teacher's guide - Jane Austen
Teacher's guide - Jane AustenTeacher's guide - Jane Austen
Teacher's guide - Jane Austen
 
Jane Austen - Emma
Jane Austen - EmmaJane Austen - Emma
Jane Austen - Emma
 
The mayor of_casterbridge
The mayor of_casterbridgeThe mayor of_casterbridge
The mayor of_casterbridge
 
Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen
 

Semelhante a Critical Analytical Response

Critical Analytical Essay
Critical Analytical EssayCritical Analytical Essay
Critical Analytical EssayKendra Horvath
 
Narcissism In The Rosebud
Narcissism In The RosebudNarcissism In The Rosebud
Narcissism In The RosebudPamela Wright
 
Emma And Dexter Character Analysis
Emma And Dexter Character AnalysisEmma And Dexter Character Analysis
Emma And Dexter Character AnalysisLisa Netkowicz
 
Citizen Kane Symbolism
Citizen Kane SymbolismCitizen Kane Symbolism
Citizen Kane SymbolismJoy Smith
 
Pride And Prejudice Flaws
Pride And Prejudice FlawsPride And Prejudice Flaws
Pride And Prejudice FlawsAngie Love
 
Emma, Pride And Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense And...
Emma, Pride And Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense And...Emma, Pride And Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense And...
Emma, Pride And Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense And...Natalie Parnell
 
Rosebud Film Analysis
Rosebud Film AnalysisRosebud Film Analysis
Rosebud Film AnalysisMonica Turner
 
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies
Pride And Prejudice And ZombiesPride And Prejudice And Zombies
Pride And Prejudice And ZombiesPamela Wright
 
Jane Austen Persuasion
Jane Austen PersuasionJane Austen Persuasion
Jane Austen PersuasionNina Vazquez
 
Characteristics Of My Friend
Characteristics Of My FriendCharacteristics Of My Friend
Characteristics Of My FriendHeather Dionne
 
Compare And Contrast Frankenstein And Pride And Prejudice
Compare And Contrast Frankenstein And Pride And PrejudiceCompare And Contrast Frankenstein And Pride And Prejudice
Compare And Contrast Frankenstein And Pride And PrejudiceRebecca Rogers
 
Military Flashbacks Case Study
Military Flashbacks Case StudyMilitary Flashbacks Case Study
Military Flashbacks Case StudyTracy Jimenez
 
Mayor Of Casterbridge Narcissistic Characteristics
Mayor Of Casterbridge Narcissistic CharacteristicsMayor Of Casterbridge Narcissistic Characteristics
Mayor Of Casterbridge Narcissistic CharacteristicsErin Moore
 

Semelhante a Critical Analytical Response (20)

Critical Analytical Essay
Critical Analytical EssayCritical Analytical Essay
Critical Analytical Essay
 
Narcissism In The Rosebud
Narcissism In The RosebudNarcissism In The Rosebud
Narcissism In The Rosebud
 
Pride And Prejudice Essay Prompts
Pride And Prejudice Essay PromptsPride And Prejudice Essay Prompts
Pride And Prejudice Essay Prompts
 
Character Sketch Essay Example
Character Sketch Essay ExampleCharacter Sketch Essay Example
Character Sketch Essay Example
 
Emma And Dexter Character Analysis
Emma And Dexter Character AnalysisEmma And Dexter Character Analysis
Emma And Dexter Character Analysis
 
Citizen Kane Symbolism
Citizen Kane SymbolismCitizen Kane Symbolism
Citizen Kane Symbolism
 
Bread Earner Research Paper
Bread Earner Research PaperBread Earner Research Paper
Bread Earner Research Paper
 
Pride And Prejudice Flaws
Pride And Prejudice FlawsPride And Prejudice Flaws
Pride And Prejudice Flaws
 
Emma, Pride And Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense And...
Emma, Pride And Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense And...Emma, Pride And Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense And...
Emma, Pride And Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense And...
 
Critical Essay On Pride And Prejudice
Critical Essay On Pride And PrejudiceCritical Essay On Pride And Prejudice
Critical Essay On Pride And Prejudice
 
Scarlett Letter Essay
Scarlett Letter EssayScarlett Letter Essay
Scarlett Letter Essay
 
Rosebud Film Analysis
Rosebud Film AnalysisRosebud Film Analysis
Rosebud Film Analysis
 
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies
Pride And Prejudice And ZombiesPride And Prejudice And Zombies
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies
 
Jane Austen Persuasion
Jane Austen PersuasionJane Austen Persuasion
Jane Austen Persuasion
 
Characteristics Of My Friend
Characteristics Of My FriendCharacteristics Of My Friend
Characteristics Of My Friend
 
Sula And Nel Essay
Sula And Nel EssaySula And Nel Essay
Sula And Nel Essay
 
Compare And Contrast Frankenstein And Pride And Prejudice
Compare And Contrast Frankenstein And Pride And PrejudiceCompare And Contrast Frankenstein And Pride And Prejudice
Compare And Contrast Frankenstein And Pride And Prejudice
 
Military Flashbacks Case Study
Military Flashbacks Case StudyMilitary Flashbacks Case Study
Military Flashbacks Case Study
 
Jane Austen Essay Introduction
Jane Austen Essay IntroductionJane Austen Essay Introduction
Jane Austen Essay Introduction
 
Mayor Of Casterbridge Narcissistic Characteristics
Mayor Of Casterbridge Narcissistic CharacteristicsMayor Of Casterbridge Narcissistic Characteristics
Mayor Of Casterbridge Narcissistic Characteristics
 

Mais de U of A Mec E Student (20)

Derks peter paper_mec_e200
Derks peter paper_mec_e200Derks peter paper_mec_e200
Derks peter paper_mec_e200
 
Political economic thinkers
Political   economic thinkersPolitical   economic thinkers
Political economic thinkers
 
Team assesment avery peter jeremy
Team assesment avery peter jeremyTeam assesment avery peter jeremy
Team assesment avery peter jeremy
 
Liberalism change
Liberalism changeLiberalism change
Liberalism change
 
Beliefs and values
Beliefs and valuesBeliefs and values
Beliefs and values
 
Resistance to liberlaism
Resistance to liberlaismResistance to liberlaism
Resistance to liberlaism
 
Position paper
Position paperPosition paper
Position paper
 
Neccessities of Modern Liberalism
Neccessities of Modern LiberalismNeccessities of Modern Liberalism
Neccessities of Modern Liberalism
 
Asia 2.0
Asia 2.0Asia 2.0
Asia 2.0
 
Resistance to liberlaism
Resistance to liberlaismResistance to liberlaism
Resistance to liberlaism
 
Source analysis
Source analysisSource analysis
Source analysis
 
Position paper
Position paperPosition paper
Position paper
 
Government involvement is often criticized in a democratic government that ho...
Government involvement is often criticized in a democratic government that ho...Government involvement is often criticized in a democratic government that ho...
Government involvement is often criticized in a democratic government that ho...
 
Liberal connections
Liberal connectionsLiberal connections
Liberal connections
 
To Be A Paladin
To Be A PaladinTo Be A Paladin
To Be A Paladin
 
Vocab 3
Vocab 3Vocab 3
Vocab 3
 
Wrath Of The Machine
Wrath Of The MachineWrath Of The Machine
Wrath Of The Machine
 
Wrath Of The Machine
Wrath Of The MachineWrath Of The Machine
Wrath Of The Machine
 
Wrath Of The Machine
Wrath Of The MachineWrath Of The Machine
Wrath Of The Machine
 
Wrath Of The Machine
Wrath Of The MachineWrath Of The Machine
Wrath Of The Machine
 

Critical Analytical Response

  • 1. Kane’s Loveless Wealth<br />By:<br />Peter Derks<br />March 24, 2010<br />Mr. Kabachia<br />Humanities 30-1<br />The movie Citizen Kane, explores the life and ideals of a wealthy man as he progresses through his life as a businessmen. The protagonist in the film is Charles Foster Kane, his appetite for wealth and possessions results in a loss of true love and a materialistic perception of life. The plot of the film revolves around a young reporter attempting to find the meaning of Kane’s final word: “Rosebud”. Rosebud represents his childhood, and the love he felt, which he could never find in his later years. Struggle is inquired when he attempts to restore honour and certainty by marrying Susan Alexander and pursuing his future in the newspaper industry, which leads to misery and depression. <br />Susan Alexander was Charles Foster Kane’s second wife and illustrates a metaphor for a second chance at find a marriage based upon love instead of material goods. Kane’s first marriage ended when Emily (his first wife) was told Kane was in a relationship with Susan. Prior to meeting Susan, Kane was searching for his childhood and ironically found Susan instead of a sleigh from his young, named Rosebud. The irony created upon meeting Susan is a result of the materialistic marriage, which Kane created by purchasing statues and find goods for Susan and him. The relationship began when Kane was able to give Susan laughter, and for the first time since his childhood, Kane had given an object without it having a measurable value. However, the marriage quickly spirals downward, when Kane build her an opera house to eliminate the sarcasm when Susan is referred to as a singer, thus making her an investment and not his cherished wife. Susan explains a rendition of the term “money can’t buy happiness”, by stating to Kane; “sure you can have anything...but you [have to] love me”. The statement is another ironic attack at Kane, because he has everything and the only possession he does not have, at this point in the play, is love. His perception of Susan as an investment causes him to become detached from her and results in the construction of the Xanadu. When attempting to repair the honour and certainty in his marriage, it produces an outburst from Susan where she states “I never loved you!” Kane dies a lonely man because his mother taught him that love requires wealth and power, when she gave her away as a ward to Thatcher and Co.. Charles is seen as a tragic hero because he faces insurmountable odds, how can one love anything if he does not know what love is. Another aspect of his struggle is how he fails incredibly, because he never finds Rosebud and can never find love.<br />Charles Foster Kane’s marriage is not the only flaw in his attempt to restore honour and certainty, but also his career and his relation to society and fellow writers. Kane wanted to be a representative of the workers, underprivileged and society, when he purchased a small newspaper company. He wanted to become a man of the people; his rushed political career is an example of his attempt to present himself to the world. Kane wished to give the people what they wanted, through his newspaper and speeches. Just like with Susan, this resulted in making his fellow writers and society into a possession. By practicing his ability to state his opinion and ideals in his editorials, he transforms people into objects, which he can invest in. His goals for his career as a writer where much too broad and general, the details of his personal life were over-looked, such as his marriage to Emily. His entire career can be summarized as a scale. When he first purchased the newspaper company, his life was in balance between work and society. However, as his life goes on and he gets married to Emily, the film illustrates their loss of communication through a diminishment in their tone towards each other and a decline in their presence to one another. Work takes precedence and his marriage becomes a heavier and heavier burden, thus tipping the scale. Struggle is inquired because he strains to hold the scale in place, resulting in a deficit in the honour and certainty of his life. Examples when the load on one side of the scale becomes too heavy are when he purchases the opera house (making Susan an investment) and as his small newspaper company flourishes into a massive enterprise. At the end of his life when he lying on his deathbed, he no longer has a wife, no true friend and is isolated with his work in the confines of the Xanadu; the scale bottoms out and he dies a tragic, lonely death.<br />In Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane tragically fails in an attempt to restore honour and certainty. Throughout his career and marriage with Susan he is unable to find love in his life. In the case of Susan, his materialistic perception of her results in a loveless marriage and a lonely death. Through his career he aspires to balance his work with his marriage and results in meaningless wealth. If “[Kane] hadn’t been so rich, [he] might have been a great man”, and had a life filled with love like the people he tried to spoil with possessions and wealth.<br />