Citizen Kane Research Paper
Citizen Kane Essay – Consequences of Obsession
In Citizen Kane, Orson Welles explores the consequences of obsession. Such obsessions include Kane’s desire to win the love of others, regaining his lost childhood, Kane’s obsession with his reputation and public image, and Thompson, the journalist, seeking to unravel the mysteries of Kane’s life.
Kane’s obsession with winning the love of others is due to him being stripped of a maternal figure at a young age, which the latter was replaced by the imposing presence of Thatcher. This is evident through the motif of childhood throughout the film; the photograph of Kane’s mother, the snowglobe, and the all too common “Rosebud”. There is also, of course, the recurring motif of the letter “K” in celebration of Kane’s achievements. Lastly, there is Susan; their first meeting represents innocence, comprising of Kane performing shadow puppetry and wiggling his ears in an attempt to make Susan smile, drawing her attention from her toothache. Kane also states that he was “in search of my childhood” as he was heading for a warehouse when he met Susan. …show more content…
Because of this, when Kane’s reputation is destroyed, he attempts to find other means of retaining – or attaining – his image, such as Susan’s opera singing. Kane also becomes an empty shell; a being who has lost his soul in his desire to retain reputation and image; he lacks empathy, becoming increasingly self-centred.
Kane is shown to be obsessed with regaining his lost childhood, due to the latter being sold over to Thatcher by Kane’s mother. This is supported at various stages throughout the film, such as the motif – and overall focus – of ‘Rosebud’, Kane’s childhood sled, and Kane’s childish letter to Thatcher, “I think it would be fun to run a
In Citizen Kane, Orson Welles explores the consequences of obsession. Such obsessions include Kane’s desire to win the love of others, regaining his lost childhood, Kane’s obsession with his reputation and public image, and Thompson, the journalist, seeking to unravel the mysteries of Kane’s life.
Kane’s obsession with winning the love of others is due to him being stripped of a maternal figure at a young age, which the latter was replaced by the imposing presence of Thatcher. This is evident through the motif of childhood throughout the film; the photograph of Kane’s mother, the snowglobe, and the all too common “Rosebud”. There is also, of course, the recurring motif of the letter “K” in celebration of Kane’s achievements. Lastly, there is Susan; their first meeting represents innocence, comprising of Kane performing shadow puppetry and wiggling his ears in an attempt to make Susan smile, drawing her attention from her toothache. Kane also states that he was “in search of my childhood” as he was heading for a warehouse when he met Susan. …show more content…
Because of this, when Kane’s reputation is destroyed, he attempts to find other means of retaining – or attaining – his image, such as Susan’s opera singing. Kane also becomes an empty shell; a being who has lost his soul in his desire to retain reputation and image; he lacks empathy, becoming increasingly self-centred.
Kane is shown to be obsessed with regaining his lost childhood, due to the latter being sold over to Thatcher by Kane’s mother. This is supported at various stages throughout the film, such as the motif – and overall focus – of ‘Rosebud’, Kane’s childhood sled, and Kane’s childish letter to Thatcher, “I think it would be fun to run a