Citizen Kane Essay, Research Paper

In the film, “Citizen Kane” directed by Orson Welles, Charles Foster Kane had built an entire

empire around Xanadu. With all of his money, he was never truly happy. He had bought many things

for the wives that he had, but they too were also never truly happy. His wives wanted something

from him that he was not willing to express, and that was his true feelings.

When he was a young child he had been taken away from the things that he truly loved. He

loved his mother and being with his friends, most of all he loved sledding. But when he was forced to

move away he was expected to grow up quickly and act as how a man would act. His childhood

had been quickly been taken away from him. He was taken away by Thatcher, he was to now be his

guardian until the age of 25. Then the fortune that his mother had given him would now be his.

Since he had moved from his home in Colorado, he started to look for something that would

make him happy. He wanted to buy a perfect home in the perfect place he wanted his own Xanadu.

He had bought many animals to try and make himself happy. But this did not work even though he

had one of the biggest privately owned zoo’s in the world.

He had married Emily Norton and had a child with her. While he was married to her he tried

running for governor but at the same time he was having an affair with Susan Alexander. But when

the press got a hold of this information it just about ruined all of his creditability, therefore causing

his to not be elected governor. When he was talking with Susan Alexander she told him everything

that she always wanted but never got. She wanted to be a singer but no one would really hired her.

So two weeks after his divorce with Emily Norton, he had married Susan Alexander. She would

soon get everything that she ever wanted. She lived in a huge house and had a theater built for her.

But she would also learn that Charles Foster Kane did not express his feelings to her. She would be

left at home by herself most of the time putting together puzzles, which symbolized her trying to put

the pieces in her life back together.

Charles Foster Kane was at work most of the time he owned the Inquirer. He loved being in

control of what was printed in the newspaper. But in the beginning he was approached by a man

telling him that he was not running the newspaper well because every year they were losing a

million dollars. But Charles Foster Kane had replied with well I guess were going to have shut down

this place in sixty years, when he said this his attitude seemed to change a bit because he was being a

bit sarcastic and in the move you don’t see much of that from him.

Charles Foster Kane didn’t lead the happiest life that he could have. Before he died his last

work was “Rosebud” this word was the key to his happiness when he was a child he had a sled and

its name was Rosebud. While he said his last word he dropped the snow globe, which fell to the

floor. This snow globe had symbolized his childhood, which was when he was truly happy.