Citizen Kane- Kane is difficult to know
75Topic: ‘Kane says to Susan, "You really like me though, even though you don't know who I am,"
Why is Kane so difficult to know?'
Orson Welles' drama, "Citizen Kane", portrays "Charles Foster Kane" to possess contradictory characteristics that limit other characters knowledge of his true machinations. The implication of the pervasive jigsaw puzzle motif is that since not all of the pieces fit succinctly; the elements that make up an individual are sometimes fraught with contradictions. This is emphasized by the difficulties others experience with Kane's public attributes, thoughts, emotions, and actions.
Kane's public person contributes to the internal conflict other personas experience in their relationships with the protagonist. The montage of "The Inquirer ('s)" newly established success due to Kane's acquisition of his salient "candy", provides a metaphor that suggests Kane is just an image. As the photograph of "the best newspaper team in the world" in the window of "The Chronicle" is interposed to become reality, Welles metaphorically suggests that Kane's persona is merely an image. Moreover, this notion recurs after the end of Kane's "shameful, ignominious" marriage to Susan Alexander. As the protagonist passes a mirror, infinite images of Kane are visually projected; this symbolically portrays the infinite versions of "the newspaper man". Welles also deliberately conveys characters to address Kane in alternate nuances of his name, such as "Charlie", "Mr. Kane", and "Charles", to aurally emphasize the many public personas of "Charles Foster Kane". Thus, characters are only exposed to limited spectrums of Kane's enigmatic character, which dissipates their connection with him.
Kane's limited ability to express emotions or lack thereof, accentuates the internal conflicts of other characters. "Xanadu's Landlord" fails to ameliorate the stark decline of his marriages due to an inability to express his underlying sentiments. Kane merely confesses his adoration for Emily Monroe Norton amidst the euphoria of previous intimate acts; he states, "I adore you", rather than pronouncing his love. Furthermore, as Susan Alexander plans to leave him, Kane synchronizes her decision by making the poignant admission, "You can't do this to me", rather than convince her to remain on the basis of love. This characteristic amplifies the disparity between Kane and the other characters, as Welles suggests that Kane possesses an alternate values system to them. The director elucidates this when the protagonist states, "If you buy a bag of peanuts in this town, someone writes a song about you", which figuratively conveys Kane's perception that others value material possessions rather than emotional connections. This essentially heightens Kane's tendency to repress emotions, which accentuates the strain of his relationships.
"Kubla Khan (‘s)" actions contribute to the contradictory elements of his character. Kane imposes his own values upon his actions, yet as he sequentially contradicts them, an underlying dissociation between him and other characters is evoked. The protagonist creates "The Declaration of Principles" as a means to impose his personal desire to become a fighting and tireless champion" for all to receive news "honestly". However, Kane's development of yellow journalism techniques corrodes the credibility of his action, since he clearly acts hypocritically. This is emphasized by the montage in which Susan Alexander's review is published. As Kane receives the "Declaration of Principles" in the mail and describes it as "an antique", Welles juxtaposes the values that motivate his past and present actions. Thus, Kane subsequently limits the respect others posses for him, as he betrays their collective values systems.
The irony of Kane's thoughts enhances the difficulty of forging prevalent relationships. Kane's sole obsession is to acquire love from others to compensate for a life of emotional emptiness. However, the irony is that he perceives that love is something that can be accumulated and purchased, and that love is subsequently not an altruistic expression. Leland's observations about "Xanadu's Landlord" demonstrates Kane's monomanic goal, as he comments "all he wanted outta life was love", yet "he didn't have any to give". The further irony is that "awful ignorant" Susan Alexander identifies the true machinations of Kane; she states his perception, "I'll buy you anything you want, but you've got to love me first". This characteristic of Kane causes him to abandon his attention to relationships, once he has acquired the love that he inexorably pursues. Thus, Kane's innate thoughts heighten the difficulty to truly grasp the nature of his character.
Orson Welles' film depicts "Charles Foster Kane" as a character that possesses contradictory attributes that inhibit his relationships with others. This directorial study exemplifies Kane's characteristics figuratively, to convey that the elements that make up one's existence are essentially infused with hypocrisy.
