Citizen Kane Analytical Analysis

Motifs

Isolation

The protagonist is continuously isolated from the rest of the world around him, whether it was in his childhood or adulthood. The cinematography in Citizen Kane furthermore demonstrates the isolation he was going through. In one scene, we see Kane his childhood playing alone in the outside; the camera creates a divided shot on him and his mother with Mr. Thatcher, as they plan to send him away from home. Another scene is where; Kane is sitting by himself in the center of a room surrounded by men suited up, watching him as he opens a gift from Thatcher at his office. Kane’s isolation follows him through into his adulthood, where he is found sitting on his own in his newspaper office amongst a celebration in his honor. The camera

Rather than seeking out love the correct way, they both use the one thing they have too much of and that is money, to attempt and buy it with everything they have. Gatsby throws his incredibly large parties to attract Daisy. But no money can buy love, so Gatsby ends up losing Daisy again when she ends up going back to Tom. He comes to realise that he will never achieve to have that ideal world he dreamed of with Daisy. Kane goes through the same experience, although he does not recognize what love is, he understands when he is not loved. After his first marriage failed, he spends millions upon millions building an opera house for his second wife, an upcoming singer; Kane hired only the best for his darling. But, she too fails to fulfill his idealistic world and gives up on her career. Kane ends up buying a palace isolated and away from the real world. This is exactly what Gatsby does to attract Daisy, and like Gatsby, Kane gets it completely wrong. His second wife is becomes unhappy with all these gifts, and expresses to Kane, “you don 't really love me, you want me to love you!” This is precisely the sad truth about the protagonist. He has been chasing an idealistic dream in his mind, which might not actually even be possible, or exist; just like Gatsby. Kane 's wife leaves him, and he is left with one thing he does know and that’s “rosebud”.