Money Doesn T Buy Happiness By John Foster Kane

"Money doesn't buy happiness"— the cliché that resides in every American heart. When we look at the lives of those souls miserable despite their monetary fortunes— characters such as Norma Desmond and Charles Foster Kane who, for all their wealth, lack and crave some human intimacy— perhaps we deem that cliché some token of wisdom. Yet the fact remains that generally those adopting the phrase as their life motto are the ones down on their luck, the Melvin Dummars and the Tramps of the world. Maybe, the thought is, if we can convince ourselves that the sole purpose of living is to achieve some unworldly happiness despite earthly limitations, we can ease our discontent; if we find ourselves financially handicapped, we can perhaps minimize our

With her enormous wealth, Norma has abandoned human interactions that do not validate her delusional self-perception, hence the reason why she does not shun Max in her rejection of the rest of the world; she has also forfeited any sense of reality. When Joe happens upon her home, he is down on his luck financially, and his career has come to a standstill. It happens that where Joe is lacking— in money— Norma is not; and what Norma is lacking, predominantly in writing skills and experience, Joe can provide. From their first full conversation, we see that neither Joe nor Norma is above the cunning art of manipulation. Where Norma can afford to be more direct in her manipulating behaviors— paying off Joe's debts, coercing him into her home, bribing him with expensive clothes and gold cigarette cases— we as the audience are only fully aware of Joe's abuse of Norma's affection and money through the use of voice over narration. Joe's exploitation of Norma and her numerous luxuries distinguishes him from the other beneficiaries— Melvin, Susan, the Tramp, and the Blind Girl— who did not actively conspire to prosper from another's

Although it is evident that the girl believes the Tramp is a wealthy gentleman from her conversation with her grandmother and later in the flower shop when she hopes to see her wealthy suitor, she displays such an air of innocence that she does not appear to want money from the Tramp. Furthermore, unlike benefactors Kane and Norma, the Tramp does not help the girl to obtain any favors; he gives out of genuine kindness. The girl does not become wealthy from this exchange in a monetary sense, yet with the gift of sight we see that she has perhaps sacrificed some humility. She is fixated on her reflection and seems to place importance on her appearance. When the Tramp stares at her from his side of the window, she jokingly remarks that she has a suitor, implying that she imagines she is better suited for a polished gentleman. Still, she is nice to the Tramp despite his ragged appearance; it just seems that by gaining sight, she has lost her childlike sense of