American Dream

The United States of America is the most powerful, wealthy, and attractive country in the world. The varieties of class, individuality, religion, and race are a few of the enrichments within the "melting pot" of our society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to our modern nation. Even though America has been formed upon these diversities, its inhabitants- the "average American"- have a single thing in common; a single idea; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple concept; success. Americans dream of a successful marriage, family, successful job, and own a Victorian-style home with a white picket fence and an oak tree with a swing tire in the front yard. The accessories add to the package according to the individuality of the American Dream. And, perhaps along with the "melting pot" includes the entangled extremes of each American's dream; the degree of the Dream is now ambiguous in terms of boundaries. Perhaps the American Dream varies for the individual as the individual varies.

Charles Foster Kane possessed everything the materialistic man could hope for. Kane had more money than he could count, power, a successful job, women at the crook of his arm, and expensive possessions some men would go to the extremes to have. Yet, Charles constantly had a vast void within him. The most important element Kane lacked was the single thing he couldn't have; that was love.

"You won't get lonely, Charles... You'll be the richest man in the world someday." Kane's mother and father try to use the image of money as collateral for giving him up. Charles experienced a great deal of loss in his early childhood. The traumatizing emotions of insecurity and disposition caused by his moving away from home are the roots of Charles' agonizing yearn to be loved. Sadly, Charles didn't have a long bond from his mother, but he loved her; Charles' mother never loved her son. "I've had his trunk packed for a week now." Charles' mother had his trunk ready ahead of time in anxiousness for him to leave. She signed the contracts without any hesitation and showed no signs of emotion in her stone face. Charles' unreturned love creates a sense of fear and hesitation to love something, only to experience abandonment again. Ironically, even though Charles becomes "the richest man in the world," he also becomes the loneliest man in the world; despite all his possessions, power, and potential, Charles didn't posses the single element that became vital to his self-worth; love

Inevitably, Charles foster Kane becomes the rich man everyone predicted he would be. In responses to the letter sent to Charles offering numerous businesses to own, he writes his disinterest in all of the "sure-money" businesses except the New York Inquirer. "I think it would be fun to run a newspaper." Charles' absence of seriousness in the awareness of the gross profit conveys his carelessness about money. Instead of running a mining company and gaining a definite profit, he chooses to run the Inquirer because it would be "fun." Charles conveys his carefree emotions about his money and concentrates more on his own personal enjoyment. "At a million dollars a year, I'll have to retire in... sixty years." Charles snickers at the rate of his money loss and again he shows no interest in his mass money, his only interest is in keeping himself busy and happy (something he cannot maintain). "So we're bust. Just give me the paper so I can sign it and go home." Even after learning that the Inquirer had to be shut down because of lack of money, Charles signs the paper as if its only value was his ticket home.

Throughout the reporter's interview with Mr. Bernstein, many clues to the "Rosebud" mystery were revealed but never deciphered. "Maybe this Rosebud... maybe it's something he lost. Mr. Kane was a man who lost almost everything." In addition to Mr. Bernstein's statement, Charles Foster Kane was a man who had everything- according to by-standers- but at the same time, he had nothing- according to close relations. Charles Foster Kane possessed everything, materialistically, one's heart desires. But, in a different aspect, Charles Foster Kane had nothing. "He married for love. That's why he did everything. That's all he ever really wanted was love. He just didn't have any to give." Love; the single thing Charles wanted, and needed, but could never grasp because he was incapable of loving someone else.

In his battle to be elected governor, Kane's primary campaign idea was formed to benefit the underpaid and the underprivileged. His efforts to benefit the lower-class citizens seem