Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Rosebud
Rosebud is perhaps the most famous symbol in movie history. What is the significance of the name "rosebud?" What is the significance of the sled? Is it the key to understanding Kane's life or just one missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle that does not explain much at all? A meaningful symbol or a MacGuffin? Are there other symbols in the film that are more meaningful or complement you reading of the sled (such as statues, jigsaw puzzles, Xanadu, etc)?
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The mystery attempted to be solved throughout Citizen Kane is who rosebud is, and without this question posed we would not understand the real Charles Kane. I believe it is significant because the symbol of rosebud allows the story of Mr. Kane to be told, yet it shows how throughout time things lose their value and can be forgotten. The name rosebud typically symbolizes delicacy, new beginnings or a sense of love. Since Kane’s sled is named Rosebud, I believe it symbolizes a love that was taken away from him when he was kid, or in other words, the love received by family. Since Charles Kane was given away by his family at such a young age, the love and support that the typical human grows up with from their family was not present. He was never truly taught how to love something other than himself as a repercussion of his childhood. Although he was very young, Rosebud his sled, is a memory he has of his childhood and it reminds him of the love of his mother and in times father. A small detail that is overlooked is the name of the new sled Kane receives for Christmas after he moves in with Thatcher. The new sled is called Crusader, and I agree with a point made in the Film Analysis reading we read on Citizen Kane. The author explained how Kane grew up to be a crusader in everything he desired because the rosebud in him was taken away. In other words, Kane was the way he was because of he lost the love of his family.
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ReplyDeleteRosebud is a hug symbol for the movie. It is a representation of the fragile child-like spirit Kane possesses throughout the film. Rosebud shows the fragile, easily breakable, inner child of Kane. Though Kane carries an unbothered, confident, superior persona, he is really just fragile, easily withered, and he eventually caves in at the end of the film. The fact that the word is rosebud, and not simply rose, shows the underdevelopment of his character. He throws temper tantrums, always wants things without sacrifice, and never learns the importance of discipline, he is undeveloped as a man. The sled is a symbol of the childhood he had. He played in the snow, loved his mother, and overall had a carefree life. When he abandons the sled in the snow, it is buried until it is out of view. This symbolizes the suppression of the childhood values, which Kane demonstrates throughout the film. However, when something is buried, it doesn’t go away, it just comes back later. At Christmas, Kane receives a new sled, The Crusader. This is a metaphor for the new attitude required to make as far as Kane did. However, Kane let this idea take over him completely, trampling over others so he could advance ahead. Life was more about the destination than the journey. The rosebud image is key to understanding Kane’s life. It explains why he treats people the way he does, his regard for people in general, and why he looked at the life the way he did. Rosebud was, “dug back up” at the end of his life, on his death bed. By then, the childhood joy was long forgotten, it had been suppressed for too long. Like a rose in the winter, Kane withers away. He never truly lived, but only attempted to control the aspects of his life so that he could feel accomplished.
I believe that the significance of the sled is to illustrate his innocence and his youth. The name Rosebud as compared to Crusader is much more peaceful and happy. Rosebud is the culmination of everything that he had to lose regarding his early life, when he moved to New York. The sled being buried under the snow is the loss of his innocence and the symbolism that he had to grow up rather quickly and was thrown into a new and more fast pace world. Another thought surrounding the concept of rosebud, is the true reason of why it was so important that it was his last words however nobody, not even his good friends or ex-wives knew what it meant. I think that this is because of what rosebud represents in the first place. All of the main people in his life only knew him when he was on top and always in charge. They did not know him as the innocent boy who did not want to leave his mother and simple life. They did not know of a time before he had to grow up in an instant to fit in the world that he was now a part of. The people in his life did not know the time when he was considered innocent and youthful so it makes sense that they would not know of object that symbolizes his innocence and youth. The sled is the key to understanding Kane’s change from being naive to being in charge and how he never looked back upon his youth until a break down or his last breath.
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ReplyDeleteRosebud, Charles Kane sled, plays a highly significant role in the film Citizen Kane. We first see the sled in the beginning of the movie when a young and playful Charles Kane is in the snow. This scene is interrupted when a man by the name of Mr. Thatcher comes to take Charles away with high hopes of improving his future life. Charles reacts with aggression to hearing such news and throws Rosebud at Mr. Thatcher. This is a very iconic scene in the movie for we learn that this traumatic event not only effects the young Charles Kane but also the old Charles Kane. As we can see throughout the movie, the sled symbolizes Charles’s innocence as a child and his lost connection with his family. Ultimately, it reminds him of better times or of fond memories. There are many other symbolic figures throughout the film such as the statues in the Xanadu and the doll in Susan’s room. The statues symbolize his social interactions with people or the lack there of. Charles Kane is a lonely man and has only 2 friends. His obsession with collecting statues or fake people fulfills this lack of social interaction. Also, the statues act as a passive figure therefore allowing Charles to dominant over them just like he does to real people. The doll on the other hand, symbolizes his control over his wife, Susan. You can manipulate a doll to do and say things. This is very similar to the relationship of Charles and Susan. Charles manipulates what Susan is allowed to do and say. This also shows that he not only dominates over regular people but also the people who love and have an emotional connection with him. All of the symbols mentioned in this paragraph help us to better understand the underlying themes in the movie Citizen Kane.
The purpose of the reporter in the film is to figure out who or what rosebud is. Rosebud is the whole reason the story of Charles Kane is told to the audience. The reporter travels around trying to solve the mystery of rosebud, and along the way the audience develops and understands different perspectives of Kane. In this film Rosebud symbolizes Kane’s youth. Rosebuds are young and have the ability to develop into something beautiful, however, Kane lost his rosebud (his childhood) and developed into what some would consider, a morally ugly character. He lost his rosebud when his family let him go away with Walter Thatcher, and therefore was never able to develop into something beautiful. He lost his time with his family, but he still longed for it all the way up to his death. Kane was so rich, he could have anything in the world, but he could never get back his family and his childhood; which is all he really wanted. This may explain his irrational spending on Xanadu and his hordes of statues. Perhaps he was never truly happy and never was able to find what made him happy; his insane purchases were his search for happiness. This has to be the most important symbol in the movie because it may actually make audience members sympathetic towards Kane. It allows the audience to understand Kane and the decisions he made. All Kane really wanted was his childhood with his family, and to some audience members this may be perplexing because he lived lavishly, and to others, they may have truly felt bad for Kane. Overall, Rosebud allows audience members to truly understand Kane, and his true desires.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Rosebud was a representation of Charles Kane and his introverted self he never revealed to the public. Rosebud was symbolism for Charles Kane and his soft spot he contained but didn’t show. Both Maggie and Laura mention how the beginning of the film displayed Kane with his sled to reveal a sense of innocence that soon became interrupted when Mr. Thatcher comes in to play. I would have to agree with what they said because not only did Charles Kane leave his sled, the only object he concealed during his time of innocence, but he also received a new sled titled “Crusader”, which was symbolism for a new toll in Kane’s life. While Kane’s “Rosebud” sled was left at his old home, symbolizing his childhood and innocence being abandoned, the “Crusader” sled was symbolism for the new Charles Kane, who seemed to lack the same qualities innocence he pertained as a child. I also feel that the scene with “Rosebud” being left in the snow was symbolism for the fact that innocence was always apart of him. Being covered in snow, the frozen rosebud sled remained still and was covered up, so the name rosebud was not revealed. I think that scene was a direct tie to Charles Kane and the way he carried himself throughout the rest of the film as well. Just how rosebud was covered in snow so that the writing was invisible to the viewer, I feel that Charles Kane was the same way in terms of the way he was portrayed. The viewer never knew that the sled read, “Rosebud”, nor did the film reveal Charles Kane’s innocence and childhood until the end of the film. It wasn’t until Kane’s death where he revealed a sense of his childhood and innocence where his last word was “rosebud” and he finally passed. Since Rosebud was symbolism for Kane’s innocence, it also did not appear until the end of the film but that time when it was displayed, it wasn’t just left in the snow but burned to never remain. Kane’s rosebud sled, being left in the snow and covered revealed the idea that his innocence and childhood still existed but was hidden deep Kane’s introverted mind where no one knew about. However, when Kane’s rosebud sled was burned it was symbolism of Kane’s death and how his innocence and childhood no longer existed because he no longer existed. Overall, Kane’s rosebud sled was symbolism that childhood innocence has always been a part of him but no longer existed once he died, since the sled was burned too.
ReplyDelete“Rosebud,” The last words of Charles Foster Kane are not a secret explanation or clue that can reveal the entire paradox of Mr. Kane’s life; instead they are a simple reminiscing of a time when he didn’t have to be the top dog. The name “rosebud” comes from a childhood sled he owned before he was removed from home to be educated. It is glimpse back at a time when he wasn’t on the top of the world and had people with whom to identify. This is important because when Mr. Kane is on top of everything, he finds it impossible to have someone who is his true equal. Every human needs some kind of being that they can be vulnerable with and so Kane fills this gap with statues, real and living, but when these statues begin showing their inequality he has his tantrums in which he shows he has no idea how to deal on an emotional level with someone who hasn’t shared similar experiences with him. For example when his wife complains about him controlling his life he is shown in every way to be more powerful than her through camera angles and other filming techniques. He is uncertain of how to deal with someone who doesn’t control everything like he does and so he lashes out with anger slapping her. Furthermore, we never hear “rosebud” mentioned from any of the narrators when he is young and still climbing the latter and it only becomes relevant in the story after he has risen to the top. Even then it is only shown during his moments of weakness like after he is left by his second wife, to Kane it is a memory of when he wasn’t on top, when he wasn’t alone in life and could identify with others.
ReplyDeleteRosebud is a metaphor for how immature and undeveloped Charles Foster Kane’s life is, and also shows how Kane wants to be accepted and loved. A rosebud signifies an undeveloped youth. Literally the bud of a rose, a rosebud is an undeveloped, growing rose that has not had time to fully mature. Compare this to Kane: at a young age he was taken from what the audience can infer is at least a somewhat abusive household, into the house of a wealthy man who spoils him. He never truly had an upbringing, after all, he lived in poor conditions for one moment, and then lived in prosperity. Because of this, he has never really grown into an individual. Every though has been influenced by his environment. As a child, besides the signs of abuse from his father, he might not have had too much freedom, as not many young children do. He definitely grew up getting the best gifts, as shown in the scene where he receives a new sled, named “Crusader”, for Christmas. Kane’s life has been fractured by two different upbringings, and in both he never really seems to be loved. Sure, his mother may have truly loved him, but that is neutralized by his abusive father. His original sled, christened “Rosebud”, is another symbol of his broken youth. The audience sees the sled getting covered in snow, a metaphor for how Kane’s own childhood and youth never gave him the opportunity to grow. He has never felt warmth from a parent. Thatcher just gives him whatever material gains he wants, but never love. Kane’s everlasting want for some affection is what drives him to take action. He spites Thatcher by taking over the Inquirer and turning it into a successful business. He becomes obsessive, and runs for governor. His first wife even says that he wants the love and acceptance of everyone. Even his second wife, right before she leaves him, makes the point that he always makes everything about him. He has this need for attention because of his troubled upbringing. Rosebud is what explains who Charles Foster Kane was.
ReplyDeleteThe significance of Rosebud in Citizen Kane is not only to represent the lost childhood of Charles Foster Kane, but also to represent his loneliness in his adult life. Kane was ripped right out of the home that he knew as a boy and thrown into the cold and cruel world of business. He no longer had his mother to comfort him, all he had was the shiny and expensive toys that he was given. But none of these could compare to his sled, Rosebud. Kane was able to play with Rosebud by himself, showing that Rosebud was a great source of entertainment and fun for him. He was unable to take this entertainment and fun with him when he was thrust into a new world, so he lost his great ability to play and frolic. Later, in his adult life, Kane’s lost childhood is the reason for his loneliness and longing for love. What Kane was really searching for was not the love of a significant other, but the love of his mother. To grow up without a mother can be a traumatic experience, and Kane simply wanted to repair his broken psyche through the affection of a mother-like figure, even though he did not even realize this himself. While there are other meaningful symbols in the film, such as the statues that represent Kane’s attempt to gain more friends that he can control or the paradise Xanadu that Kane created to escape his own tortured reality, Rosebud is by far the most important in Kane’s life in that it displays the root of all of his problems.
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