The American Dream
The United States of America is considered one of the most powerful, attractive and wealthy country in the world. The varieties of individuality, class, race and religion are just few examples of the enrichments within the “melting pot” of the society at large. The blending of the numerous diversities is the crucial point to a modern nation. Even though America has been modeled from these diversities, its citizens who are the average Americans have a unique thing in common and that is a single goal which is the American Dream. The Dream seemingly consists of a simple concept that is success. Americans dream of a successful marriage and good family, satisfactory job and own a palatial home. These accessories add value and meaning to the package as seen in the individuality of the American Dream. Perhaps in line with the “melting pot” has the inclusion of the entangled polarities of each American’s dream; the magnitude of the Dream is seen as an ambiguous viewed in terms of boundaries. (Bruccoli, Matthew Joseph et al, p32).
The American Dream varies amongst individuals as to the variation amongst individuals. Charles Foster Kane was blessed and had every possession a materialistic person could hope for. Kane had a lot of money, a successful occupation, beautiful women and very expensive possessions that some people would just sacrifice a lot in order to get. Yet, for Charles there was abundance within his reach. He only lacked the most important thing he would have wished to have and that is love. “You won’t get lonely, Charles… You’ll be the richest man in the world someday.” Kane’s father and mother tried to use the symbol of money as collateral for giving him up. Charles in his early childhood experienced a great deal of loss. The traumatizing emotions of disposition and insecurity as a result of his going away from home are some of the root causes of Charles’ agonizing yearn to be loved. Though Charles did not have a strong bond from his mother, he equally loved her but on the other hand the mother did not reciprocate the love. Charles’ mother prepared his trunk in advance anticipating his departure thus “I’ve had his trunk packed for a week now.” She hurriedly signed the contracts without showing any sign of emotion in her face.
Charles developed a sense of hesitation and fear to love something based on his experience of unreturned love. Even though Charles became the richest man on earth he ironically becomes the loneliest man in the world even though he possessed a lot of things. He only lacked one vital possession that could be very vital to his self-being and that is love. Charles foster Kane hither to become the rich man everyone predicted. Charles wrote about his disinterest in all of the business schemes which would have brought him a lot of money in response to several letters written to him about several business ventures but only obliged to the New York Inquirer. Charles’ lack of seriousness and carelessness about money issues to venture into multi profit businesses is shown when he says “I think it would be fun to run a newspaper.” He chooses to run the Inquirer instead of gaining a definite profit by running a mining company as he reasons that it would be great fun to do so. Charles relays his carefree attitude about his money and instead concentrated more on his own personal conviction. Charles pities at the rate at which he would lose money but again shows no interest in his huge sums of money as his only adored interest is keeping himself happy and busy as he says “At a million dollars a year, I’ll have to retire in… sixty years.”
Kane’s main idea in a fierce battle to be elected governor was solely for the purpose of benefiting the underprivileged and underpaid. His efforts in benefiting the lower-class citizens seemed to compensate for the deprivations that he underwent in his early childhood. Kane wanted to aid the families from the lower class so that the very experiences he faced should not be endured by the children from such families. It is also during the electioneering period that Emily Kane who is the first wife of Charles confronted Charles’ mistress. (Prigozy, Ruth, 14).
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