Citizan Kane's Childhood Abandonment

The film, Citizen Kane, tells the story of Charles Foster Kane, a wealthy newspaper owner who seemed to have it all. However, regardless of all the luxuries his money was capable of buying, it still seemed as if he was searching for something that was lacking in his life. The mystery of what a powerful man like him could have been missing was baffling in itself, but his strange dying words of "rosebud" attracted just as much attention, if not more. During his life time, Charles Kane took two wives: the first being the Presidents niece who was, quite possibly, just a publicity stunt, and the second being Susan Alexander, a young girl who dreamed of being a singer and was unlike other women which had met Kane's acquaintance in the past. Charles Foster Kane's abandoned childhood, however, prevented him from falling in love with Susan and instead gave him incentive to control her, as nothing but another object that he had come to acquire.

Alice Miller tells us that all children need to be seen and acknowledged, be it by a parent or an enlightened witness, if they are to develop any self-confidence which comes as a derivation from that acceptance. Children need to know that they have a trusting person which they could go to, that respects, cares, and provides comfort for them. If a child is neglected, on the other hand, they develops feelings of inferiority and feel the need to reject their own self because it is clearly not good enough for anyone to love. Charles Foster Kane grew up with a distant father and a mother who ended up selling him for a lifetime of financial security. As a child, to think that your mother would want money more than having you around would most likely be a scarring realization. Though Charles was brought up rich by the man he was sold to, such an event surely affected him in a detrimental way. Due to this, Charles was left scarred with abandonment issues and the lack of a truly loving relationship, whether it be friendly, romantic, or family. Throughout his life, Charles's past controls his future and he is helpless against it because he never knew anyone that would have been there to help. Regardless of his riches, he is incapable of getting too close with any individual, and this goes to show in his relationship with Susan Alexander, as Charles himself even admitted that he knew he did not love her.

Charles' relationship with Susan Alexander seemed to start off the way anyone relationship with a millionaire might: copious offerings of gifts and lavish presents to the woman of his affection. Charles found Susan a singing teacher, for her to polish off her voice and help follow her dreams. He proceeded to build her an opera house for her to perform in, in order for her to become a star. The attention that Charles extorted onto Susan at the start may have been appropriate, but as the film progresses it becomes quite obvious that Susan does not enjoy the extent to which Charles