Nancy
Radecker English 161 DL Essay #1 July
12, 2012
“Hey! What’s the Big
Deal?”
In both
the film Citizen Kane, and It’s a Wonderful Life as well as the
television show The Simpson’s, the
subject of what is of value in a man’s life in American culture and its
influence on American’s way of life is depicted in rather different styles and
yet the message is basically the same. In this essay I will provide examples
from each of these to provide evidence to prove how they each contribute to the
subject of a what is of value in a man’s life in American culture and its
influence.
In
the film Citizen Kane the entire
movie is based on a man’s life from childhood up until his death. Orson Wells the director and screenwriter of
the film was quoted saying “This field of inanimate theatrical properties I
wished to represent the very dust heap of a man’s life. I wished the camera to
show beautiful things, ugly things and useless things, too—indeed everything,
which could stand for a public career and a private life.” (The Orsen
Welles Web Rosources Various Authors) The film depicts
a sort of man that Orsen Welles very specifically choose firstly as a American
man which supports the argument of what is of value in a man’s life in American
cultural but also not about the traditional “success story” but rather a story
of “failure” which I believe is probably more recognizable to the audience and
American culture. True we all want to believe that we all live happily ever
after in American but the truth is that more do not then actually do. The value
is in how we handle it, the ups and downs of life’s journey; the story was
about not getting the money eventually though man’s lifetime but what he does
with it if he already has it from the beginning. Many people relate what is of value
in a man’s life to how much is in his bank account but that is not really what
is valuable. I would agree that the American cultural tends to portray it that
way, but when you get down to it, many more believe it is in the way you walk
through life that is more valuable at the end of the day. In the film Citizen’s Kane the scene where Mr. Kane sits at the table and eats
with his first wife, all seems wonderful and they are so both very much in
love, they need of nothing but each other’s company, however during the scenes
that follow it, you see that they talk less, dress differently, and seem not to
find joy with each other as time passes. The value in a man’s life is to be
worked on, on a daily basis; simply having the money will not bring happiness,
finding joy in the everyday things is the value. The value in man (Kane) as seen through
various other characters and from their own point of view was an interesting
way to show that there is value in how others see you.
In
the film It’s a Wonderful Life The
main character like Kane is depicted from not as young as childhood but
basically throughout his life although you also don’t see the character die at
the end but still a lifetime and George Bailey’s journey of finding out what is
really important in life when looking at his life from the outside. As man gets caught up in the realities of
life George is no different and doesn’t see the value but he constantly
searches for ways of getting out and finding it, only to find out it was there
the whole time. ZuZu practicing the piano while he desperately tries to figure
out a plan to get the money back that is misplaced was a great example of man
when at the brink of chaos snaps back at the very thing that brings joy. George
snapping at ZuZu and then later realizing how that she is the whole reason for
owning the bank, could honestly happen to anyone and I myself have been guilty
of doing that myself. When you watched that scene you could really relate to
George and it influences you to think the next time or perhaps even remember a
time and go back and apologize to someone you snapped at. It’s a Wonderful Life, again based on American cultural like Citizen Kane but yet unlike Citizen Kane a success story.
The
Simpson’s is also again a story of a man and his family typical American family
with ups and downs. Homer similar to the character of Kane in Citizens Kane but more closely related
to George in It’s a Wonderful Life. Homer struggles with making the right choices
but unlike Kane he loves his family and sees the value in them, usually by the
end of each episode and like George Bailey does at the end of the film. Of course Homer has his funny ways of
realizing it and often he does put value in material items such a beer and
football. However like George Bailey he has his parental bad moments and often
Homer chokes his son Bart in a desperate attempt to gain control but yet Homer
and the audience see the value in his children despite their mistakes. In the episode where Homer buys a pony for
Lisa because he failed to obtain a reed for her instrument thus causing her
great pain and embarrassment, Homer sees the value of pleasing his daughter and
goes to great length to make it up to her even taking on a second job to afford
the cost. The value of Lisa’s love was
so great that he put himself aside and the opinions of others to satisfy the
hurt he caused. George Bailey did a
similar thing when he sacrificed not traveling the world waiting for his
brother to come home and take over the business to help the townspeople with
keeping their homes and farms and not giving into the greedy Mr. Potter’s bank.
George found the value in the needs and love of the townspeople and put himself
second. Homer also finds the value in
life when he brings home the family dog named “Santa’s Little Helper” when the
dog finds himself out on the street without a home. Homer realizes that he
couldn’t just leave the dog and found that he too, was down and out that love
costs nothing and that the presents he wanted to so desperately buy for his
family would not have come close to level of the love he has for them. Viewers feel for Homer and understand his
situation because many of us have been in the same situation and can really
relate. The Simpsons in their own unique
way depict what is valuable in life and a nice example is the tone in which
Marge says “Oh Homer” in certain episodes. If Homer is not behaving well, Marge
will in a scolding tone say “Oh Homer” and shake her head, but at times in a
sweet enduring way when Homer makes things right in the end Marge will say “Oh
Homer” in a cute sweet way. There is value in Homer’s actions and Marge
recognizes it and values him and the love they share.
In
conclusion the question of what is of value in a man’s life is a constantly
changing question throughout time but still somewhat remains the same
throughout American culture and is depicted in various ways through Citizen
Kane, It’s a Wonderful Life and even through The Simpsons cartoon. All of the
characters in each of these examples need to find the value and recognize it in
the end, just like the cultural of America, but the basic valuable item is
family and is a thread throughout all the examples provided.
Works Cited
The Orsen Welles Web Rosources Various Authors. Wellesnet:
The Orson Welles Web Resource. 5th August 2007. 11 July 2012
.
