How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Citizen Cane.
Quote #4
LELAND: You want love on your own terms, don't you, Charlie? Love according to your own rules.
One of Kane's biggest flaws is that he needs everything on his own terms. He's been rich his whole life and he's used to servants doing what he wants. So he assumes that love is just like anything else in his life—something that can be had completely on his own terms.
Quote #5
KANE: To love on my terms. Those are the only terms anybody knows... his own.
In Kane's mind, it's impossible to do anything on anyone's terms other than his own. He assumes that every other person in the world feels the same way, but he's probably wrong on this. Or to put it another way, there are probably different degrees to which people need things on their own terms. People like Kane are on one end, and people who end up in happy relationships are on the other.
Quote #6
SUSAN: That's what it's been from the first moment I met you. No matter how much it cost you—your time, your money—that's what you've done with everybody you've ever known. Tried to bribe them!
According to Susan, Charles has no clue how to deal with people. He wants everyone to love him, but he thinks of love as something he can get if he just uses his power. He doesn't realize that love isn't something you win after you've auditioned for people's attention. You can't earn it with great accomplishments. You need to be vulnerable and give some love yourself. That's the part that Kane never really understands.