How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Citizen Cane.
Quote #4
KANE: What lesson? Not to expose fraud when I see it? Not to fight for the right of the people to own their own property?
Any time he's confronted with a blow to his pride, Charles is really good at deflecting the real issue and making the conversation all about other people, like the rich and the poor. It's little dodges like these that prevent him from ever having to confront anything that hurts his pride.
Quote #5
GETTYS: You're the greatest fool I've ever known, Kane. If it was anybody else, I'd say what's going to happen to you would be a lesson to you.
Boss Gettys knows that he has Kane beaten in the election for New York governor. But he also knows that Kane will never back down, so he goes ahead and exposes Kane's affair to the public, effectively ending his political career and destroying his family. Throughout it all, Kane never gives in to common sense because his pride is too strong.
Quote #6
GETTYS: Only you're going to need more than one lesson. And you're going to get more than one lesson.
Gettys can see how much pride there is in Charles, so he gives him some straight talk about what will happen to him. He knows that Charles is never going to learn any lessons because he's too proud to change. So he'll just go the rest of his life making the same mistakes over and over.