Rosebud

Rosebud is a fictional word that serves as a central mystery in Orson Welles' 1941 film Citizen Kane. It is the last word uttered by the dying newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane. The film then follows reporter Jerry Thompson as he attempts to decipher the meaning of Rosebud, interviewing Kane's associates and examining his life to understand what it represented.

Throughout the movie, various characters offer their interpretations of Rosebud, linking it to lost love, personal ambition, or a specific object. However, the true meaning remains elusive until the film's conclusion. In the final scene, after all of Thompson's efforts to uncover the meaning, the audience is shown that Rosebud was the name of Kane's childhood sled, which was left behind when he was sent away to live with wealthy guardians.

The revelation that Rosebud was a simple childhood toy imbues it with profound symbolic weight. It represents Kane's lost innocence, his unfulfilled happiness, and the fundamental elements of his past that he was forever separated from. The film uses Rosebud to explore themes of memory, the elusiveness of truth, and the idea that a person's true essence can be found in the simple, often forgotten, aspects of their early life. The mystery of Rosebud is a key narrative device that drives the film's exploration of Kane's complex and ultimately tragic life.