City Lights

How does The Tramp display a certain “blindness” in regards to wealthy culture and customs? What behavior does he display that shows that he is out of place in the world of the wealthy?

How does The Tramp display a certain “blindness” in regards to wealthy culture and customs? What behavior does he display that shows that he is out of place in the world of the wealthy?

Asked by
Last updated by Cat
1 Answers
Log in to answer

The tramp knows the wealthy have money but he doesn't undersrstand the privilage that comes with it. He doesn't know how to look down on others as the rich do. We see the bind girl's struggles with money, and her desperation to make rent before getting evicted. Posing as a wealthy man, the Tramp offers to help her. There is a sense that she trusts him more because she thinks he is wealthy, but she also assures her grandmother that it is not only his wealth that entices her. By the end, she is much more well-off, while the Tramp is in tatters, but when they touch one another's hands they are reminded of the romantic connection they built many months before. The film ends with an image of two people from very different class situations reaching out and feeling connected to one another.