1. Charlie’s mother is crazy, which is condemned by society.

2.

a. Overhead shot—She is powerless, looked down upon.

b. Dialogue—she tells Charlie about a nonexistent plum cake, which she

believes is very real, and in her apartment.

c. Character—she is huddled in a corner, rubbing a block of wood—

small, beneath most notice. The mentally ill are often ignored by

society, pushed to the outside, the corners of society.

d. Long shot—Charlie working, bringing wood to his mother (and the

cold breath) implies loneliness, as he is the only sane person in his

house. He appears happy in the street downtown, but as he crosses an

empty street to get to his apartment, that demeanor changes

e. Dialogue—Children playing in the streets, teasing Charlie, while one

girl stands to the side and looks sympathetically, validating his tragic

circumstances

3. The scene makes us feel sorry for Charlie, who is very gentle and sympathetic

with his mother, but is still a young boy in a very hard situation

4. The feeling is created by a very cold street (breath rising in mist), gloomy

lighting in his apartment, a long, hard walk to the apartment, and the

appearance of a little girl, who stands of to the side while other children tease

Charlie, telling the audience to feel for him, rather than sympathize with his

tormenters.