It's A Wonderful Life Essay Questions

What are the defining characteristics of George Bailey?

George is defined by his sense of adventure and possibility, his desire to see the world, and his ambition to become greater than his small town, Bedford Falls. His ambition is one of his defining characteristics, and what drives him in all his endeavors. He is also defined by his sense of what is right and his willingness to make sacrifices for the good of the community. Throughout the film, George's desire to escape is compromised by his desire to do the right thing, which is discouraging for him at times, but is also part of what makes him such a good person.

What happened to the deposit that Uncle Billy was meant to put into the bank that causes George to nearly lose his business?

Uncle Billy is at the bank, about to deposit $8,000, when he spots Mr. Potter. Billy loses his focus and accidentally puts the money into a newspaper that Potter is reading while taunting Potter about the fact that Harry is returning to Bedford Falls as a war hero. When Uncle Billy can't find the money, Potter notices and keeps it in order to acquire the Savings and Loan for himself.

What kind of investment does George pass on?

George passes on the opportunity to invest in plastics with Sam Wainwright. Had he taken Sam's offer, he might be a wealthy man, but George chooses instead to work keeping his father's business alive, which provides resources to the less fortunate citizens of Bedford Falls.

What does Clarence do in order to teach George that his life has meaning?

Clarence, George's wing-less guardian angel, takes George's melancholy wish—that he had never been born—and shows him what the world would have been like without him. He leads George through a Bedford Falls that has been completely taken over by Potter's business acquisitions, a world where his mother runs a boarding house and his brother died as a young boy. By seeing a hypothetical world in which he doesn't exist, and all of the ways that his loved ones are suffering because of it, George sees how valuable he is and what a "wonderful" life he has.

What do Zuzu's petal symbolize?

The petals from the flowers that Zuzu brought home represent George's daughter's sense of beauty and appreciation for the world. She holds onto the flowers even after she's gotten sick with a cold, and when George tells her to get some sleep, she tells her father that she wants to stay awake to be with her flower. As comfort, he tells her that if she sleeps, she can dream of a whole garden. George puts some of the flower's petals in his pocket, which symbolizes the fact that he and his daughter share a sense of wonder and a penchant for dreaming.