Purpose And Meaning Of It's A Wonderful Life

615 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of selflessness

George Bailey believed everyone’s life would be more pleasurable without him, however, George failed to realize how needed he was. In a life without George Bailey, his old boss, Mr. Gower, had been arrested, which could’ve been stopped if George had been born. Moreover, George’s beloved brother, Harry, had died and failed to bravely save many soldiers. Most importantly, George’s joyful, loving family never existed. “It’s A Wonderful Life” displays your life has purpose and meaning, and can change other’s life. First of all, since George had never been born, he wasn’t there to stop Mr. Gower, his old boss, from poisoning someone’s medication. The day Mr. Gower had gotten a saddening letter informing him that his son passed away, Mr. Gower’s sadness put him into a blind rage. Unfortunately, he had poisoned a bottle of pills while drowning in his own sorrows, which could have been fatal for who ever received them. Luckily, George had realized this and stopped him. When George enters a life without him, he discovers that Mr. Gower gave out the poisoned medication, and was sent to prison. After his release, Mr. Gower spent his pitiful life being looked down on by others, and was alone. George Bailey didn’t …show more content…

One day, adolescent George, his younger brother Harry, and their friends had all gone sledding. Harry was not able to stop the sled, and slid into an icy cold pool of water. Thinking fast, George had heroically helped save him from the deadly water. George finally realized how he saved his brother’s life while gloomily staring at his grave, being informed by his optimistic guardian angel, Clarence, that all the soldiers Harry had saved in the air force died as well. Without George, his brother Harry, and the servicemen Harry had rescued, would’ve all met a tragic death, which George failed to

Show More
Related

  • Tony Palmer's Break Of Day

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tony Palmer, the author of “Break of Day”, tells a story that takes place in and out of war. The story follows a man named Murray Barrett who lives in the times of ww2. He ends up finding himself in the middle of it, down at Port Moresby. During the midst of war, Murray ends up coming across an injured Sid Archer, a childhood enemy and the man who stole Will’s (Murray’s older brother) childhood lover. Murray helps Sid instead of abandoning him, despite their childhood drama. In this book, Palmer really focuses on the themes of family, death, and bravery. He presents to us how complicated families can get, how people deal with death differently from others, and how there are many forms of bravery.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Struggling Back From War's Once Deadly Wounds

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    The heart wrenching tale of Jason Poole is an evident picture of the lost potentials of all the heavily injured veterans who came back to an entirely different “home”. Grady shows us that life as a veteran, who has put their life on the line to protect their country, after coming home is like having to start from scratch. “‘Jason was definitely a ladies’ man’, said Zillah Hodgkins, who had been a friend for nine years.” (5, Grady) Grady utilizes this quote by previously showing us the current state of

    Read More

  • The Guilt They Carried in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried

    1414 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the aftermath of a comparatively minor misfortune, all parties concerned seem to be eager to direct the blame to someone or something else. It seems so easy to pin down one specific mistake that caused everything else to go wrong in an everyday situation. However, war is a vastly different story. War is ambiguous, an enormous and intangible event, and it cannot simply be blamed for the resulting deaths for which it is indirectly responsible. Tim O’Brien’s story, “In the Field,” illustrates whom the soldiers turn to with the massive burden of responsibility for a tragedy. The horrible circumstances of war transform all involved and tinge them with an absurd feeling of personal responsibility as they struggle to cope.

    Read More

  • George Bailey: Obstacles Of Life

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Mr. Potter asked him to join his side so he could get more money, George thought better of himself and decided the best thing to do was to turn down the deal even though it was a once in a lifetime deal. George didn’t want to do it, but he at sometime had to face up to the problem of not getting to see the world like he wanted to when he was younger.

    Read More

  • Struggling Back From War’s Once-Deadly Wounds

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    The story of Jason Poole as presented by Grady is a clear picture of the ravage of the potentials of soldiers in the face of war, and the wrong priorities of the American government in spending billions of dollars for the war that have no clear advantage for them or the American people, that is worth dying for. The sending of potential young men and women in Iraq to sustain its war lacked the basic objective that warrant their sacrifices, as well as the billions of dollars spend in pursuing such unclear purpose that is wrongly labeled “war on terror.” As per records, American fatalities in Iraq as of January 20 stood at two thousand two hundred twenty five (2, 225), while casualties numbered at 16, 472 (The New York Times, par. 8). Grady cited that medical treatments for brain injuries in Iraq alone would cost fourteen billion dollars.

    Read More

  • On the Rainy River

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    Life can bring unexpected events that individuals might not be prepared to confront. This was the case of O’Brien in the story, “On the Rainy River” from the book The Things They Carried. As an author and character O’Brien describes his experiences about the Vietnam War. In the story, he faces the conflict of whether he should or should not go to war after being drafted. He could not imagine how tough fighting must be, without knowing how to fight, and the reason for such a war. In addition, O’Brien is terrified of the idea of leaving his family, friends and everything he loves behind. He decides to run away from his responsibility with the society. However, a feeling of shame and embarrassment makes him go to war. O’Brien considers himself a coward for doing something he does not agree with; on the other hand, thinking about the outcome of his decision makes him a brave man. Therefore, an individual that considers the consequences of his acts is nobler than a war hero.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Neutrality In My Brother Sam Is Dead

    890 Words  | 2 Pages

    Freedom is a positive outcome of war that people wish to achieve, but do people consider the negatives too? Major loss can come with the brutality of war. In my My Brother Sam is Dead the author helps you explore the negatives of war and the tough decisions for a young boy living through the American Revolution. The young boy, Tim, had to choose a side, to part with his brother as a Patriot or obey his father’s wants and be a Loyalist. After many traumatic events, including the harsh deaths of Jerry, Sam, and Life, Tim decides to stay neutral.

    Read More

  • The Hero’s Journey in Into The Wild, by John Krakauer

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chris’s personality exhibits the real foundation of the pattern of his heroic journey. The last thoughts of Chris McCandless were, “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless you all!” (Krakauer 199). This demonstrates how Chris had a kind and compassionate heart. His considerate...

    Read More

  • Similarities And Differences Between The Things They Carried And The Yellow Wallpaper

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    After an event of large magnitude, it still began to take its toll on the protagonist as they often “carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die” during the war (O’Brien 1187). The travesties that occurred with the brutality of war did not subside and began to affect those involved in a deeply emotional way. The multitude of disastrous happenings influenced the narrator to develop a psychological handicap to death by being “afraid of dying” although being “even more afraid to show it” (O’Brien 1187). The burden caused by the war creates fear inside the protagonist’s mind, yet if he were to display his sense of distress it would cause a deeper fear for those around him, thus making the thought of exposing the fear even more frightening. The emotional battle taking place in the psyche of the narrator is directly repressed by the war.

    Read More

  • Happiness In The Great Gatsby

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Son, if you make it to Queens, our time in Canada would truly be worth it.” This phrase was brought back into my mind while reading Fitzgerald 's “The Great Gatsby.” I saw myself in Gatsby, a man with the drive to change his live. I often imagine the readers of this novel thinking “Gatsby was driven to go from rags to riches, he must be happy!” Unfortunately, drive alone cannot make a man happy, effective actions and a fulfilling goal is just as important. Gatsby died a sad man for his criminal actions and terrible goal. I may not be great, but I sure am happy!

    Read More

  • Just Mercy Summary

    233 Words  | 1 Pages

    It all began when George got into a car accident, late night in Houston, Texas. When he woke up, he walked home without seeking any medical check-ups. He didn’t know that he suffered major brain damage. Within a week he stopped speaking in sentences and started to hallucinate. One night he suddenly rode the bus as far as it would take him, all the way to Hurtsboro, Alabama and was forcefully taken off. He barged into peoples’ houses being unsociable until one woman called the police on

    Read More

  • Themes of Loyalty and Devotion in “Of Mice and Men”

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    George shows extreme devotion and loyalty to Lennie by serving as Lennie’s “guardian angel”. Ever since Lennie's Aunt Clara had passed away, George has been caring for Lennie, providing Lennie with daily essentials including food and companionship, trying to give Lennie a life filled with honest labor, despite Lennie’s disadvantage. Most people would view Lennie as a mentally-ill person, and some may even take advantage of him. Instead, George takes Lennie’s life into his own hands and protects Lennie by watching over him. After all, they are both interdependent with one another; they both need one another. Lennie cannot think for himself and therefore depends on George’s intelligence to make good choices for him, allowing him to survive. On the other hand, George is a small man and requires Le...

    Read More

  • George Bailey's A Wonderful Life

    344 Words  | 1 Pages

    Some people’s lives are going great until one bad thing happens they want to end it. George Bailey’s life was going great until $8,000 was lost. George did not feel the need to live anymore, but if he did not live he would not have any children, his brother Harry would not be alive, Harry would not be able to join the army and save people. “It’s a Wonderful Life” displays every single person’s life has a purpose.

    Read More

  • War and Memory in Irene Zabytko?s ?Home Soil?, Bruce Weigl?s ?Song of Napalm?, and Wilfred Owen?s ?Dulce et Decorum Est?

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the story “Home Soil” by Irene Zabytko, the reader is enlightened about a boy who was mentally and emotionally drained from the horrifying experiences of war. The father in the story knows exactly what the boy is going through, but he cannot help him, because everyone encounters his or her own recollection of war. “When their faces are contorted from sucking the cigarette, there is an unmistakable shadow of vulnerability and fear of living. That gesture and stance are more eloquent than the blood and guts war stories men spew over their beers” (Zabytko 492). The father, as a young man, was forced to reenact some of the same obligations, yet the father has learne...

    Read More

  • Stereotypes in Of Mice and Men

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    George is pretty much in charge of Lennie and is the brains of the operation. He thinks very big of himself and thinks he's got the rest of his life planned out. He wants to own a farm someday with Lennie. He really likes to cuss and get drunk on Friday night. He always says to Lennie "If you weren't around I would have a job by now," but he really cares about him. At the end George puts Lennie out of his misery and shoots him. He said "it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life."

    Read More

More about Purpose And Meaning Of It's A Wonderful Life

Open Document