Joan Adamaitis Agerholm at 2012-12-19 12:55:27:
We meet the main characters in “It’s A Wonderful Life” very quickly in ACT I:
(in order of appearance):
* Clarence Odbody – Mentor – a 293-year old Angel, Second Class. Appears first as a star in the heavens and receives his assignment; watches key events in George Bailey’s life; travels to earth at the All Is Lost Moment.
* George Bailey – Protagonist
* Harry Bailey – Trickster #1; Kid Brother
* Henry F. Potter – Nemesis – “The richest and meanest man in the county”.
* Mary Hatch – Attractor; she later becomes Mrs. George Bailey
* Uncle Billy – Trickster #2
Key dynamics of the Protagonist:
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Protagonist George Bailey’s Disunity:
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1a) Protagonist’s Want # 1 = to go exploring. To see the world.
* Quote: “I want [a suitcase] for a thousand and one nights, with plenty of room for labels from Italy, and Baghdad, Samarkand . . . a great big one” (p.19).
* Quote: “A young man who’s been dying to get out on his own ever since the day he was born”(Mr. Potter, p. 91).
1b) Protagonist’s Want # 2 = to become a builder.
* Quote: “You know what I’ve always talked about – build things . . . design new buildings – plan modern cities – all that stuff I was talking about”(p.27).
* Quote: “I’m going to build things. I’m gonna build air fields. I’m gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high. I’m gonna build bridges a mile long . . .” (p.38).
* Quote: “I want to do something big and something important”(p.28).
2) Protagonist’s Need = to appreciate what he already has, all around him.
3) Protagonist's Biggest Fear = staying trapped in tiny Bedford Falls forever.
* Quote: “Oh, now, Pop, I couldn’t. I couldn’t face being cooped up for the rest of my life in a shabby little office”(p.28).
* Quote: “ . . . Most of my friends have already finished college. I just feel like if I don’t get away, I’d bust”(p.28).
4) Protagonist's Flaws:
* Flaw # 1 = Lost his hearing in his left ear (p.5). This hurts George (he’s declared 4-F by the draft board, and therefore can’t serve his country during wartime – while his younger brother Harry does serve, travels to a foreign country, and wins the Congressional Medal of Honor). Later, in ACT III, this problem/flaw helps George after he declares to Clarence (in the Toll House on the bridge): “I wish I’d never been born” (p.136). When he discovers that his hearing is perfect, George starts to realize that something is different.
* Flaw # 2 = Has a heart of gold: George loans mortgage money to the community long-term, but he makes business decisions with his heart, not with his head. Sometimes doesn’t even ask for paperwork. This contributes to keeping the B&L company income very low, giving Mr. Potter (Nemesis) more power over the financially weak George.
* Quote: “Here, Ed. You know, you remember last year when things weren’t going so well, and you couldn’t make your payments. You didn’t lose your house, did you? Do you think Potter would have let you keep it?” (p.77).
* Scene Description: He (George) pulls money from his pocket, and offers it to her (Violet). (p.109).
* Quote: “What do you want to do, hock your furs, and that hat? Want to walk to New York?” (p.109).
* Quote: “It’s a loan. That’s my business. Building and Loan. Besides, you’ll get a job. Good luck to you” (p.109).
By the Dénouement, is Protagonist George Bailey in Unity? Or is he still in Disunity? Do his wants and needs come together?
Sure, George initially “wants” to see the world and “wants” to build big things. But by sacrificing those goals so that he could serve others – his family; his community – he finally understands that he has lived the life he “needed” to live. It just took George several decades, and with the help of Clarence the Ancient Angel, to figure that all out.
By the end of the story, George desperately wants to live, and the community desperately needs him there in Bedford Falls. He is a hero to every person living in that small town.
That sure sounds like Unity to me.
* Quote: “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” (Clarence, p.152).
John A.