KELLOGG,
Christopher
American Hero
WRA135:5-F05
John A. Dowell, instructor
last update: 11/15/05
Assignment
900 Words
The
American Hero's Journey as Portrayed in "It's A Wonderful Life"
When
most Americans think
of the word "hero" what usually comes to mind is a character like
Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Most
people don't think of the every day heroes, a single mother working two
jobs to
support her children for instance, that look just like everyone else. These are the real heroes, the ones that
affect our every day lives in great and significant ways.
George Bailey is this type of hero, a man who
every day thought of the other people around him, even when it meant
his own
dreams would never be realized.
George
was born to a
working class family in the town of Bedford Falls. George's
father worked at the Bailey Brother's Building and
Loan
Association, which provided loans for people to build their own homes. George never wanted to take over his family
business, but after his father died from a stroke, he was forced to. If George had not taken his father's place
Mr. Potter, the wealthiest man in town, would have closed the Building
and Loan
Association. George does not forget the
less fortunate in Bedford Falls and decides to help them, unlike in John
Grisham's
"Somewhere for Everyone." This
is the first time in George's life that he had to give up one of his
dreams,
traveling all over the world before heading off to college.
George
was heartbroken
because his "American dream" of graduating from college and building
huge, impressive structures would never be realized.
This was the first test of George's
character. Unlike Charles Stuart, as
discussed in Charles Derber's "The Good Man Fills His Own Stomach,"
George Bailey did not react in a way that would harm anyone around him
when his
dreams were lost. Stuart on the other
hand murdered his wife and unborn child for their life insurance so he
could
open a restaurant, his lifelong dream. Mr.
Bailey continued working at the job he hated, fighting
with Mr.
Potter the whole time.
By
the time that the Great
Depression hit, George and his business were doing well.
George had just married Mary Hatch and was
about to set off on his honeymoon to New York and then to Bermuda. After
driving by his business
on the way out of town, George noticed that no one could get in to his
Building
and Loan office. George learns that
everyone wants to withdraw their money because of the depression and
convinces
all the people to instead take some of his money that was to be used
for his
honeymoon, to hold them over. If George
had not given away his money, everyone would have taken all of their
business
to Mr. Potter, who had been trying to run George out of business for
years. George never gets to leave Bedford Falls
for his honeymoon; all but $2 of his $2000 he had saved for the trip
was given
away to the townspeople.
After
giving his money
away, George starts to become depressed. He
is offered a very high paying job by Mr. Potter, but knows
if he
takes it all of the less fortunate townspeople will fall on even harder
times
because of Potter. This is one of the
hardest things ever to happen to George, in and instant he turns down
Potter
and the last chance of him realizing his dreams. George
continues to be the hero of the town,
fighting Potter from taking over the entire town. Using
his words and his head, George outwits
Potter time and again. In this regard
George truly isn't the stereotypical hero. He
doesn't need to use his super-human strength to defeat the
forces of
evil. He doesn't even need to raise a
fist in anger towards Potter, unlike the Guardian Angels in P.J.
O'Rourke's
"Slamming and Jamming." The
Guardian Angels use violence to reduce drugs and the culture associated
with
them in New
York,
while George only uses his brain and determination
to help his friends and those that are less fortunate.
Through
all of this
hardship George becomes increasingly discouraged. After
George's Uncle Billy misplaces $8000
dollars that was to be deposited in the bank for George's Building and
Loan
business, George faces his worst hardship yet. Without
the money, George faces a scandal that would send him
to jail
and then realizes that he is "worth more dead than alive."
George contemplates taking his own life so
that his insurance policy will provide for his family, but is rescued
by his
guardian angel. George could potentially
lose his whole way of life. As discussed
in Katherine Newman's "American Nightmare," moving down in social
class is a very scary and real thing many people have to deal with.
After
returning home,
George sees all of the townspeople coming over to donate money to his
business
to keep it afloat. Even George's brother
Harry is there, returning from World War II and makes a toast to George
saying
that he is truly the "richest man in town." Though
never having a great deal of money,
nor living his dream of designing buildings and other important
structures,
George Bailey is a true American hero. He
sacrificed all of his dreams and ambitions in order to help
those
around him. He never rescued anyone from
a burning building or put evildoers behind bars, but George Bailey
helped
everyone around him and is truly one of the greatest American heroes.
Derber, Charles.
The Good Man Fills His Own Stomach. Money,
Murder, and the American Dream. 1992.
Available from:
http://www.msu.edu/%7ejdowell/135/CDerber.html Accessed
2005 Nov 15. <>
Grisham, John. Somewhere For Everyone. Newsweek. 1998
Feb 9. Available from:
http://www.msu.edu/%
7ejdowell/135/Somewhere.html Accessed 2005
Nov 15.
Newman, Katherine S.
American Nightmares. Falling from
Grace: The Experience of
Downward Mobility in the American
Middle Class. 1988. Available
from:
http://www.msu.edu/%7ejdowell/135/KNewman.html Accessed 2005 Nov 15.
O'Rourke, P.J. Slamming and Jamming. Parliament of Whores. 1991. Available from: http://www.msu.edu/%
7ejdowell/135/PJORourke.html Accessed
2005 Nov 15.