It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ll be totally honest with you. Some years I watch a lot of holiday films, some years not so much. But this is a film I watch every year. So, a major motivator was just to share a holiday movie I love with my students. And at first glance, it might seem like just another heartwarming holiday film. But looking closer, there’s a lot of literary depth to explore.

Ever notice how George Bailey’s story feels strangely familiar when you’re teaching other texts? There’s a reason for that – It’s a Wonderful Life subtly reshapes one of literature’s most fundamental narratives: the hero’s journey.

The “Reverse Odyssey” I Am So Excited About

While The Odyssey shows us a hero desperate to return home, It’s a Wonderful Life inverts this classic pattern. George Bailey desperately wants to leave Bedford Falls, keeps getting prevented from doing so, and finally accepts staying through divine intervention. Instead of defeating external monsters, he battles internal demons. Rather than returning changed by his journey, he’s transformed by not taking it.

“I’m shakin’ the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I’m gonna see the world.” – George Bailey

Instead of a hero fighting to return home, we have George Bailey, a man desperate to escape his hometown. 

Film Connection #1: The Odyssey

Beyond the obvious structural parallel, both texts explore:

• How divine intervention shapes human choices
• What makes someone truly heroic
• The tension between individual glory and community good
• The meaning of “home” as both place and purpose

Through a series of divine interventions (a literary device in its own right), George comes to realize that his true heroism lies in the impact he’s had on his community by staying put.

“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” – Clarence

This inversion of the traditional hero’s journey opens up so many rich discussion opportunities. How does this reshape our understanding of heroism? What role do external forces play in shaping our lives? How do we balance individual desires with community responsibility? It’s the kind of meaty stuff that our literature-loving hearts crave.

But while Odysseus must leave to become a hero, George’s heroism comes from staying – a profound reimagining of what makes someone great.

Film Connection #2: Fahrenheit 451

When Montag begins questioning his society, he mirrors George’s growing awareness that:

• Small acts of resistance matter
• Human connection counters systemic problems
• Individual choices can transform communities
• True wealth isn’t measured in dollars

The Building & Loan becomes George’s subtle resistance against Potter’s systemic control, just as Montag’s book preservation defies his society’s enforced ignorance.

Film Connection #3: The Great Gatsby

Both texts fundamentally examine the American Dream, but through different lenses:

• Material success vs meaningful life
• The cost of ambition
• Class mobility and barriers
• The weight of unrealized dreams

The American Dream…deconstructed. You may have taught The Great Gatsby and discussed the pursuit of wealth and status as a path to happiness. But George Bailey’s journey offers an interesting counterpoint. In choosing family and community over financial gain time and again, George challenges the very notion of what it means to succeed.

Putting these two texts in conversation with each other can lead to some really great comparative analysis. How do different characters define happiness and fulfillment? What does each text say about the attainability of the American Dream? 

While Gatsby chases wealth to win love, George repeatedly chooses love and community over wealth – showing two paths through similar desires.

Thematic Threads Across Literature

The more I dive into It’s a Wonderful Life, the more connections I find to the texts we all know and love. The struggle of the Building & Loan to provide affordable housing? Shades of A Raisin in the Sun. George’s grappling with unfulfilled dreams and social responsibility? Echoes of “Harlem.” The use of supernatural elements to illuminate a character’s impact? Macbeth, anyone?

Film Connection #4: A Raisin in the Sun

Both stories examine:

• Dreams deferred or transformed
• Housing as economic justice
• Family sacrifices
• Community vs individual advancement

“This town is no place for any man unless he’s willing to crawl to Potter.” – George Bailey

The Building & Loan’s mission parallels the Younger family’s housing dreams, showing how property ownership shapes possibility.

Film Connection #5: Macbeth

The supernatural elements in both texts reveal crucial truths:

• Choices shape identity
• Power corrupts differently when refused vs pursued
• Community ties both constrain and support
• Divine intervention can illuminate or darken

Potter’s path could be seen as Macbeth’s, while George chooses a different response to ambition.

Beyond the Holiday Cheer: Leveraging It’s a Wonderful Life for Meaningful Literary Analysis

Incorporating It’s a Wonderful Life into your curriculum is a practical and engaging way to explore literary concepts and themes. Here are some resources to help you effectively use this film in your classroom:

• Viewing Guide: Provides students with a structured way to actively watch the film and note key elements such as plot, characterization, theme, and symbolism.
• Socratic Seminar Questions: Encourages thoughtful discussion and analysis of the film’s central ideas and connections to other literary works.
• Building & Loan Symbolism Activity: Guides students in examining how the Building & Loan functions as a symbol within the film and how it relates to larger themes.
• Critical Lenses Jigsaw: Allows students to collaboratively analyze the film through different lenses, deepening their understanding of how perspective shapes interpretation.

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Ultimately, December teaching shouldn’t mean choosing between meaningful analysis and manageable planning. With the right frameworks, you can have both.