How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from It's a Wonderful Life.
Quote #4
POTTER: Forty-five. Forty-five. Out of which, after supporting your mother and paying your bills, you're able to keep, say, 10, if you skimp. A child or two comes along, and you won't even be able to save the 10. Now, if this young man of 28 was a common, ordinary yokel, I'd say he was doing fine. But George Bailey is not a common, ordinary yokel. He's an intelligent, smart, ambitious young man—who hates his job, who hates the Building and Loan almost as much as I do. A young man who's been dying to get out on his own ever since he was born. A young man ... the smartest one of the crowd, mind you, a young man who has to sit by and watch his friends go places because he's trapped. Yes, sir, trapped into frittering his life away playing nursemaid to a lot of garlic-eaters. Do I paint a correct picture, or do I exaggerate?
Mr. Potter has insight into George Bailey's deepest anxieties, and he hits him where it hurts most. He feeds George's doubts about himself and his disappointment in being stuck in Bedford Falls. Coming from someone else, this might be a sympathetic, supportive comment. But, this is Henry Potter, who really doesn't care about George at all. He just wants to take over his business.
Quote #5
GEORGE: It's this old house. I don't know why we don't all have pneumonia. Drafty old barn of a place. It's like growing up living in a refrigerator. Why do we have to live here in the first place and stay around this measly, crummy old town?
MARY: George, what's wrong?
GEORGE: Wrong? Everything. Why, you call this a happy family? Why do we have to have all these kids?
What's really bothering George is that Uncle Billy lost $8,000 of the Building and Loan's money, which could end up landing George in prison. But, his anxiety about this morphs into a kind of generalized dissatisfaction and anxiety about his life. All of his worries come bubbling to the surface. He even resents his children. George is just not himself.
Quote #6
POTTER: Look at you. You used to be so cocky! You were going to go out and conquer the world! You once called me a warped, frustrated old man. What are you but a warped, frustrated young man? A miserable little clerk crawling in here on your hands and knees and begging for help.
Potter twists the knife as George reaches his lowest point. Kicking a man when he's down is what he does best. He throws all of George's "failures" in his face.