The Greatest Gift and It's a Wonderful Life 
Compare & Contrast Essay
Megan Vdb
Period 4 English
2/4/15
In this piece we will be comparing and contrasting aspects of the short story “
The
Greatest Gift
,” by Philip Van Stern and the movie, “Its a Wonderful Life” by
Frank Capra
.
I will be explaining both my opinion, and the facts of both of these stories. This will help us to understand the similarities and differences of the characters, the plot and the point of view. I hope this will also help us comprehend the lesson, the specific details, and meanings of these two wonderful stories. In “The Greatest Gift” a considerate and nurturing man named George Pratt has some significant problems that cause him to spiral down into depression. He believes his life is unworthy and his perception of himself is very low. He hasn’t been able to see the good in life. He has been a “cup half empty” person for too long and he makes the horrible decision to commit suicide. He is walking in the streets at night until he comes to a bridge and he stands there to think. Just when he begins to lean closer to the edge a complete stranger quietly speaks, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” George resentfully turns around to see the stranger and asks him, “Wouldn’t do what?” The stranger responds, “What you were thinking of doing.” George asks how he knows what he was thinking and the stranger replys, “Oh, we make it our business to know a lot of things.” By this time I assumed that he was some kind of
guardian angel. George continues to speak to the stranger, and in a rant of how unworthy his life is he blurted out, “In fact, I wish I’d never been born!” The angelic stanger proceeded to grant the wish George didn’t really want, but it was too late. George didn’t exist. So the stranger gave him a satchel of brushes each with a blue handle and varicolored bristles to
“give out”. However, the brushes were really the key for George being able to get inside peoples houses. How else was he
Megan Vdb
Period 4 English
2/4/15
In this piece we will be comparing and contrasting aspects of the short story “
The
Greatest Gift
,” by Philip Van Stern and the movie, “Its a Wonderful Life” by
Frank Capra
.
I will be explaining both my opinion, and the facts of both of these stories. This will help us to understand the similarities and differences of the characters, the plot and the point of view. I hope this will also help us comprehend the lesson, the specific details, and meanings of these two wonderful stories. In “The Greatest Gift” a considerate and nurturing man named George Pratt has some significant problems that cause him to spiral down into depression. He believes his life is unworthy and his perception of himself is very low. He hasn’t been able to see the good in life. He has been a “cup half empty” person for too long and he makes the horrible decision to commit suicide. He is walking in the streets at night until he comes to a bridge and he stands there to think. Just when he begins to lean closer to the edge a complete stranger quietly speaks, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” George resentfully turns around to see the stranger and asks him, “Wouldn’t do what?” The stranger responds, “What you were thinking of doing.” George asks how he knows what he was thinking and the stranger replys, “Oh, we make it our business to know a lot of things.” By this time I assumed that he was some kind of
guardian angel. George continues to speak to the stranger, and in a rant of how unworthy his life is he blurted out, “In fact, I wish I’d never been born!” The angelic stanger proceeded to grant the wish George didn’t really want, but it was too late. George didn’t exist. So the stranger gave him a satchel of brushes each with a blue handle and varicolored bristles to
“give out”. However, the brushes were really the key for George being able to get inside peoples houses. How else was he