In this article, Stricker emphasizes the value of the masses in five of Capra’s films: American Madness, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe, and It’s a Wonderful Life.  In each of these films, the hero is a small town person that conquers the establishment.  What is most notable, however, is that Stricker explains that the hero could not accomplish his goals without the help of the masses.  In the case of It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey and the Building and Loan could not have survived were it not for the masses of people that gave him money in a time of trouble.  These masses are only there for him because he was there for them.  Therefore, the underlying current is that both the hero and the masses need each other in order to survive. 
    This article is significant because it ties together a theme in five of Capra’s films. We come to the understanding for why George Bailey was actually saved.  He was saved because he inadvertently set himself up to be saved.  Bailey returned to his house with no expectations that the crowds would arrive to save him.  He had not spent his life helping people afford homes in order to save himself in the future.  However, good things happen to good people, and the masses were there to help him.  This article is especially significant because it does not overlook the role of everyone else.  Even with his resurrection to appreciate his own life, George Bailey could not have been saved without Mary’s assemblage and the townspeople’s money.  Therefore, this article emphasizes the parallel needs of George and those of the masses.

Stricker, Frank. "Repressing the working class: Individualism and the masses in Frank Capra's films." Labor History. 31.4 (1990) p. 454-467