Crows and Squirrels (Symbols)
Uncle Billy, the absentminded brother of George Bailey's mother, works at the Building and Loan, and keeps a number of animals. One animal, a black crow, he keeps in the office itself. The crow symbolizes the fact that the Building and Loan company is constantly on the verge of closing down, as crows symbolize death. Especially in the scene in which there is a bank run and people are planning to withdraw their money from the building and loan, the crow symbolizes that the company is on the verge of collapse.
Additionally, the crow and the squirrel that Billy keeps at home symbolize Billy's general eccentricity, his desire to care for animals rather than focusing on business.
Coconut (Symbol)
Early in the film we see young George give Mary coconut on her ice cream after describing it as a tropical fruit from far away Tahiti. The coconut is a symbol for George's dreams and his plans to travel the world. It represents the fact that he has done a lot of research about the rest of the world and is interested in exploring and adventuring.
The Honeymoon Suite (Symbol)
On the night that George and Mary must skip their honeymoon in order to help keep the Building and Loan survive, Mary and some friends fix up the old dilapidated mansion in town and turn it into a makeshift honeymoon spot. Mary also informs George that she has purchased the house for them to live in. As George wanders into the house, it is leaking from the rain and in a state of complete disrepair. In spite of this, Mary and others have hung up posters of exotic travel destinations, a record is playing, the table is set, and two chickens are roasting on an open fire next to the dining table. The house, dilapidated but warmed by love and ingenuity, represents George and Mary's shared ability to make the best out of any situation, no matter how disappointing. They are undeterred by having to give away their honeymoon savings, and find joy in the unusual circumstances of their honeymoon.
"George lassoes the moon" (Symbol)
After their first date, Mary gets an illustration of George lassoing the moon, a highfalutin' and dreamy promise he made to her as they were falling in love. She keeps the illustration in memory of her love for him, and it represents the fact that Mary admires George's imagination and romantic spirit.
On the night that George declines the offer from Potter to work for him and take a pay raise, he returns home and looks at the illustration. In this moment, the illustration represents the fact that he is turning down opportunities to see the world and achieve his dreams in order to do what's right. Suddenly, it has a different symbolic meaning, representing the sacrifices that George is willing to make.
The Plot Itself (Allegory)
The plot of the film itself, and the narrative in which a guardian angel comes down to help a suicidal man learn to value life, is an allegory. Clarence's mission with George, and the ways that he shows him what life would be like without him, represents the value of life: the fact that everyone is important in the formation and meaning of the world.
