Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Essay Questions

How is Mr. Smith selected to become a United States Senator?

Mr. Jefferson Smith becomes the choice for Senator because of a coin toss by Happy Hopper, the governor of Mr. Smith's home state. The reason that Mr. Hopper flips a coin is that he must decide between a potential reformer candidate and a stooge chosen by bullying political boss, Jim Taylor—neither of which he is excited about. When Hopper flips a coin, it lands on its side on top of an article about Jefferson Smith, a local man whom Hopper's children adore. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Hopper picks Smith, hoping to both please his children and present Jim Taylor with a candidate who won't ask too many questions.

What is the significance of the filibuster?

Mr. Smith takes control of the Senate floor with a filibuster at the end of the film in order to stop them from disgracing his name. He's been accused of Jim Taylor's crimes as a way of deflecting attention away from Jim Taylor and Senator Paine's corruption and preserve the greedy deal that Paine is trying to pass for the Willet Creek Dam. The filibuster is significant because it represents that Mr. Smith is making a stand against corruption and fighting as hard as he can to preserve his good name. His willingness to call a filibuster represents his commitment to his own integrity and to the integrity of the United States government.

How is Mr. Smith's innocence revealed?

Paine, an older senator who opposed Smith initially, comes back onto the Senate floor to reveal the truth and let the senators know that Smith is telling the truth. Seeing just how far Smith is willing to go to fight for his ideals, and haunted by the memory of Smith's father, a friend of his who died fighting for what he believed in, Paine has a change of heart and decides to sacrifice his own reputation in order to align himself with what is right.

Why does Saunders help Smith?

Saunders has been in Washington a long time, and has herself grown cynical about the rampant corruption of politics. While she was perhaps never quite as idealistic as Smith, she is taken in by his sense of possibility, his love of country, and his desire to shake things up in Washington. Seeing an opportunity to put her own knowledge of the system to use, and charmed by the newbie, Saunders offers to help Smith in his campaign to take down Paine and Taylor by teaching Smith about the ways he can derail the Senate meeting to save his reputation.

What makes Smith a natural in politics?

Ironically enough, it turns out that the qualities that appear to make Smith ill-equipped to play hardball in Washington are the very qualities that give him the stamina to stand up for what is right. He has a deep love of country, a stalwart sense of what is right, and resilience and determination in spades, all of which allow him to articulate his vision of a better America.