Literature Review: Forrest Gump
Source: http://www.aleuto.org/forrest-gump-1994-full-hd-1080p-full-movie-online/
The movie revolves around the life of Forrest Gump, the main actor. He was a Southerner raised by a single mother. His intelligence abilities are mentioned as being just below average. A “Gump” is defined in the dictionary as an idiot. His mother offers him advice that life is full of surprise, you never know what might come your way. During grade school, he is able to escape from bullies due to his fast running abilities that he achieved through his ability to focus on one goal. This ability is demonstrated in his life experiences as he jumps from one profession to another depending on his passions. Throughout the movie, he accomplishes several achievements such as joining the army, becoming the army’s ping pong champion, saving his platoon, opening a shrimp business with his former army lieutenant and running across the country for fun.
In this movie, it is evident that Forrest Gump is a successful man in life regardless of the fact that the movie describes him as a man with normal intelligence capabilities. He is able to achieve his goals through his relentless passion and determination drawn from his mother’s advice on life. Regardless of the fact that he is from a single parent family, Gump makes it in life contrary to the society’s expectations and cultural misconceptions that single-parent children have fewer chances of success in life. Gump is also a social man as he makes a friend by the name Bubba during his army years. Their friendship is true and loyal as evidenced in the part where Gump decides to delve into the shrimp business with his former army lieutenant so that he could fulfill a promise he had made to Bubba.
During his years in elementary school, a girl called Jenny approaches him after she is rejected by everybody else in the school. Gump helps her and their relationship continues for many years after they complete elementary school. He stays true to her during all those years despite Jenny being a heavy user of hard narcotics. Finally, Gump’s patience and trust is rewarded later in the movie when she marries him. This proves the belief that everybody, regardless of how bad they may seem, can change for the better if the society offers them a helping hand instead of isolation and discrimination.
The movie relates to the American history and society through events that Gump undergoes. Throughout his life, several presidents take office, the University of Alabama is desegregated and the Vietnam War occurs to name just a few. However, despite the changing times in the American society, Gump is able to live the “American Dream” where he goes to school, joins the army, gets married and becomes a successful businessman. Through these actions, the movie is sending a message to the society that anybody who is relentless, sincere and selfless in his/her dealings and interactions with other people. The general idea here is that the cultural perception that only a select elite few are assured of success in life should be replaced by a mindset that success depends on one’s efforts and not your origin.
His mother tells him that he should not accept negative criticism from people that he is inferior to other people or less of a human being. That he should view himself as being capable of achieving anything in life through application of his full potential as a person. His mother even agrees to sleep with the principal so that Gump can secure a place in the school. This shows that his mother believes education is for all people regardless of one’s background status. However, throughout the movie, Gump refers to himself as an idiot. This movie shows satire in that it sends a message to the audience [the society] to change its mindset on life while at the same time shows scenes of the society disregarding such advice and believing in the self-destructive idea that some people are better than others.
Many people can identify with several, if not all scenes that make up this movie. The society holds certain beliefs that success in life is difficult to achieve especially for those that possess average human capabilities. According to society, only the very intelligent and financially-able achieve the “American Dream”. However, the underlying message throughout the entire movie is that life offers us equal chances and opportunities in life. Success begins at the individual level when one believes that he/she can accomplish something through personal effort and persistence. Gump is a simple man yet he even meets the president due to his commendable achievements in football. The message in this scene is that one does not have to do great things for his/her efforts to be recognized, just start with the small things you are good in and are passionate about- like Gump did with football.
However, since the society is made up of me and you, the questions that the movie puts across are; what are you doing as a person to achieve success and help others in achieving their dreams? Does the society’s view on success in life inhibit you in achieving your full potential?
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