American Spirits And Society In Forrest Gump

Student’s Name Course Instructor Date American Spirits in Forrest Gump The film Forrest Gump centers on the life of a young man who from an early age is perceived to be slow-witted because of having a very low intelligence quotient of 75. However, later in life, he chooses to join the army and his life takes a new direction. As Gump meets and interacts with the most influential people in America, he is no longer viewed as the boy with a low IQ. Through determination and hard work, he successfully manages to break free the standards society had put for him as a child with deformities and a low IQ. In the end, he becomes a representation of the true American spirit by showing great optimism, bravery, and the virtue of friendship. In general, these values and virtues are what show the American identity. Forrest Gump has been used as a social mediator for the American society during the times of division as a representation of that which can bring redemption to the nation. True to the American spirit and identity, the movie is a great depiction of optimism. This value is shown through the experiences of the lead character Forrest Gump. As stated before, Gump was seen as a slow-witted child with a low IQ and who was not expected to achieve much by most of those he interacted with. For example, the principle showed reluctance to allow him join public school like other children because he was “different” from others. Despite such challenges, Gump continues believing in his potential especially with his mother constantly reminding him that he is not different from the others. His optimism is also seen during the incident of the storm as they went about their shrimping business. All other shrimp boats remained anchored in the port because of the oncoming storm. Instead of joining them, Gump and his friend set out with their boat into the storm. Interestingly, when the storm was over only Gump’s shrimp boat survived as those that remained at the port had been destroyed by the storm. With less competition, his business picks up and his company becomes the most successful in America. Ideally, optimism is shown through his adventurous nature that made him to go out into the storm while others chose to hide from the same not knowing what was in store for them. In relation to optimism in Forrest Gump, Boyle examines this from the parallel lives of Gump and Jenny, his friend since childhood. While it is clear that both have had bitter experiences as children, Grump approaches life with a determined spirit, while Jenny chooses the path of self-destruction (Boyle N.p). Surprisingly, the supposedly slow-witted Gump goes ahead to get a college degree as well as joining the All-American football team. On the other hand, Jenny’s wayward behaviors lead to the college throwing her out. A determined Gump joins the army after graduation and later on, he becomes a millionaire of great renown. However, fate is not so kind on Jenny who struggles with drugs, prostitution, abuse, and ends up quite miserable. From the above, Boyle notes that Gump is an embodiment of the values of a nation. On her part, Jenny is viewed as a representation of the self-destructive nature of the anti-war and counterculture movement. Through her death, the movie seems to indicate the death of the undesirable family values that are otherwise shown in the character of Gump. In Forrest Gump, the character Gump is an embodiment of courage and bravery. This case is especially true considering the events during the Vietnam War. The American side was overpowered with many soldiers killed and a lot more injured. In the face of all this Gump was brave enough to save as many men as he could, including the lieutenant. Unfortunately, he did not manage to save his close friend Bubba who ended up dying in his arms. Earlier on in the movie, his courage is also shown when he has to deal with the constant bullying and taunting from the other students because of his deformity. Instead of succumbing to this, he gathers the courage to break free from this using the encouragement given by his friend. His friend tells him to “run”, and it is only after trying it that he breaks from the leg braces. In the process, his exceptional ability as an athlete is discovered and opens up many other opportunities for him. That Forrest Gump is a depiction of courage and bravery is a fact that is echoed in the article by Bolton. According to him, the move, through the character Gump, is a representation of courage and his approach to life can be used in business (Bolton N.p). It is generally acknowledged in the movie that people are prone to making mistakes and t have some shortcomings. Gump affirms this when he says “stupid is as stupid does.” By saying this, he emphasizes the need for people to accept these shortcomings and take responsibility for them. Closely related to courage and bravery is the issue of endurance. The American spirit advocates for endurance and the need to take part in performing selfless acts. Evidently, this is part of what makes up democracy. Considering this, Forrest Gump has shown how one man performed various acts of selflessness all the while enduring the challenges. In the movie, Gump is seen saving many of his fellow soldiers despite the dangerous circumstances during the Vietnam War. It is interesting how he has reached such a position when society did not expect much from a person such as him. Initially, from a young age Gump had been ridiculed because of his physical and intellectual incompetency. By c...