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Fate Portrayed in Forrest Gump Essays

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A general theme in Forrest Gump is fate. We see it everywhere; in Jenny, in Lieutenant Dan, in the feather, the box of chocolates, even Forrest himself. The film tells the story of Forrest’s life. The good and the bad, the people he meets, the things he accomplishes, and the hardships he faces are all part of a plan. Fate can be pretty funny. Forrest started out with bad legs, no friends, and no education but throughout the movie he makes many friends, saves lives, becomes very wealthy, and marries the girl of his dreams. Forrest doesn’t know or care about what’s going on half the time and he just blissfully floats around like a feather in the breeze. He does what he’s told without asking questions. It is clear that fate is in …show more content…

She said this about the feather: “The feather symbolizes how you go through life. The feather can symbolize also destiny because there is no accident kind of life, you are destined to be there at the right time, right place and right moment. As the feather floats on the wind it also symbolizes tranquility and peacefulness. As Forrest Gump said; ‘I don’t know if we each have a destiny or if we’re all just floating’ around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it’s both.’” Jenny wishes to be a bird so she can fly far away from her problems and what do birds have? Feathers. Jenny is like a bird in a lot of ways. She’s a free spirit; she hitchhikes from town to town and experiments with drugs. She refuses to be put in a cage, she wants to fly. By the end however, Jenny does decide she wants to find a nest and settle down with Forrest and their son. Now, Lieutenant Dan is all about fate and destiny. He insisted for the longest time that his destiny was to die in battle just like so many of his family members before him. But Forrest comes along and changes his fate for him, gives him a new and arguably better destiny. If he hadn’t saved Dan’s life, Forrest’s shrimping business might not have become as successful and he would never have gotten involved with Apple. This of course also means that Bubba’s family, the church, and the hospital wouldn’t have gotten those generous donations.

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