Word Count: 1,124 Random Chocolates When you open a box of assorted chocolates, what do you see? Some people look, and they know that there are some chocolates mixed in that are absolutely horrid, and they do their best to escape them. Others see the candies and know that one of them will be their demise, but they eat them all anyways. However, a few people gaze into the box and see an opportunity for surprise with each morsel. In the movie Forrest Gump, the concept of destiny is viewed by the characters in various different ways. Lieutenant Dan believes in predetermined destiny, Jenny spends her entire life trying to take control of her destiny, and Forrest simply takes life one step at a time, believing that destiny is about the …show more content…
Lt. Dan lives his life so everyone knows exactly what he believes in. When Forrest Gump and his good friend Bubba first encounter their new Lieutenant in Vietnam, Forrest already knows that “he was from a long, great military tradition”. Dan’s belief that his destiny is predetermined, and that he is going to die in an American war is not debatable. In Forrest’s word’s, “you could say he had a lot to live up to”. Therefore, when Forrest saves Lieutenant Dan’s life when their squadron comes under attack by “Charlie”, Dan resents Forrest. Rather than dying with honor like his grandfathers, he becomes a legless cripple. Lt. Dan laid all of his faith in the belief that he would die in Vietnam, and as effect of his undesired survival, he throws himself into alcoholism and a cynical lifestyle. A quote by Democritus describes Lt. Dan’s character very well: “everywhere man blames nature and fate. Yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passion, his mistakes and his weaknesses”. Dan’s certainty that he is meant to die in war leaves him reeling for many years after Vietnam. He does not know what his purpose in life is after that. Although he puts off a strong exterior, Dan becomes a weak character, turning to booze and openly doubting God. As a result of Dan’s once stringent belief in a prearranged fate, he struggles through most of his life until the end of the film when he makes peace with Forrest, the Vietnamese, and ultimately God. The
Forrest’s mother thinks an education is the primary source for living a stereotypical normal life. Forrest has a totally different outlook he sees school as a playground for bullies even though he seriously believes everyone, no matter their intelligence level, deserves and has the right to an education. Thankfully, in America we have many rights and freedoms. Yet, our freedom is not free. With much respect, our freedom is earned by the bravery of many men and woman. The effects of the Vietnam War can be considered a theme in the movie, Forrest Gump. This film portrays the Vietnam War with a child-like, simplicity outlook but contains much deeper meaning like thinking about life, death, and destiny. While at war, Forrest saved Lieutenant Dan Taylor’s life, yet Lieutenant was not satisfied. He believed it was his destiny to die which put many things into perspective for Forrest such as life and death, especially after Forrest saw his best friend, Bubba, die at war. Forrest Gump stated in remembrance, “My mama always said, dyin’ was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn’t.”
Lt Dan is a man who lived his life believing his soul purpose was to die in Vietnam and he completely accepted that, so when Forrest saved him he felt as if everything he did beyond that point had to actual purpose. When Forrest and Lt Dan are in the hospital recovering, Lt Dan in the hospital seems to just wallow in his own thoughts of being lost and empty with no purpose which is will stick with him for a good amount of time after the war. Forrest next sees Lt Dan after he was on a talk show and his appearance has drastically changed since we last saw him. Lt Dan’s appearance in this part of the movie gives a reflection into how he feels on the inside because he has grown his hair and beard out and looks somewhat dirty which shows that he doesn’t really care about his appearance anymore because he still feels lost,
“Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get” (Hanks). Many times when books are changed into movies they are done incorrectly. Forrest Gump is one of these examples. Forrest Gump, the novel, was written in 1986 by the author Winston Groom. The movie Forrest Gump was created by Paramount Pictures in 1994. Tom Hanks stars as the main character Forrest Gump. The movie portrayed Forrest Gump in a different way and as sometimes more innocent than his character in the book. This is shown in three different ways: Jenny and Forrest’s relationship, Characters’ drug use, and in the book Forrest is involved in more activities and adventures.
Forrest Gump is a movie that follows a man throughout the story of his life. It starts out with Forrest Gump waiting at a bus stop when the bus arrives and a woman steps out and sits down next to him. He begins to talk to her and he offers her some chocolate. The way he talks hints to the fact that he is not the most intelligent person. He then starts to talk about her shoes which leads him to a flashback of his childhood in Greenbow, Alabama in about 1945. From there he starts to talk about everything that has happened in his life that has led him to where he is now. He talks about meeting Jenny on his first day of school, his running getting him a football scholarship for college, enlisting in the army and meeting Bubba, getting a medal of honor, and playing ping pong against China.
Moving into the 1970s and 1980s which were two of the most decadent and confused decades of all. Forrest Gump depicts a nation torn into thousands of tiny pieces. After one of the bloodiest wars that America has ever seen those who made it out were faced with not only the physical scars and disfigurement but also the burden of the mental scars that no one could truly understand except those who had gone through the trauma as well. On the other side of the coin you have the draft dodgers and conscientious objectors who chose to immerse themselves in the dark and dangerous world of hardcore drugs where cocaine was king and alcohol could numb all the trauma of the world.
For my paper I have chosen to analyze the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” This movie is based on the novel – by the same name – written by Harper Lee. The story has two major plotlines. One follows Jem, Scout, and Dill as they try to uncover the secretes behind the infamous “Boo” Radley. It’s only at the end of the movie that we learn “Boo’s” real name to be Arthur, and that we discover he actually tries to protect people, as he saved Jem and Scout’s lives. The other major plotline, and the one more relevant to this class, follows Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout’s father, as he tries to represent Tom Robinson. Mr. Robinson is an African American man who has been charged with raping Mayella Ewell. The movie then follows both the trial and the
Forrest Gump is a complex and interesting lead character and provides a unique contrast to typical early adulthood behavior. In the film, from the time he attends college, towards the end of the film where he begins his role as a father, Forrest goes through normal events that occur in the lives of many young adults. His reaction and development is different from most however, and he goes through interesting events and experiences. This contrast between typical life events and a slower than normal development shows that some expectations about cognitive abilities may not be as important. Even those who are considered "slow" by the mainstream population can be successful and live a life full of typical life events that fall within a typical
The movie Forrest Gump played by Tom Hank is a story about Forest Gump a simple man and his journey through life. Gump was simple minded and lived his life by a set of values taught to him by his mother (Sally Field). While Forest sat down waiting for a bus, he tells his story. Forest takes part in several defining historical moments such as the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal and also had painful experiences. Despite his setbacks and naive nature, he struggles and triumphs in everything he did. Forrest developed a good self-esteem and self-concept with the help of his mother’s observation, love, and sincerity. With his mother and Jenny’s encouragements, he was able to overcome his physical handicap and become an outstanding runner among other things. This movie is an example of the how a child’s mind developed through series of stages. This paper shows the following key points; intellectual disability, Erickson’s intimacy vs isolation, low self-esteem, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Forrest Gump’s quote about life being a box of chocolates is well known around the world; however, one when analyzes this, it unlocks an understanding of the film, and to a degree life as well. Almost everyone has eaten a box of chocolates in their life. However, no one individual has the knowledge or foresight to predict what type of chocolate they are going to eat when picking from the box. The piece of chocolate that one chooses can be either sweet, bitter or mediocre. When one chooses a chocolate from the box, they cannot put the chocolate back. This ideology shown here represents two major factors: that one will never know what will occur in the future, while we as humans are inherently filled with and ruled by uncertainty. Robert Zemeckis portrays this notion and demonstrates the box of chocolates as an important symbol in the film. Forrest Gump, is frequently shown holding a box of chocolates in the film. This shows the uncertainty of life, and that even though this uncertainty is present,
This is a story of a man who is highly naïve, some would say slightly mentally challenged, who travels the world and is involved with many political events that occurred from the 1960’s to 1990’s. He faces hardships and overcomes adversity. In the final scenes devastating news is given to Forrest; the conclusion in this movie really pulls the whole movie together and makes it very satisfying. The exposition of this movie is right out the box with this film. It starts with a feather floating high in the shy aimlessly, drifting down towards the ground. At first the audience thinks nothing of it, however, as we later on see, this feather floating and landing on the ground in front of a dingy, worn pair of running shoes, is a symbol of the story. It is a symbol of the life of Forrest Gump, a man who drifts everywhere and becomes a part of many cultural events. We then come to realize that Forrest is a little slow and does not perceive the world as the majority of people do; with this we find a lot of verbal irony on Forrest’s behalf. The set-up is that Forrest is pushed away by his peers except a little girl named Jenny. Forrest is the protagonist in this film and his friend Jenny is the antagonist. Goodykoontz and Jacobs describe a protagonist as the main character in a movie; they also describe the antagonist as the character in conflict with the main character
In the movie, Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks plays an intellectually handicapped man named Forrest Gump from Greenbow, Alabama. The majority of the movie took place through his recounting of his memories from early childhood all the way up to his current age. This paper looks at Forrest’s ability to communicate, his diligence in a relationship, ability to cope, and his self-perception.
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” Forrest Gump is the portrayal of a man that has been alienated from society, not because he is unintelligent or dimwitted, but rather because he is not restricted by the conventional ideals which are embedded within his culture; thus, Forrest challenges the conformities and principals that most people are accustomed to. The contrast that Robert Zemeckis, director of the film, is attempting to convey through the character of Forrest Gump is how most people are too smart for there own good; and thus, try to escape the realities and actualities of life. While other characters in the story are suppressed by society’s conflicts, Forrest remains blinded
"Life is like a box of chocolates...You never know what you're going to get" says the main character Forrest in the beginning of the movie. Forrest Gump is the story of a man who overcomes numerous obstacles throughout different stages of his life and always seems to see the brighter side of things in the process. Through the movie’s entirety, outstanding performances from various award winning actors give this film’s involved and interesting plot a sense of realism that is far superior to that of other dramatic movies. Forrest Gump is about a simple man’s journey through complicated times; he has an IQ of 75 at the movie's start and stays pretty much on that level all the way through. His trove of facts
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get”(Forrest Gump). Forrest is seen with a box of chocolates, eating them calmly on the bus stop. He plans to give them to Jenny, and they represent the different stages of Forrest’s life. From childhood memories, to playing football in college, to being in the army, starting a shrimping business, mastering the game of ping-pong, and the steps he took to become wealthy. Just like a box of chocolates, life is unpredictable, and you can never let your guard down because you can never know what will happen tomorrow. He is what a lot of us strive to become, wealthy, successful, and a good person. He has all the traits that we need to become a better person. Honesty, integrity, and compassion being the main 3. There is no better example of a great person than Forrest Gump himself.
Its hero, played by Tom Hanks, is a thoroughly decent man with an IQ of 75, who manages between the 1950s and the 1980s to become involved in every major event in American history. And he survives them all with only honesty and kindness as his shields.