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Forrest Gump Analysis Essay

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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

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