Motivation In Robert Zemeckis 'Forrest Gump'

People see movies to get a momentary escape from reality and be engaged in a fictional perfect world or other genres that may snatch their emotions. The emotions seen in the audience are created by using ethos, logos, and pathos throughout the movie. Ethos is what portrays the credibility throughout the film such as using famous actors or placing historically accurate scenes in the film. Logos is represented by the logical scenes throughout the film such as the fame of the film including its rating and awards or the historically accurate scenes representing the time the film was set in. Finally, pathos is what grabs the emotions of the audience from the dramatic scenes throughout the movie. In the movie Forrest Gump, Robert Zemeckis portrays ethos, logos, and pathos several times throughout the film to pull the audience in and leave them as if they were living in the film.

People tend to find meaning in all aspects of life, and they rely and examine symbols to gain further insight into their life. Symbolism is prevalent in numerous films, however, in the 1994 film “Forrest Gump” by Robert Zemeckis intertwines symbolism to introduce the general themes of the film. In the film “Forrest Gump” the filmmaker focuses on the interesting life of Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump is an innocent honest man, who like many, has overcome adversity to achieve success. This same adversity helps Forrest and his general outlook on life. Through all these obstacles, he is an all star football, receives an honorary medal in the Vietnam war and sets up a successful shrimp business. As the film progresses, Robert Zemeckis, does an excellent job of adding important symbols that help the audience gain a better understanding of the characters and the film itself. This adversity and perspective on life is personified through objects such as the box of chocolates which represent uncertainty, the feather which appears at the beginning and the end and furthermore, the concept of running is a repetitious symbol in the film, all have important roles in shaping the lives of characters portrayed in the film.

What is sociological imagination? Our textbook describes sociological imagination as the ability to see our private experiences, personal difficulties, and achievements as, in part, a reflection of the structural arrangements of society and the times in which we live. The movie entitled Forrest Gump is a great example of sociological imagination. In this paper, I will cite examples from the movie and tell how they correlate with sociological imagination. Sociological imagination allows us examine the events of our lives and see how they intersect with the wider context of history and tradition of the society

"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

Motivations are the fuel of our lives, we are motivated to do just about anything. Motivations both positive and negative are valid. Tennessee William’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” we are introduced to a very unique roster of characters, These characters are all very different and unique, throughout the play we see the struggle between the characters, and how they interact and conflict with one another. Stanley Kowalski, Blanche Dubois and Harold Mitchell are all very different yet very similar. Tennessee Williams develops the idea that, when one is motivated by the past, their actions may not be appropriate for their present environment.

#1.) In the video clip “Maverick” (1994), the key characteristic of classical Hollywood illustrated is, motivation. This is seen when the main character shows a lot of interest in assisting a poker game and is willing to go through great lengths just to go to the game. There is a couple of examples of how he shows his motivation. One is, when he is seen traveling on a donkey because his horse got stolen. Secondly, he is traveling on a donkey, having four days left to get there. Thirdly, he is traveling being $3,000 short for the entrance fee to the game. Additionally, the path that he has to travel seems dangerous, considering it’s a dessert. Lastly, he even says, “no way in hell I was going to miss that game” Maverick (1994). All his actions where clearly because of his motivation. The function of this scenario in the overall narrative of the film was to identify with the protagonist reaching his main goal. In the beginning scene, the protagonist was immediately introduced and portrayed as the good guy. This was seen when that he gets into danger while trying to reach his goal. It shows that the main character will have to go through a number of chain of event to get to the main goal, including overcoming danger. The scenario put in question if the main character was going to be able to attend the poker game. The scene where he is left alone almost dangling from a tree with his horse and a snake, put into question will and how will he accomplish his goal.

“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.

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

Existentialism is a European philosophy that began in the mid-19th century but reached its peak in the 20th century. Existentialism became popular following the catastrophic years of World Wars and the Holocaust when many people began to question the traditional belief systems and ideas based on the terrifying events committed during the wars. Existentialism is a set of philosophical systems, which emphasize individual existence, freedom, choice, and personal responsibility. Pursuing this further, existentialism is the idea that human beings simply exist and choose their actions for themselves. To summarize, existentialism believes that people exist and live through their own behavior and perceptions and without any certainty about right or wrong. This is unlike those who believe that everything that occurs is fated or that there is a plan for life that one must follow and live based on it. The movie Forrest Gump (1994) directed by Robert Zemeckis is an existentialism movie because the movie shows the existentialism theme of freedom and choice as the main character Forrest Gump played by Tom Hanks was born without a purpose in life and he makes his own decisions throughout the movie for himself while facing many conflicts and, he was responsible for his action.

Forrest Gump is an exceptional movie that includes a wide range variety of character diversity. Upon my examination of the movie, the first aspect I’d like to deliberate on is the developmental psychology of early adulthood. In the early adulthood life stage, individuals are typically between the ages of 20 and 35. Individuals in the early adulthood life stage are more than likely to possess good health, live a healthy active life, and are career oriented. Early adulthood life stage focuses on the formal cognitive stage, though there is much deliberation among many developmentalists.

The film Forrest Gump uses a lot of information and historical events and expresses them using aesthetic techniques such as sound, cinematography, editing, etc. The director Robert Zemeckis uses form to explain the overall meaning of the film specifically with symbolism from popular phrases and gives visual examples throughout the story.

Watching Forrest Gump for the first time I feel that the movie has a little of everything in it, from action and war to love and romance. For one man to overcome so many hardships and live a life full of love and happiness it is inspiring. Each character had something that reached viewers. From Jenny to Lieutenant Dan they all had something that made them easy to connect with. Even the people that sat on the bench next to Forrest created interest; they listened and were in the story for us, but were not truly part of it.

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

“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

Motivation is a very broad term that is discussed in a variety of settings. There is the motivation to perform in a business setting, the motivation to perform on the field of competition, the motivation to provide for friends and family, and the motivation to accomplish goals that have been set. These are all various motivations that any one person can be involved with at any time. According to Maslow, motivation always exists within a person and in various forms, “...motivation is constant, never ending, fluctuating, and complex, and that it is an almost universal characteristic of practically every organismic state of affairs” (Maslow, 1954). As complex as motivation seems, it is everyone’s intention to identify their personal