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Tropes In Forrest Gump

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Forrest Gump is set in Georgia in the early 1960’s, when Forrest is sitting at a bus stop, with flashbacks recounting the time back to his birth in 1942. Because Forrest is sitting at the bus stop telling his life story to anyone who stops to listen, very little of the film takes place in the present tense; rather, the plot takes place in the past as Forrest recounts his life experiences. Throughout the film, many populist tropes surface within Forrest’s life, showing how Forrest lived in a time where he was unknowingly exposed—and even contributing—to a populist way of life that challenged the way average people viewed society in the United States. Forrest Gump integrates the tropes of populism with the genres of romance, war, and adventure, sending a powerful message to viewers of how they ought to view the world, at a time when corruption and impurity dominated society.
From the beginning of the film, it is evident that Forrest suffers from a mild form of mental illness. This characterization is apparent throughout the movie, as Forrest is often viewed as an idiot. While trying to get into the local public school, Forrest is initially denied admission due to his IQ being lower than the required level for the school system. Although the principal of the school never explicitly calls him an idiot, the implication is so strong that even Forrest himself understands the principal thinks he is too dumb for school.
The first populist trope in the movie is the characterization

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