English language and literature studies

English

When Forrest Gump says, "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get," he iterates his views on fate, destiny, and freewill. Although he exercises his freewill by choosing which chocolate to take from the box, the outcomes of all his choices are beyond his control. Therefore, both Forrest and his mother espouse a belief in predestination and fate. Mrs. Gump, who gave Forrest so much of his basic wisdom, encourages Forrest to make the most of what life delivers. Her positive affirmations and her inspiring confidence in her son help him to achieve the many great feats he does throughout the story. Forrest is forced to overcome great physical difficulties as a child, including being beaten up by other kids. However, he takes the cards that fate dealt him and reworks his destiny. The message here seems contradictory: on the one hand fate is out of human hands, and on the other hand, each person has the power of choice, of freewill. These two outlooks on life coexist in Forrest Gump and are explored as themes throughout Robert Zemeckis's film.

Forrest's friend Jenny represents the opposite extreme. She is the most free-spirited character in Forrest Gump, and does not share Forrest's idealistic view of their lives. Jenny does not seem to believe in fate, and yet ironically she is aware of the immanence of her own death once she contracts AIDS. Jenny poses a unique contrast between fate and freewill because she constantly fights her destiny of being with Forrest but eventually comes to terms with her inevitable mortality. Because she and Forrest had a child together, it would seem that the couple was destined to be together in some way. Forrest's constant love and devotion for her shows that he strongly believes in their fated love. In fact, much of what Forrest does is to win Jenny's heart; since they were children Forrest feels they are meant to be together.

Along his journey, Forrest is drafted into the army and serves in the Vietnam War. Forrest's resolve and willingness to participate in the war is a display of his acceptance of fate. Forrest never fights what life offers him; instead he goes with the flow and makes the best of his situation. Jenny is quite the opposite. Not only does she create her own problems with excessive rebellion, but her promiscuity ultimately causes her demise. Her free-spirited nature ironically took away the freewill she values. The message here may be that freewill, when exercised improperly or thoughtlessly, is self-destructive and counterproductive. True freewill comes from an acceptance of fate coupled with a willingness to participate fully in life, as Forrest does.

Forrest Gump participates in life fully even if he does believe in fate and destiny. "You never know what you're going to get" from that box of chocolates, but this excites Forrest. Forrest does not feel like a victim of his fate, but rather as an active participant in it. Jenny, on the other hand, acts as destiny's victim. She shuns Forrest's love throughout the story but ends up having his child. She runs off with a revolutionary in a radical response to the war, but he ends up beating her. Her bad choices are a result of a rash and reckless exercise of freewill.