The American Values in Forrest Gump

The American Values in Forrest Gump

Freedom and equality is necessity to achieve American dream and personal value, the survey from Washington Post indicates that American dream is a common belief shared by Americans. Americans tend to value equality of opportunity more than equality of outcome and to value political equality more than economic equality.

Because of this, many ordinary people can realize their American dream through own struggle. \"The American education system also provides equal opportunity for students. All students should have access to good education. Americans believe that people can be changed and improved as long as he works hard.

Forrest Gump is the typical reflection of this concept. The film tells the story of Forrest Gump' s epic journey through life meeting historical figures. He could' t go to local public schools because his IQ is only 75. Although mental retardation, he was not intimidated, just as his mom told him, \"stupid is as stupid does\". His honesty, kindness and perseverance not only made him a football star, an university student, an admired American hero, but also reinforced the value of freedom and equality in American culture. As Bloom points out, \"He's A Nice Boy and everyone knows such a hero is so hard to find. \"One reviewer said:\"Today the last American hero is a Tom Hanks character with a small IQ.

In the late Nineties of last century, there is a film creating such a buzz upon r

elease in the United States that not only reached 253 million U.S. Dollars at box office, but also won 6 Awards of the 67th Oscar including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor awards. The film is Forrest Gump.

It is a movie telling the story of Forrest Gump, an unimportant person whose intelligence quotient is only 75. But he experienced many difficulties through the post-war period and eventually become a shrimp industry tycoon. Forrest Gump, the hero who was born before the screen, use the brush of his own experience to write a special history of human beings.He presents the American spirit which include optimism, tenacity, dedication and loyalty.These are just the virtues and values that the whole American society pursue for hundreds of years.

1.The \"American dream\" represented by Forrest Gump The core of the American Dream is to succeed through personal struggle. The miraculous luck and success of Forrest Gump was just the essence of \"American Dream\" . When Gump, with a \"disabled\" body rised from humble life, ran from an ordinary person into the university, ran into the olive-star ranks, ran into the White House, untill he became a millionaire, he used his own experiences write a civilian fairy tale. The westerners, especially Americans, worship this kind of spirit of personal struggle, They think that personal values are the supremacy of all. In fact, individualism is the most respected temperament in the West and is also regarded as the substance of cultural values in Western societies. Forrest Gump, through his ordinary but extraordinary experience, re-evoked \"American Dream\". Gump, with individual effort, ran through the three decades of contemporary American history, and also ran from the most turbulent period in American history to a new era of glory. The

refore, he become the examples of today's Americans, \"U.S.\" a symbol of \"American Dream\".

In addition to the role Gump, the dreams of other key roles, especially Jenny's dream are all beyond the rational and pragmatic American dream and broken in the end. However, at the end, the movie brought these different forms of dreams return to the traditional American dream. Jenny chose to live a plain but practical life after her dreams were dashed to the ground. In the last moments of life, she married Forrest Gump. The film gave her a common home. This return is her only destination. Lieutenant Dan, after struggling against the fate and the suffering of the faliure, found his place and succeeded in the light of Gump's spirit. Similarly, Babu's dream was realized because of Gump's success. Everyone' s dream was eventually returned to the spirits of Forrest Gump who represents the belief of the American dream.

2.Positive and optimistic attitude towards life

Jenny's life is the epitome of the young generation. They were indifferent to the government, resistant to religion and disdainful of authority. They were lonely, taking ecstasy to satisfy their desires. But when the age of fanaticism passed, memories always taste bitter. While Gump is quite different.He always maintained a positive and optimistic attitude towards life. Stupid is as stupid does, Life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. He had a great Mom. She always told him to believe himself, believe in the future, and have hopes for the future.

Life is like a drama.Gump became a millionaire and famous runner before the curtain fell. Perhaps even Forrest Gump himself had not imaged this, but will any one of us know what life we would have later? So, just start to run.Just have faith in yourselves and be optimistic, then everyone can have a perfect life.

3.Never give up

Perseverance is consistent throughout the entire experience of Gump.Forrest Gump's IQ is only 75, but he was called as a genius after recruiting not long. (You must have a goddamn IQ of 160. You are goddamn gifted.). This is nor a satire or a coincidence. It was achieved by great efforts at work, so as in sports. The reason that Gump could become a top-class table tennis players and participate in the Sino-US ping-pong diplomacy was that he made full use of his potential and his eyes are laways on the ball (Now the secret to this game is, nomatter what happens, never, ever take your eye off the ball.). After Gump became a \"sports hero\" , the recognition received from the community shows the American view of \"heroes\" from the other side. The American public focus on achievements.They admire heroes, worship their achievements. The object of worship vary from the military commander to the legendary heroes, from the \"Horatio-style\" heroto youth sports stars. Their success is associated with the reverence of individual ability and the personal struggle.

4.God help those who help themselves

The dedication, kindness and loyalty in Gump's minds were rewarded at last,

making him a business tycoon. This is similar to our traditional culture \"What Goes Around Comes Around\". For example, Gump's shrimp was stroken by a large storm .Other shrimp boats suffered heavy losses, except the ship of Gump's. Gump used his talents to monopolize the shrimp industry. We can see it as a fate. It's God's gift to Gump. The main content of American culture emphasizes individual values, the pursuit of democracy and freedom, respect for pioneering and competition, the core that individual first, desires first, the pursuit of personal interests and personal enjoyment and the emphasis on personal struggle and the ultimate realization of personal value. This deliberate shaping of self and pursuit of personalized individualism has its positive side and also a negative side. It has mobilized the enthusiasm of individuals.People's wisdom and potential are made full use so as to promote the revitalization of the entire nation and the state. However, with people all self-centered, interpersonal skills would be difficult to maintain and the whole society will lack the cohesion. As a result, \"warm\" image of Gump came into being. He did not have the ambition to do something great. He worked out of something nature.The simplicity of his devotion to friends and the faithful love are just what the contemporary lack and also what they advocate.

The fate of Forrest Gump is just like the feather, adrifting in the air, down and up.WHen facing an uncertain future, he often feel bewildered as well as us, but he is more calm and peacefulreal than anyone else alive.Life is like feathers in the wind. People always want to arrange their life, but when they were recalling the journey of life, who can really control the life. Now, What we can do is to try our best and never regret.