On the Stupidity of Forrest Gump

OntheStupidityofForrestGumpAbstract:ThemovieForrestGump(1994)isafunnyandheart-warmingepic.Forrest,withanIQofonly75,breakshismetallegbracesandrunsallthroughhislife.Accordingtotheplotsofthemovie,thisarticlestudiesthelifeofForrestGumpandposestheessencesofhisstupidity.Keywords:ForrestGump;Stupidity;Simplicity;Unperturbedness1IntroductionForrestGumpistheAcademyAwardwinnerforBestActor,BestDirectorandBestPicture.ForrestGumpisastupidboywithanIQofonly75andinlovewithhischildhoodbestfriendJenny.WithForrest’smother’sgreatesteducationandJenny’sbestencouragement,Gumpstartstorun.RunningmakeshimanAll-Starfootballplayer,whichgiveshimthechancetomeetPresidentJohnF.Kennedy.RunningmakeshimaloyalsoldierinVietnamwhereheventurouslyrunstorescuehiscomradesandbecomesawarhero.Healsoplaysping-pongandasaworldchampionheishailedbyPresidentRichardNixon.HekeepsaresolutepromisetohelphisgoodfriendBubbaestablishhisshrimpbusinessandbecomesasuccessfulshrimp-boatcaptain.GumplovesJenny,andtheygetmarriedintheendwithacleverchild.Thismovietellsusastoryofastupidperson,butitexpressesmanythings.Therearefivemeaningfulideasofthisstupidity.2SimplicityInForrestGump’seyes,theworldisn’tthatbigasmostpeopleimagine.Heisnottroubledbyunnecessarytroublesintheseeminglytroubleworldwheretroubleseemstosucceedinconqueringpeople’sbodiesandminds.ForrestGumpistrouble-freed.Hisstupidityissimplicity.2.1Lifewaslikeaboxofchocolates.Youneverknowwhatyou’regonnaget.Inlife,therearemanyunpredictablethings,butthatiswhatmakeslifesocolorful.Inaboxofchocolates,therearedifferenttastes.Whatareyougoingtoget?Sometimesyouknow.Butmostlyandnaturally,youneverknow.Sowhydoyouhavetotroubleyourselfbytroublingyourself?Forrestthinksinasimplewayandleadsasimplelife.Simplicityishisownhappiness.Peoplearebusyeveryday.Butfewofthemstrivetofigureoutwhattheyarebusyfor?Soitisreallyaworldwithsomuchunexpectedness.Wherethereisunexpectedness,thereisspaceofimaginationandbeauty.Gumpthinksandtreatsthingsinaneasierandsimplerway.Thisstupidityissimplicity.InLuoGuanzhong’sRomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,apoemonthefirstpagesaysthatifwelookbackatthingsinthepastandatpresent,wewillfindthatallwillbeinlaughter.2.2WhoI’mgonnabe?Aren’tIgoingtobeme?Jennyiswishingthatonedayshewouldbeastarsingingsongsonthestage.Shehasherownpursuitbutthenonherwaytorealizingherdream,shegetslost.ButForrestGumpisjuststupidenoughtobehimself.ForrestatlastbecomesForrest.One’spurposeoflifeisjusttobeandbecomehimself.Therefore,hisstupidityisthesimplicitytobeandbecomehimself.LinYutangonceaskedinhisTheImportanceofLiving,“TheonlyproblemunconsciouslyassumedbyallChinesephilosopherstobeofanyimportanceis:howshallweenjoylife,andwhocanbestenjoylife?…Whoarewe?Thatisthefirstquestion.”ThenLinbroughtforwardtheparablebyChuangtse,whichsuggestedthatpeopleoftenforgettheirtrueselfinthepursuitofliving,“likeabirdforgettingitsowndangerinpursuitofamantis,whichagainforgetsitsowndangerinpursuitofanotherprey.”Toknowoneselfmaybeonepurposeoflife.PerhapsForrestGumpdoesnotspendtimeoreffortsinsearchingforthispurpose.Buthedoeswhathehastodo.2.3WhenIgottired,Islept.WhenIgothungry,Iate.WhenIhadtogo...youknow...IwentLifeisbutagameinchildren’seyes.Children’seyesarethemostbeautifulbecausetheyaresocleanandpure.Menciusoncesaidthatagreatmanishewhohasnotlosttheheartofachild.AsforForrest,hehastheeyesofachild.Heisandalwaysisachild.Andeverythingshouldbetreatedfunnyifwehavetheloveofwondersandthechildlikeappetiteforwhatisgoingonandthejoyofthegameofliving.SolivelikeForrestGump:Stupidityissimplicity.3DevotionIfwecancomparelifewithwhitepaperandaslifegoeson,therehassomecolors:yellow,red,blue,etc.Manypeopleonlypayattentiontodarkcolorsintheirlife,suchasblack.ButForrestGumppaysattentiontowhathisresponsibilityrequires.Hisstupidityisdevotion.3.1AnAll-StarfootballplayerRunning,Gumpisfoundbythoseplayinggames.Andthenheisabletoentercollege.Whenhavingthematch,hejuststandstherewithoutmoving.Itisuntilpeoplecallhimthathestartstorunhurriedlyandfastandrunslikethewindblows.Ofcourse,Gumprunsthefastest.Therefore,theteamwinsandhebecomesanall-starfootballplayer.Heisstupid,buthedevotesalltheattentiontoonlyonething:run!Doitandjustdoit.3.2AsoldierinVietnamForrestGumprunsintothejungle.Thesoldiersareallinthejungleasbulletsareallaround.Gumphurriesandpicksuponesoldierfromthegroundandpullshimupoverhisshoulder,thencontinuestorunoutofthejungleandsetshimdownontheriverbank,thenbackintothejungle.Minuteslater,Gumpdropsanotherwoundedsoldierdownontheriverbankandrunsbackintothejungle.GumprunsbacktothejungleagainandagainandfindsLieutenantDanandsavehim,too.Herescuessomanysoldiersandhebecomesawarhero.Lifeisnothingbutthisdevotion.3.3AworldchampionPing-PongplayerSomeonetellsForrestGumpthatthesecrettothisgameofplayingping-pongis:nomatterwhathappens,neverevertakeyoureyeofftheball.Fromthenon,hepracticesandpracticesandlaterbecomesverygoodatit.Luckily,GumpgetsthechancetogotoChinatoplayping-pong.Andmoreluckily,hebecomesaworldchampionPing-Pongplayer.Hedoesnotthinktoomuchabouttheplayingofthisgame.Hejustplays.Withtheballandhisdevotiontothegame,hewins.3.4Asuccessfulshrimp-boatcaptainApromiseisapromise.Justbecauseofhisdevotiontohiswork,sowhenpeopleaskhim,“Areyoustupidorsomething?”Hesays,“stupidisasstupiddoes.”Andhavingovercomemanydifficulties,heeventuallybecomesthesuccessfulshrimp-boatcaptain.4SincerityConfuciusoncesaid,“Itisnottruththatmakesmangreat,butmanthatmakestruthgreat.”Well,ForrestGumpisstupid.Heisnotthinkingoftoomuchaboutpeople,hejustlivesinhisworldofbeingtruetoeveryone.Thisstupidityissincerity.4.1Hello.MynameisForrest,ForrestGump.ThisisGump’sfirstmovieline.Peoplenowadaysdonottalktostrangers.Beforefriendscanbemadepossible,theyjusttreatstrangersasstrangers.ButthisisnotForrestGump’slife.Hebelievesdeeplyinhischildlikeheartthateveryoneinthestreetcanbeafriend.Althoughtheblacknurseisabitindifferent,hekeepsbeingsincereandkind.Thissincerityisakindofgentleness.Beliefisahappierstateofmindthandoubtandsuspicion.4.2ToBubbaWhenBubbawaslostinthejungle,Forrestrunsintothejunglemanytimesandfinallyfindshim.ButBubbaisdying.ThenattheendBubbasayssomethingForrestGumpwon’teverforget,“Iwannagohome.”Bubbawashisbestgoodfriend.Andevenheknowsthatthatain’tsomethingyoucanfindjustaroundthecorner.TheyfighttogetherinVietnam.Forrestkeepsapromisetobeashrimp-boatcaptain.Andcaptainheis,hegivesthemoneyfromthebusinesstoBubba’sfamily.4.3ToLieutenantDanLieutenantDansays,“IthoughtI’dtryoutmysealegs.”ThenGumpsays,“Butyouain’tgotnolegs,LieutenantDan.”LieutenantDangetswoundedinthewarbutheisrescuedbyGump.AlthoughLieutenantDanisdesperateafterthewarbecauseheloseshislegs,helaterrealizesthatGumpisagoodfriend.WithGump’sstupidity,LieutenantDanlatermakeshispeacewithGod.4.4TothebusdriverThebusdriveropensthedoorandlooksdownandasks,“Areyoucomin’along?”Forrestsays,“Mommasaidnottobetakingridesfromstrangers.”Thedriversays,“Thisisthebustoschool.”Forrestissolovelyandsays,“I’mForrestGump.”Thedriversays,“I’mDorothyHarris.”Forrestsays,“Well,nowweain’tstrangersanymore.”ThebusdriversmilesasForrestgoesintothebus.Forrestisalwayskind.Thissincerityrequirespeopletosearchtheirheartsforabetterlife.5PureLoveForrestGumplovesJenny.Forrestsays,“Ihadneverseenanythingsobeautifulinmylife.Shewaslikeanangel”and“Jennyandmewaslikepeasandcarrots.”ForrestisalwaysmissingJenny.WheninVietnam,hewritestoJennyandsendsherletters.Noteveryday,butalmost.Forrestsays,“Ican’thelpit.Iloveyou.”AndJennysays,“Forrest,youdon’tknowwhatloveis.”Forrestisnotthatstupidbecausehesays,“I’mnotasmartman,butIknowwhatloveis.”Ordinarypeoplemayfeelthatlovewithsucharefusalshouldbedoomedtoitsend.Anyway,Forrestisstupid.Hisstupidityisthathedoesnotcontinuetoshowloveinacrazyway.Onthecontrary,hejustleavesher,wishingherhappiness.Hebelievesthatthislovewillturnsoutgood.ForrestlovesJennyandnameshisboat:Jenny.Happily,hemarriesJennyatlast.Ifloveisgoingtosurviveaslongaspossible,thisstupiditymustbethere,becauseitistheabsolutelypurelove.