In the film Forest Gump the character of the same name is portrayed in a strongly innocent manner. In an article that she wrote in response to the film, Lauren Berlant does a great job of summing up Gump’s ability to be shown this way. This is shown when she writes, in regards to Gump, ““He is too stupid to be racist, sexist, and exploitative; this is his genius and it is meant to be his virtue” (Berlant 183). Personally, I agree with this statement. Gump is too “stupid” to have any offensive thoughts or serious negative views of people. Because of this he represents the good that is hard to find in the society that he is living in. In the same paragraph Berlant points out that Gump is successful in his endeavors even though he does not have a grasp on what is going on around him. Berlant also points out that the character Jenny is shown to be aware of what is going on, and the viewer can see that things do not go so smoothly for her. I find this to be an interesting observation, and I feel that it is true. In fact, this portrayal of Gump makes it easier to see that the filmmakers are using him and the world around him to satirize some important events that took place in the past few decades. This is done by showing how his innocence helps him prevail while those around him who are not as innocent seem to stumble upon misfortunes.
Berlant, Lauren. "On Being Normal, Average, Common, Ordinary, Standard, Typical, and Usual in Contemporary America." The Queen of America Goes to Washington City: Essays on Sex and Citizenship. Durham: Duke University Press, 1997. 180-87.
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