Forrest Gump Essay Questions

How does Forrest go to college?

Forrest as a child is forced to wear leg braces in order to correct a curved spine, but once he breaks free he cannot stop running. Jenny tells Forrest that the best way to deal with bullies at school is to run away from them, so one day in high school, when they get approached by some mean kids from school, Forrest starts running away. When he cuts through a football practice trying to escape, a scout from the University of Alabama spots how fast he is and recruits him for the team. This is one of the first "happy accidents" that befalls Forrest early in the film, an instance in which he is not even trying to get an opportunity, but it comes knocking nonetheless.

Why does Forrest form Bubba Gump Shrimp Company?

Forrest has gone to Vietnam to fight in the war. During basic training, he becomes close with Bubba, a fellow soldier who comes from the bayou and whose one dream is to start a shrimping boat company. Bubba tells Forrest all about shrimp and the two agree to go into business once they get out of the war. When Bubba dies in Vietnam, Forrest keeps his promise to Bubba and creates the company. He isn't successful initially, but once Lieutenant Dan comes on board to help with the company, they hit the jackpot when they are the only shrimping boat to survive a major hurricane. The shrimping company becomes a huge success.

What is the significance of bird imagery in the film?

Early on in the film, we learn that Jenny is sexually abused by her father, and at one point, she and Forrest end up praying in a field together. She prays to be turned into a bird, so that she can fly away from her horrible life. The image of the bird follows the character of Jenny throughout the film. At one point we see her in a drugged out haze climbing up onto a balcony, considering whether to jump as "Freebird" plays. Then, after she dies, Forrest visits her grave, and a chorus of birds chirp and fly away from the tree, as if Jenny is there in a new animal form with him.

Why is Forrest so confident?

A great deal of Forrest's confidence and his ability to integrate with the world around him has to do with the enduring influence of his mother. Mrs. Gump is very loving and attentive to Forrest, and teaches him to never believe that he is different than his peers. Through her homespun wisdom, she teaches Forrest to always remember some simple aphorisms that can help ground him when he feels lost, aphorisms such as, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get," and "Death is a part of life," and "Stupid is as stupid does."

What does the image of the feather represent?

The feather, which appears at both the beginning and the end of the film, represents Forrest's life philosophy, which is the merging of two different philosophies. When he stands at Jenny's grave, he considers the fact that some people think life is fated and predetermined, while others think it is random and as undirected as the course of the wind. In this moment, Forrest posits that he thinks life is a little bit of both. The feather represents this idea, in that it is floating along on the wind without a set direction or course, yet it also seems to be guided by some kind of divine hand.