FilmAppreciationandComments:ForrestGumpAmericanDream

朱勇Contents

1.AmericanDream2.ThebackgroundofForrestGump3.Differentcharacters’Americandream4.ClassiclinesthatrecurtheprocedurestoachievetheAmericanDream標題宜簡潔明了。標題中實詞要大寫，下同，請一一更正。

American

Dream:

Anational

ethos

ofthe

UnitedStates,thesetofideals(Democracy,Rights,Liberty,Opportunity,andEquality)inwhichfreedomincludestheopportunityforprosperityandsuccess,andanupward

socialmobility

forthefamilyandchildren,achievedthroughhardworkinasocietywithfewbarriers.InthedefinitionoftheAmericanDreamby

JamesTruslowAdams

in1931,"lifeshouldbebetterandricherandfullerforeveryone,withopportunityforeachaccordingtoabilityorachievement"regardlessof

socialclass

orcircumstancesofbirth.TheAmericanDreamisrootedinthe

DeclarationofIndependence,whichproclaimsthat"allmenarecreatedequal"withtherightto“Life,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness.”思路：首先介紹這個詞的起源

、定義（內涵和外延）即在不同歷史時期這個詞含義的變化。

ThebackgroundofForrestGump:ForrestGumpdepictsthelatterhalfofthe20thcenturyintheUnitedStates;morespecifically,theperiodbetweenForrest'sbirthin1944and1982,thepost-wardecadesofAmericanhistoryhavebecomeapersonalgrowthdiaryofForrestGump.Fromamentallyretardedperson’sperspective,throughanormallifefortunetoinsinuatetortuousupsanddownsofAmericanhistoryandculture,thefilmdescribeseveryaspectofAmericanlifeduringthisperiod:

theraceproblems,theVietnamWar,politicalscandal,diplomaticsituation,hippies,AIDS,etc..Kennedy,Johnson,Nixon,andevenElvisPresleyandJohnLennon,aprofoundimpactontheUnitedStatesandaseriesofpost-warhistoryoffamousfigureshaveappeared.Thesehistoricalphenomenaandeventsreflectedtheenormoussocialchangesandpeople'slivingconditions,mostpeople'snegativedecadentblindenthusiasm.Inthishistory,personalvalues,socialvalues??haveundergonedistortion.AmericanDreamwasdeeplymarkedbythetimes.ForrestGump’slifecanberoughlydividedintonineperiods:

1.Earlyyears2.College3.Inthearmy4.WashingtonD.C.5.PingPong6.Shrimpingboatcapitain7.HomeinAlabama8.Runnning9.BacktothepresentIn1981,ForrestGumpwatchesafeatherfallfromtheskyatabusstopin

Savannah,Georgia.Herecountshislifestorytostrangerswhositnexttohimonthebench,recountinghischildhoodinthetownofGreenbow,Alabama.Onhisfirstdayofschool,ForrestmeetsagirlnamedJennyCurran,whoselifeisfollowedinparalleltoGump'sattimes.Despitehisbelowaverageintelligencequotient,hisabilitytorunatlightningspeed(despitebeingavictimof

polio

asayoungchild)getshimintocollegeonafootballscholarship.Afterhiscollegegraduation,heenlistsinthearmy,wherehemakesfriendswithfellowrecruitBubba,whoconvincesGumptogointotheshrimpingbusinesswithhimwhenthewarisover.Despitehislowintelligence,Gumpmanagestoexcelatdrillexercises.Theyaresentto

Vietnam,andduringanambush,Bubbaiskilledinaction.Gumpendsupsavingmuchofhisplatoon,includinghis

Lieutenant,DanTaylor,wholosesbothhislegsasaresultofinjuries.Gumpisawardedthe

MedalofHonor

forhisheroism.WhileGumpisinrecoveryforashottohisbuttocks,hediscovershisuncannyabilityforping-pong,eventuallygainingpopularityandrisingtocelebritystatus,laterplayingping-pongcompetitivelyagainstChineseteamsin

ping-pongdiplomacy.Atananti-warrallyin

Washington,D.C.,GumpreuniteswithJenny,whohasbeenlivinga

counterculturelifestyle.Returninghome,Gumpendorsesacompanythatmakesping-pongpaddles,earninghimself

US$25,000,whichheusestobuyashrimpingboat,fulfillinghispromisetoBubba.LieutenantDanjoinsGump,andalthoughtheyinitiallyhavelittlesuccess,afterfindingtheirboattheonlysurvivingoneintheareaafterHurricaneCarmen,theybegintopullinhugeamountsofshrimp.Theyusetheirincometobuyanentirefleetofshrimpboats.LieutenantDaninveststhemoneyin

Apple

andGumpisfinanciallysecurefortherestofhislife.Hereturnshometoseehismother'slastdays.Oneday,JennyreturnstovisitGumpandheproposesmarriagetoher.Shedeclines,thoughfeelsobligedtoproveherlovetohimbyhavingsexwithhim.Sheleavesearlythenextmorning.Onawhim,Gumpelectstogoforarun.Seeminglycapriciously,hedecidestokeeprunningacrossthecountryseveraltimes,overthreeandahalfyears,becomingfamousintheprocess.Inpresent-day,GumprevealsthatheiswaitingatthebusstopbecausehereceivedaletterfromJennywho,havingseenhimrunontelevision,askshimtovisither.OnceheisreunitedwithJenny,sheintroduceshimtohisson,alsonamedForrest.JennytellsGumpsheissufferingfromanunknownvirus(possiblyHIV,thoughthisisneverspecified).TogetherthethreemovebacktoGreenbow,Alabama.JennyandForrestfinallymarrybutshediessoonafterward.FatherandsonarewaitingfortheschoolbusonlittleForrest'sfirstdayofschool.Openingthebookhissonistakingtoschool,thewhitefeatherfromthebeginningofthefilmiscaughtonabreezeanddriftsskyward.Differentcharacters’Americandream

TheAmericandreamhasdifferentmanifestationonseveralmajorroleinthefilm,includingForrestGump,Mrs.Gump,Jenny,LieutenantDanandBubba.Forrestappearsasgowiththeflow,asifhehasnodreams,butwecouldseeallthevirtuesAmericansadvocateonForrestGump-honesty,courageandloyalty.Thoughpossessanintelligencequotientbelowaveragelevel,ForrestGumpwenttocollege,getmedalsintheVietnamwar,andlaterhetookpartintheremarkable"PingPongDiplomacy",becameatycoonintheshrimpindustry,helpedhealingthetraumaLieutenantDangotinthewar,bringmillionsofpeoplecourageandhopebyrunningacrossAmerica,wecancallhimthesymbolandcatcheroftraditionalAmericandream.ForrestGump'smother-Mrs.Gumpisstronginmindandoptimistic,fullofwisdom.Herson’sdefectdoesn’tbringherdepression.Instead,shetellsForrestGumpthat,“Miracleshappenperday”.InordertoletForrestGumpenjoythesamerightsasotherchildrendo,shedidherbesttolethimgotothe“normalschool”,whenForrestaskedhermother,“whatismydestiny,mymother,”themothersaid:“itisuptoyoutofigureout.”Thisiswhatamothertellhersonbeforeherdeathanditbecamethemostclassiclinesofthisfilm.Jenny,astheheroineinForrestGump,grewupintheUnitedStatesinthe1960sand1970s,whentransformationofthesocialvalues??undergoesintheUnitedStates,people’swayofthinkinghasfundamentallychanged.The“BeatGeneration”,withtheirunique"hippie"lifestyleagainstthemainstreamcultureandtraditionalvalues,abandontheirtraditionalauthority,chooseaformofescapism,thepursuitofpleasure,denyrationality,emphasizedisillusionmentroadinstinct.Withoutafirmfaithandacorrectviewoflife,theywillinevitablybecomethe“victim”oftheera.Asatypicalrepresentativeofthisera’syouth,Jennydreamedofbecomingafamoussinger,doingthingsthat“smart”youngmando.Againandagainsherefusedtoreturntoreallife.Jenny'sdreamiffarawayfromthespiritandesteemoftheAmericandream.Whenthisdreamprovedtobeafailure,Jennyattemptedtocommitsuicidetoendherlostyouth.WecouldseefromJennydedicationandhelplessness,andherrebellionagainstthemainstreamofthesociety.LieutenantDanandBubbaalsohavetheirowndreams,andtheyrepresentdifferentsocialgroups.LikeForrestGumpdescribedtous:almostineverygenerationofhisancestors,therearepeoplewhodiedonthebattlefield,healsodreamedofdyingforhiscountry.Unfortunately,ForrestGumpsavedhimfromdeath.Thisembarrassingwardidnotgivehimanysenseofachievementfromthespiritualsense,itevenbringhimadisabledbody.SoLieutenantDan’spostwarlifeinevitablyfellintothepainoflivingdeath,hisdreamshattered,andheisonthevergeofcollapse.Bubbawasatthebottomofsociety,hislivingconditio