Forrest Gump

An important part of the movie is the theme of chance, destiny and fate. It is shown visually
from the very beginning by the shot of feather drifting randomly in the breeze and landing next
to Forrest’s feet. It. Forrest proceeded to pick up the feather and put it into a book. The feather
reappears at the end of the movie when Forrest opens the book and the feather is shown to fly
away. The feather symbolizes the randomness of life described as Forrest. “Life is like a box of
chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

The movie attempts to draw out one of the primary questions of existence. “I don’t know if we
each have a destiny or we’re all just floating accidental-like in the breeze.” However, most of
the movie portrays Forrest’s life as always changing. One moment he is in Alabama and then
the next moment he’s in Washington. He’s a war hero then he becomes a ping pong champion.

Forrest’s life is filled with random tragedies that turn out for the better in the end. Although he
is born with a spine problem which forces him to wear leg braces and teased by other kids, it
brought out his ability to run which gave him a future. Although Forrest encounters a hurricane
while he was out at sea, it turned his business into a industry over night as other boats were
destroyed. Though out the movie, without any intent, Forrest achieves what many would
consider a grand destiny: wealth, fame and influence.

Forrest’s friend and counterpart, lieutenant Dan, has a break down when he was rescued from
his death as he has convinced himself that we all have a destiny, and Forrest took his destiny
away from him. He believes that everything happens for a reason. At the end of the movie, he
managed to break away from his belief of destiny.

Near the end of the movie, Forrest concludes his monologue “… But I think maybe it’s both.
Maybe both is happening at the same time.”

His monologue reminds us of the theme chance, destiny and fate. So much of life may happen
without purpose, as the slogan says “S*** Happens”. But life is also a plan and must be figured
by yourself.

“What’s my destiny Mama?”

“You’re gonna have to figure that out yourself.”

The feather is important as it tells us that we’re never going to know life has for us and we
won’t know what we’re going to expect. We must learn to expect the unexpected. We don’t
know what we’ll get , yet at the same time, it’s all part of a plan, a plan that we cannot know, so
we must make our own estiny.