FORREST GUMP

Group 3

Summary and character description

Forrest Gump takes the reader through his remarkable life along with glimpses of

American history from the 1940’s to the 1980’s. Forrest was a unique individual with many

hidden talents that he discovered throughout his life. He starts his narrative by stating: “I been

a idiot since I was born. My IQ is near 70” (pg 1). His below-average mental capabilities placed

him in a mild to moderate mentally disabled category. He was accustomed to people calling

him an idiot, but he possessed qualities that outshined his disability. At 6’-6” and 242 pounds,

he was much larger than the average man. The reader learns of his caring attitude towards

others, especially his mother, when he resisted writing his exact situation in the Vietnam War

to his mother. He tells the reader “but what I’m gonna tell her that won’t start her to bawlin

again? So I jus say we is havin a nice time an everbody treatin us fine” (pg 56). Coupled with his

compassion, was his honesty. While in California and acting for a movie, Forrest was asked by a

co-actor if he peed in his costume. He told her no. With that he tells the reader: “It was the first

lie I ever tole in my life” (pg 187). Despite his mental disability, Forrest’s qualities lead him on

many unique adventures that few people have a chance to experience.

Forrest’s disability is recognized at an early age when he is moved from a public school to

a school for those with disabilities in the second grade. He was not given many opportunities to

excel there, but a few years later things changed. The high school football coached noticed his

immense size and wanted him to play football. This led Forrest to play college football. Forrest

performed so well that he was awarded MVP in his first season, but because of failing physical

education and English, he was expelled from the school. This expulsion resulted in his

immediate recruitment to the army. He fought in the Vietnam War. For Forrest’s valiant efforts,

he was awarded the Medal of Honor. As well, Forrest became good at ping-pong as he played

against other soldiers. He was invited to participate in a tournament in China. During this

tournament, Forrest rescued a drowning, prominent Chinese political figure. Forrest returned

to America and sought out Jenny Curran, who was friends with him since elementary school. He

played his harmonica, which he learned to play during college, in a band with her and they

started dating. He followed Jenny to Washington D.C., and Forrest ended up throwing his medal

at a senator. He was sentenced to a mental hospital. His doctors were impressed with his

mathematical skills and sent him to NASA. Now with an orangutan named Sue and another

astronaut, Forrest was launched into space. Their shuttle crashed in New Guinea, where they

were met with cannibalistic natives. The leader of these natives, Big Sam, kept them there for 4

years. Big Sam taught Forrest to play chess, which Forrest mastered. After escaping, Forrest

looked for Jenny. Forrest found Jenny and they resumed their relationship. Forrest was given an

opportunity to wrestle, which he took and became very popular. Jenny despised his treatment

as a wrestler named “The Dunce” and left. Forrest was on his way home when he met an old

man playing chess, who was impressed by Forrest’s chess ability. He sponsored Forrest in a

tournament in California. Forrest won the tournament, but had to flee. He finally made his way

home and started the shrimp business. His business grew to be a profitable, multimillion-dollar

company. He then moved away to Savannah. He became famous by playing his harmonica and

keyboard. Jenny, now married and with a child, went to see him. She revealed that her child’s

father was Forrest. Forrest’s life was anything but idiotic and dull.

How Forrest is Treated

While reading this book I saw many ways the minor characters treated Forrest. The first

example I will give is of Forrest’s best friend, Jenny Curran. Jenny and Forrest have known each

other ever since they started school. Jenny accepted forrest’s mental disorder and saw him for

the many extraordinary qualities he possessed. She is one of the characters who treated Forrest

with the most respect along with Forrest’s mother.

Next, there were people who showed him kindness, but not nearly to the extent Jenny

or Forrest’s mom showed him. For example Bubba, a fellow military soldier, became great

friends with Forrest but later died on the battlefield. His coaches also came to an understanding

of his disorder and sought to help him succeed in football. Although they called him an idiot

beforehand, they soon understood how to best teach Forrest so he would understand the

plays.

Finally, I noticed there were people who were extremely rude and unfriendly towards

Forrest. Some characters even took advantage of Forrest. These people included the bullies

who would chase him and throw rocks at him and his neighbor who used divinity for “unsavory

purposes.” These people never understood Forrest for the fantastic person he was and all they

cared about was their own self-gratification.

All these types of people influenced Forrest in many different ways for good or for bad. Those

good influences helped him become stronger and those who were rude to him taught him life-

long lessons that he will never forget.

Social Norms for this Disability During the Time Frame of the Book

The book never out rightly states the exact disability that Forrest Gump has. All we can

take from it is that he is developmentally disabled, with an IQ of 70. The average IQ is 100

making Forrest a bit of an outlier. This would mean that he is mild to moderately intellectually

disabled. The point of this book is to show what a man who many people call “stupid” can do.

He accomplishes so many amazing things people never thought a person like him could do.

Throughout history, in this book we are looking at the 60’s and 70’s, people with intellectual

disabilities are known to be mentally retarded, which is now an outdated and even offensive

term.

During the 1940’s, there were hundreds of institutions throughout the country to hold

mentally ill people. People in the 40’s believed that mentally handicapped people were a threat

to the country’s gene pool, and a major cause of criminal activity. In Pennsylvania there were

more than 40 institutions by itself. Some of these institutions housed 20,000 people. These

people were not taken care of well, because the so called “caretakers” were only trying to

defend society. No one got better, physicians even told families to, “Drop them off and forget

about them.”

Now about the 60’s. Across the nation, institutions housed almost 156,000 people with

intellectual disabilities and 550,000 people experiencing mental illnesses. The rooms were filthy

and at times would hold 100 people. A man named Stan Miller vowed to make a difference

after he took visits to institutions and could not believe his eyes. Patients were being housed in

4 by 4 cattle boxes and cages. This led him to a community mental health and mental

retardation system (MH/MR). This was the beginning of the Community Mental Health Mental

Retardation Act of 1966. President Kennedy also had an interest in this problem since his sister

Rose had intellectual disabilities. The Community Mental Health Mental Retardation Act of

1966 made the institutions deinstitutionalize. They went from making 100 people sharing one

room to having a 70 foot space for each person.

The institutions for people with mental disabilities weren’t the only problem. Families

with children who had intellectual problems couldn’t find schooling because their children

couldn’t qualify for school. The Center for Human Resource Development, led by Dr. Adlestein,

Stan Miller and Gary Ellis, would sponsor the New Day School, a private school for children with

autism.

People with mental disabilities were mistreated for a very long time. They were first

looked at like a nuisance, then like animals, finally people. Acts were finally being passed to

help those in need. The book was written in 1986 as a commentary of the 1960’s and 70’s to

show just what people who were discriminated against for so long could do if they were

nurtured in the right way and when people actually believed in them. It is a brilliant book which

points a finger at society and says, “Don’t be too quick to judge, for we know not what

someone is capable of until we give them the chance.”

Progress Society Has Made Since the Book or What Should Be Done

“Don’t be a feather in the wind, take ownership of your life”

This book is based on a series of coincidences that occur with Forrest Gump , the main

character in the story. It is very interesting as each important event in the life of Forrest occurs

naturally without searching for them.

Forest Gump is diagnosed with a slightly low intellect, which makes it so that he scores

low on IQ tests. Forrest has a kinesthetic body intelligence that helped him excel in sports and

these skills and abilities are seen in his great running ability, strength, and body coordination.

Despite the discrimination, Forrest manages to adapt positively in each diverse environment in

which he operates at every stage of his life.

He establishes relatively few, but strong, interpersonal relationships and through their

actions, attitudes and coexistence he helps transform people with whom he relates with such

as Major Dan and Jenny. He even becomes an example and inspiration for the people around

him.

Forrest Gump doesn’t try to give us a profound message but rather illustrates the

experiences and emotions from a human being with cognitive impairment. Forrest Gump was

discriminated against and discrimination is one of the principals barriers faced by people with

disability. This character was isolated, marginalized, ridiculed and suffered prejudice.

At the time in which the book was written Forest Gump (1986) the ADA had not yet

been passed. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.

It appears that at the time that Forest Gump was written the writer did not have

knowledge about Individualized Education Program. This meant that Forest faced a regular

education without any kind of accommodation and special instruction for his skill set.

The positive part of Forrest Gump is that achieving leads him to live a completely

independent life without assistance. He was even able to live and be financially independent,

even rich, which the goal of most people even today. Back then, people with disabilities weren’t

treated as they are today. Forrest was no exception, but today, depending on their disability,

can work, they can get an education, they have many more rights. We’ve come a long way since

the 1960’s.

Bibliography: http://www.keystonehumanservices.org/about-us/history/