Forrest Gump - Admission/Application Essay Example

Admission/Application Essay, Visual Arts and Film Studies Topic: Analysis of Sociologically Relevant Film: Forrest Gump (1994) “Forrest Gump” is another commentary on the effect of materialistic civilization on humankind though it does not explicitly says so. The mentally challenged individuals create their own world, they have their own priorities about life and their comments on the events of life are peculiar. Forrest lives through the epoch-making history of America during the 60s, 70s, and 80s but his approach to life during these critical periods is on an even keel.

Nothing special happens in his inner world and he is not mentally involved in any major event during that period as he is unable to appreciate good or bad involved in those happenings. The Director of the movie tackles sociological-cum-psychological problems of the mentally challenged children through the characterization of Forrest. Forrest, disadvantaged by a serious spine problem lives his life moment by moment, and each day he has to face sarcastic comments and humiliation from children for no fault of his.

Academic discrimination follows, which his mother defies resolutely. Her suffering is perhaps greater than that of Forrest. For, Forrest is not aware of his problem and the mother is actively aware and she is concerned about him. She is not willing to send him to a special school and is determined to treat him on par with the normal children and expects the same disposition from the school Principal. The Principal is inclined to take advantage of her precarious position and seeks sexual favors from her for enrolling Forrest in the school.

In addition, Forrest faces ridicule from all ends, the neighborhood children and townspeople who rebuke him and treat him with contempt. Yet Forrest is part of the civil society and the active group that takes up many social and political causes and fights for them. He participates in the protest lead by George Wallace against desegregation, anti-war protests, the Vietnam War, Black-Panther Party meetings, and also Watergate Scandal. The Director of the movie cleverly depicts the mental state of Forrest and his poor level of understanding as he is part of the fight for mutually opposing groups.

Forrest does not what is love or hate. He is just there like a marble statue, devoid of any feelings and emotions for the cause and has no worry about the consequences of such protests. He lacks critical thinking and as such his inner world is free from tensions and conflicts. He is ever calm and the worst situations do him no harm. Those social upheavals have no meaning for him. Forrest is clueless about the events that engulf the society and create unrest for which he is neither happy nor does he own the feelings of sorrow.

In the scale of social justice, Jenny Curran is the other arm. The characterization of Forrest needs to be appreciated in tandem with that of Curran. She is a combustible youngster as compared to the destined dullness of Forrest. In most of the social occurrences Curran takes active part and she is conscious of what is doing and what for she is participating. But the impact of the negativities of the materialistic civilization catches up with Jenny through such associations and interactions with people.

She wants to create a society of her imaginings and once she speaks about her motives to Forrest. “…I want to reach people on a personal level. I want to be able to say things, just one-to-one.” (Gump 1995) But the impacts of her negativities have begun to fructify and her plans for a better society are brought to an abrupt halt as she develops a terminal disease on account of excessive drug use.Conclusion The movie discusses several important sociological and political issues and also the issue of children afflicted with disabilities, without offering any solution.

Somewhere hope gleams through the experiences exposed in the movie about the attempts to foster humanity which need to continue and the combustible younger generation should be counseled and warned well in time about the dangers involved in drug use. Work Cited Forrest Gump. Director. Robert Zemeckis. Paramount Pictures, 1994