Reading Log - Forrest Gump (~30pp)

             Young Forrest Gump once said: stupid is as stupid does. This quote simply compresses the mindset of Gump – the real matter of life is about the attitude, not about the appearance.

             Talking in southern vernacular, Gump is an “idiot” – if we accept the common way people call him – with low IQ. He doesn’t have the intellectual ability which is expected for the people in his age. Unfortunately, he even had uncomfortable legs during his childhood. However, he never lost the most important truth in life – how to behave decides how to be treated by others. Although being bullied by bad friends, young Gump did not become frustrated or shrunken.

             He has his own way of life. He’s bright, and brighter than folks. He knows how to enjoy his own life. Perhaps he was affected very much from his mother who always told him that he’s not different from the others. Everybody has both strong points and shortcomings, and this is because we are not the God; we are imperfect creatures. If the awkwardness and poor ability in communication is what people think the problem of Gump, then it might be true. Some parts of Gump don’t meet the common standards of this world. But at the same time, he has unique abilities. Running fast is the representative symbol of Gump’s good qualities. And if we think about him from the viewpoint of good and bad points, he is one of the common people –having both bad and strong qualities just like others.

             So, is he really a half-witted idiot? Maybe, but only for the people who don’t accept the value of difference. If we have a wise eye in evaluating someone’s life, the top-rated item should be about the clear identity of life. Forrest Gump obviously has his unique way of living, and he is the owner of his life. Now take one step back and see what happened to this brave guy.