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摘 要

温斯顿.葛鲁姆，美国小说家。他以小说《阿甘正传》闻名于世界，这本小说成为一种文化现象并且赢得了六个文学奖项。这本小说主要讲述了阿甘的成长经历。对于这篇小说前人已经做过很多研究:珍妮被描绘成一个反主流文化的代表，否认妇女对社会发展的进步作用。本文展示了从珍妮的成长环境、参加的社会活动等方面对小说中珍妮的性格以及其变化进行初步研究从而展示珍妮在不同时期的性格特点以及她的性格对阿甘的影响。面对对珍妮的质疑和非议，用一种更加宽容体谅的态度去给她客观全面的分析和公正。

关键词：珍妮；性格特点；人生经历；影响

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

3. Jenny’s Characteristics Affects on Forrest Gump 4

3.1 Discovering the world’s beauty 4

3.2 Insisting on his own dream 5

3.3 Learning how to love 6

3.4 Struggling for unfair destiny 7

3.5 Be more powerful and brave 7

4. Conclusion 9

Works Cited 11

2. Introduction

This novel tells a life experience of an intellectual impaired man: “Forrest Gump”, whose IQ is only 75, much lower than the normal, the masterpiece of American Anti-intellectual film, fills of the spirit of conservatism of Hollywood, shows the convention between history and personal. It looks through the political and social history of the United States by ordinary people’s experience.(Richard 03)

Access to 67th session of the Oscar for best picture, best actor, good director, and other six awards and the 16th session of the Golden Rooster Award for Best dubbed Award.

Forrest Gump was born in Alabama, where is in South America, an isolated small town Shortly after World War II. He was born with mental retardation, with the IQ only in 75. However, Gump’s mother has a strong character and she hopes Gump lives as same as others. She always encourages Gump, tells Gump〝You are no different than anybody else is.〞Furthermore, Gump became friends with Jenny, and he can run, run very fast. Once in middle school, in order to avoid his classmates in pursuit, Gump ran into a school football field, because of his running fast, he was admitted into the university. And later he became a rugby star and met with President John F. Kennedy.

And moreover, Gump also made a fortune in strange combination of circumstances to become a billionaire. Because didn’t want be tired by fame or fortune, Gump became a gardener. Gump always missed Jenny; however Jenny had been led astray and caught in despair. Finally one day, Jenny came back, she lived with Gump for a period of time. And one evening, Jenny throws herself into the lap of Gump, and to leave quietly at the next day’s dawn. Years later, Gump met Jenny again, and a little boy who was Gump’s son. This time, Jennifer has got a kind of incurable disease. The three of they got back to their hometown, spent a happy time.(Robert 02)

Forrest Gump who is unfortunately to be born with a lower IQ and the muscle problem, usually, people always think this kind of person can’t be successful in doing anything. But, instead, this unlucky man has achieved lots of incredible success, he is a football star, a war hero, and later a millionaire. (Charles 2005) Of course, in Forrest Gump’s life experience, we can know a woman play an important role in his lifestyle, who will encourage Forrest Gump to work hard in his different life times, she is Jenny. By analyzing Jenny’s characteristic deeply, we can understand the novel well.

Jenny passed away, and their son got to school age. One day, Gump sent his son to the school bus, at this time, a feather fall off from Gump’s son’s book, and fly away in the wind. Jenny is a symbol of degradation; she contracted almost all of the bad habits, such as drug addiction, sexual liberation and so on. Finally, she died of a virus - in fact imply that the HIV virus. But Forrest Gump does not count everything, always in love with her, reflects his innocence and goodness.(Carter 2005)

1. Literature Review

Since Winston Francis Groom wrote the novel Forrest Gump, which was adapted into a film by Robert Zemeckis. The film become a culture phenomenon and won six Academy Awards. Before I did research on the novel Forrest Gump, many famous or infamous scholars have conducted an inquiry on the novel. Many scholars study the novel from different angle.(Hughes 2003)

From the article “Cultural Contradiction--A Brief Analysis of Jenny: Symbol of a Cultural Rebellion in Forrest Gump”, they pointed out that Jenny was the symbol of a cultural rebellion. The thesis first introduced the main contents of the novel: Forrest Gump. On the one hand, the novel advocates truth as well as honesty. And it wants to help people to get rid of the alienation of modern civilization, and find the true beauty of human nature. On the other hand it makes the movie a classic of contemporary American culture. The essay made some analysis to the years and events which the movie has talked about. Then by detailed analyzing the main character: Jenny, and the comparison between Jenny and Forrest Gump, their different fates and the values they represent, the paper highlighted the different destiny caused by the values they hold and showed that they were strongly influenced by the mixture of culture values of that period. At last, with the combination of the main characters Jenny and Forrest Gump: it indicated that different life values have melted into one. From their paper, we can know Jenny as the symbol of the rebellion is on behalf of the American nation’s modern spirit. Under the influence of the complete collapse of value system from her father, what she has inherited is nothing but all the bitter memories. As a woman, Jenny lives a different way of life.(Liu, Li and Zhou 2012 )

But the other article “The Paradox of Feminism Reflected in the Novel Forrest Gump”, we can see that men and women are two basic components of the society and they could not exist in an isolated from. During Gump’s life , there are two important women who influence him a lot: his mother and Jenny. One of the important features in presenting paradox on feminism is the truth that Gump attaches to female. After leaving home for school, his first girl in his life, Jenny. Thus he runs to another woman’s brace in addition to his mother. From then on, Jenny has been Gump’s a spiritual harbor and the one he remembers all the time. He does everything well in order to stay with Jenny. So he can get though countless difficulties and desperation in life. Jenny also serves as guidance in his life in society. She regards Gump as a really good friend without any dislike, she stops Gump from being addicted to drugs; she even has a baby with Gump thus makes his life complete......It can not be erased Jenny had great influences on Gump.(liu 03)

As far as I see,many people blame on Jenny, and take her as the symbol of the rebellion , this is the way of chasing her freedom and equality. We should not talk the novel Forrest Gump, and will think of Forrest Gump who is pure, simple, honesty, faithful, brave, and tough. But Jenny is the representative of drugs, promiscuity, parades, and wander. We should consider the issue equally. As a result, this paper explored Jenny’s characteristic and the change of Jenny’s characteristic from Jenny’s growth environment, Jenny’s effects on Forrest Gump, and Jenny’s effects on herself, social activities, and showed Jenny’s characteristics in different times. Facing people’s skepticism and criticism, I will use a tolerant attitude to give her a comprehensive analysis and justice.

What is fate? Perhaps no one can give a correct answer, we can do that is just trying to take control of your own way. No matter this way is full of thorns or smooth and shine, this way belongs to us. Let’s look back at this road yourself out of the way, and we can say proudly:”Look, it is the way I walked, how beautiful it is!” In Forrest Gump, Gump has experienced many historical events inadvertently.

1. Jenny’s Characteristics Affects on Forrest Gump

During Forrest Gump’s lifestyle, two women have an important influence on him, his mother and Jenny. His mother, as a single mother, Forrest Gump is her everything. Jenny is a kind girl,and finally became Forrest Gump’s wife. Jenny was dead finally,but they had a cute son who was Forrest Gump’s great fortune. Jenny made Forrest Gump realize his value and she tried her best to help Forrest Gump. Jenny experienced many misfortune from a girl to a mature woman. And her characteristics make great effects on Gump and let

3.1 Discovering the world’s beauty

When she was a child, she was very innocent and kind and let Forrest Gump unforgettable, but when she was a grown-up, she represented all rebellious spirit:drugs, promiscuity, parades, and wander. Jenny was very cute and kind when she was a child, especially Forrest Gump thought she was an angel in the school bus. Jenny looked Forrest Gump very well, she taught Forrest Gump to climb and write, and Forrest Gump taught Jenny to play on the swings. They played with each other and soon built deep friendship. For Jenny and Forrest Gump is a turning in life,from then on, their fate is tightly linked together.

We will never forget Jenny’s innocent and smiling face at the beginning of the novel. When Jenny was a child, showing her kindness and amity to us. In the school bus, Jenny showed her hand to Forrest Gump when no one wanted to sit with Forrest Gump. To little Jenny, everything is great, because she is very kind, cute, and innocent.Forrest Gump thought everything is beautiful around the world because of Jenny’s smiling face. At that moment, Jenny was in Forrest Gump’s heart. When they entered into secondary school, Forrest Gump was bullied a lot at the school, then, Jenny shouted at Forrest Gump:Run! Run! This can reflect her kind nature. She affects Forrest Gump a lot because of her kind nature. When Forrest Gump met difficulties, he always thought Jenny said to him, and then he would feel more powerful to deal with the difficulties. At this time, we have not to say, it is very important for Forrest Gump to handle every tough things. Moreover, Jenny affects Forrest Gump a lot.

3.2 Insisting on his own dream

When she was a grown-up, Jenny was eager for freedom and wanted to achieve her dreams. She and Forrest Gump entered into the university, but Forrest Gump didn’t forget her. However, Jenny changed.She traveled with strangers and lived with them, and Forrest Gump couldn’t understand her. Forrest Gump gave his love to Jenny, but Jenny didn’t need. She wanted to a man who can protect her and help her achieve dreams. Tragic childhood experiences, loitering and drug use in the community, all of which ultimately ruined Jenny. She used her own body to express this social discontent and protest, anti-traditional, abandon ethics, choose their own way of escapism. Jenny is the true epitome of the tragedy of the 1960s, she struggles to the society, and doesn’t yield to the fate. As the victim of the times, Jenny wastes her youth. We should give sympathy to Jenny, at the same time, we should re-examine our own life from Jenny’s experiences.

Jenny had an unhappiness family. She didn’t have a mother, her father always maltreated her. The lack of mother’s love and shame from her father like her body tumor. Jenny is on behalf of the American nation’s modern spirit. Under the influence of the complete collapse of value system from her father, what she has inherited is nothing but all the bitter memories, and these lead to her strongest tendency to rebel against tradition. As a woman, Jenny refused the traditional way of life. She wants to sing in the bar when she was a student in college. She hangs out with guys and dares to bring the to her dormitory. She travels with strangers and lives with them. All of her experiences showed that she is not a traditional woman as most of women in the houses. Under many men’s help, Jenny can solve different questions to her. At the same time, she tried to leave Forrest Gump again and again, although Forrest respect her,love her very much. As we know, we can’t choose our birth, so we shouldn’t blame her for her behavior. Because of Jenny’s living environment, so she wants to find her ‘true love’, but the person is not Forrest Gump. So later, she refused Forrest Gump more times.

Because Jenny was sexual abused by the father when she was a child, she was very eager to leave the home to start her own wonderful life. She has a dream to become a singer, and she has always chased her dream and she believes that one day it will come true. In order to realize her dream, she would rather naked body on the stage play guitar and later become a wandering singer with her guitar everywhere. Jenny failed to become a singer star finally, but she never regretted to chase her dream, and for her, she thought her life is valuable. Jenny insists on chasing her dreams, because Jenny can insist on doing something , leading to Forrest Gump’s insisting on running.

3.3 Learning how to love

Jenny is eager to love and be loved during her lifetime. She was friendly to Forrest Gump when she was a child and made Forrest Gump think she is the most friendly girl in the world. And later, Forrest Gump loved her very much, but Jenny didn’t accept Forrest Gump, then she wanted to chase perfect love she dreamed. Owing to Jenny’s life experiences and family background, Jenny is particularly anxious to get a naive romantic love, but Forrest Gump is wooden,boring.Jenny found even Forrest Gump doesn’t understand what is true love, and they belong to different world, they can’t stay with each other. Every time, Forrest Gump helps Jenny get rid of troubles, Jenny always wants to get away from him and continue to chase her dream and ‘true love’. In fact, Forrest Gump loves Jenny very much, and he can do everything for her, and try his best to protect her. Finally, when Jenny was desperate, she reminded of Forrest Gump, and decided to return to Forrest Gump’s side, but after marring with Forrest Gump, she also wanted to leave and to chase her ‘true love’. Instead, Forrest Gump didn’t give up Jenny, he wanted to be with Jenny for a long time. Forrest Gump didn’t give up to look for his true love like Jenny.

3.4 Struggling for unfair destiny

The personalities and cultivation of the children have very big concern with their growth experiences, social environment and family background. Jenny used to living in pain and violence, who was abused by her father from a long time. So Jenny is long for freedom, and she hopes to everywhere. In my opinion, Jenny is very misfortune because of her growth experiences.

When Jenny grew up, she became very rebellious. There are many reasons why she became so rebellious. Firstly, she came from a single family, her father always abused her and her father couldn’t give her good education. Moreover, her father often did sexual assault to her, that she hated all men, and with different men promiscuity to revenge his father. And then, Jenny wanted to live happily to achieve her dreams. But it is especially difficult for her to achieve her dreams in the complex society. So later, she gave up to chase her dreams, and she indulged in the vulgar life. Finally, she wanted to become famous, but in vain.She is so vacuous that she failed in chasing her dreams. When Jenny couldn’t find her way to achieve success, she found Forrest Gump was looking for her and she chose to marry with Forrest Gump. Finally, she left and wanted to look for her values.

3.5 Be more powerful and brave

There are always miracles in the everyday life, as long as you seize the opportunity, miracles will happen to you. On the one hand, Forrest Gump is unlucky who is an idiot and suffers from myasthenia. In many persons’ eyes, Forrest Gump won’t achieve success. On the other hand, Forrest Gump is very lucky, because he has a great mother. Especially, he meets Jenny who is very friendly to him and makes Forrest Gump feel warm around the world. No one can pay attention to him like Jenny except his mother. When Forrest Gump was bullied by other students at his secondary school, Jenny always shouted to Forrest Gump:Run! Run! This made Forrest Gump feel more powerful, and cure Forrest Gump’s disease. Lately, because Forrest Gump ran very fast, he was elected to the school football team, and he entered into the university because of running. It is Jenny who gave him running power and courage.

“Run, Forrest!” It is Jenny who teaches Gump how to run and how to love. When Gump is teased by other naughty boys, she just tells him to run away. As a result, his leg braces amazingly break off. And his excellent running ability gets him a football scholarship at the University of Alabama and plays a vital role in his later success. While, Jenny lives different life compared to Gump. The abuse by her father leaves a shadow throughout her life. Therefore, she prays to become a bird and fly away to find herself. The reason underlying Jenny leaves Gump again and again is that she thinks she is unworthy of Gump’s love. Finally, after experiencing various degenerations, she comes back to Gump as she realizes that only Gump can provide a refuge and take good care of her. Moreover, reflections on life have turned her into a mature and responsible woman. She wants to settle down and be the girl of Gump. A lot of people interpret Jenny as the symbol of depravity. However, I appreciate her braveness and frankness, with which she tries to realize her dream even it means she has to suffer a great deal. “I miss you, Jenny. If there"s anything you need, I won"t be far away.” I think only Jenny can always be loved by Gump. (Miller 1967)

As long as we move forward bravely, our life will be full of hope. During the war, he could get rid of danger quickly, because he remember what Jenny said to him‘Don’t always try to be brave, you should run when met the risk’.Jenny gave Forrest Gump courage and power. During the war, he missed Jenny very much and wrote many letters to Jenny. So when he came back to his country, he found his values across the whole country.He bought a boat named ‘Jenny’ to express his deep love to Jenny.Although Jenny doesn’t cherish his love ,but he doesn’t change his love to Jenny. However, Jenny affects Forrest Gump a lot, she taught Forrest Gump how to love and how to look for his values. However, in the 60s, the young people choose a kind of disillusioned road to escape from reality, to pursue pleasure, to negate rationality and to emphasize the instinct. The liberation of sex, the fiction of tourism brought by drugs and the stray and social life which is away from the real social is their choice of way of life. This is also the way of life which Jenny and her “hippies” companion have chosen in the film. Therefore, Jenny is very important to Forrest Gump. Although Jenny is seen as the symbol of rebellion to the traditional value. The marriage of Jenny and Forrest Gump may be seen as a convergence of different of different values. The traditional values that promoted by the director is represented by the hero: Forrest Gump, who has faith in life and does things in his own way, honestly and directly. However the heroine is a symbol of the sub-cultural life value. The value is a rebellion against the main trend culture and value of the society. Their marriage followed by the death of Jenny indicates the vanishing of the rebellious life value and the movie highly praised the traditional life value represented by Forrest. It advocates people to reconsider the advantage and characteristics of the traditional value and keep it in people’s minds. It calls for the necessary return of the traditional value. But in my opinion, Jenny is chasing freedom and equality. So we can not look down on women’s status, in the 70’s and 80’s, American women were fighting for freedom and equality. They chose their marriage, but they don’t meet when housewife. Therefore, they eventually achieve their values by pay more attention to their jobs. There is no doubt that Jenny has her right to live her lives she want.

4. Conclusion

Jenny is the degenerating symbol of ‘Beat Generation.’ In the novel ‘Forrest Gump’, at the end of it reads:‘But I tell you, friends: Sometimes at night, I look up to the stars, then see the whole sky on the laid there, I do not think I remember nothing. I still have a dream, like everyone else, I would occasionally think of another situation in life, like son. And then, blink of an eye, I have forty, fifty, sixty-year-old, you understand, right?’We can learn something from this paragraph. We should learn to think deeply.

Forrest Gump mainly describes the story of a weak-minded, muscle weakness syndrome American youth how he achieved success. In some sense, Forrest Gump is the symbol person of purity, honesty, faith, perseverance, virtue, bravery, and tough. But Jenny is the representative of drugs, promiscuity, parades, and wander. The article mainly analyzes the birth and growth background of Jenny, and Jenny’s characteristics and her effects on Forrest Gump. Therefore, we can make a conclusion that life is full of miracles, as long as we catch the opportunity, miracles will happen to everyone. If we believe the miracles, everything will happen to us.

Works Cited

Alleva, Richard. Featherweight-Forrest Gump directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks[M].Commonweal 1994：17-2.

Burgoyne, Robert. Film Nation, Hollywood Looks at US History [J].Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1997.

Carter J.Our England Values: America’s Moral Crisis[M]. New York:Simon amp; Schuster, 2005.

Charles“A tale told by an idiot-Forrest Gump directed by Robert Ze”[M].The Spectator 273, 1994:24.

Hall, Edward T. Beyond Culture [J]. New York: Anchor Press, 1976.

Hughes R.The Shock of the New [M].Tianjin:Baihua literature and art publishing house,2003.

Maltby R.Hollywood Cinema [M].Second Edition.America:Wiley Blackwell, 2003.

Scott, Steven D. ‘Like a box of chocolates’ “: Forrest Gump and post-modernism” Literature/ Film Quarterly 29 [J]. 2001: 23 - 9.

Perry Miller. Nature’s Nation[M].Havard University Press, 1967.

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