Forrest Gump and the American Dream

Forrest Gump displays the American Dream very well in some ways. While watching this movie, I noticed that Forrest Gump accomplished a lot of what today would be considered very great accomplishments. He was a man with a very low IQ; however, he was able to overcome not being as smart as other people and make a fortune. I consider the American Dream to be going from rags to riches, having a perfect family, and remaining successful until retirement. Forrest Gump did go from rags to riches. On the other hand, he did not have a perfect family. We never saw Forrest's father, and he wasn't even aware he had a son until the son was already almost seven years old. The woman he loved kept running away from him with some abusive boyfriend. Forrest Gump went through many struggles before he reached the "American Dream." He went through enlisting in the military and fighting, first hand, in battle. He watched his best friend die. When he came back, his mother died. When he finally married Jenny, she died. Through all of this, he remained optimistic and hopeful. He remained a good person who would do anything to help anyone out. This to me is more of the American Dream than what it is thought to be of today. I don't think he achieved the American Dream by coming into a fortune; he achieved the American Dream by overcoming all of the impossible obstacles and still remaining a genuine and helpful person.