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Using Forest Gump to Predict Brett and Jake's Relationship

Spoiler alert for Forest Gump 


    One thing that I noticed right away about Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises is its parallels with the movie Forest Gump. I think by observing how Forest Gump ended, we can make some interesting predictions or guesses on Brett and Jake's future relationship. 

    In Forest Gump, Forest, who is the main character, falls in love with a girl named Jenny at a young age. However, as they both get older, Jenny refuses to engage in a relationship with Forest because of his mental disability, even though Jenny and Forest get along quite well. I thought this was very similar to the situation with Brett and Jake. Brett, like Jenny, comes from a rough history and refuses to be in a relationship with Jake because of his injury. This is very similar to Jenny's refusal to be in a relationship with Forest. Furthermore, the vernacular used by Jenny in the movie and Brett is very similar. In many ways, the dynamic between these two characters in these two different stories represents the same 'doomed love' scenario. 

    In Forest Gump, Jenny eventually realizes that Forest is the only person that genuinely cares for her, and marries Forest. Eventually, in the end, Jenny dies at peace with Forest. I think this ending is significant because it shows that Jenny was able to find happiness by overlooking Forest's 'fault.' Because these two stories are so similar, perhaps we can make a similar prediction about Brett as well. If Brett were to accept Jake as a person that cares about her and accept Jake as a whole despite his injury, perhaps that would lead to a happier and longer-lasting relationship between the two. I think this hypothetical outcome is also significant because it means Brett is perhaps able to overlook the sexual aspect that previously dominated her relationships. By marrying someone who is injured in the way Jake has been injured, it perhaps shows that Brett is redefining the way she views a relationship and the value of Jake to her. 

    Obviously, the comparisons between Forest Gump and The Sun Also Rises are limited, but I think it is valuable to compare the two characters because of their similarities. The Sun Also Rises also ends without knowing what happens between Brett and jake in the future, so applying Forest Gump is quite interesting.

Comments

  1. Khadeejah R.November 2, 2022 at 1:45 PM

    I've never seen Forest Gump, but by the way you describe the main characters, they do sound very similar to Brett and Jake. At the end of the book, where Brett and Jake stand is very unclear. Some think that Jake has finally moved on based on his last line, but I think that both characters are still way too dependent on each other and they have a long way to go. I think if Brett and Jake did end up together, it would mean Brett would have changed quite a bit. I also think they just aren't very good for each other because their relationship is so toxic.

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  2. Mikayla BlankeNovember 3, 2022 at 5:38 PM

    I've never watched Forest Gump, but I've definitely heard the "Run, Forest. Run!" stuff! Anyways, I agree that, based on what you wrote, there are definitely some similarities between the two couples. I wish that we could make the prediction that you offer, but I honestly don't think Brett would be able to thrive in a non-sexual relationship. She seems to cope with her trauma from the war with copious amounts of alcohol and sex. Possibly, Jake could replace these things, but we already heard that they tried out a relationship (and failed), so I sadly don't think it's possible. They could be so good together tho :(

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  3. Jaewoon JungNovember 4, 2022 at 7:53 PM

    I've seen Forest Gump and I can see the similarities. I can definitely see the connection between Jake's injury and Forest's mental disability and how Brett and Jenny refuse them. I think there is even more that could be said comparing and contrasting two narratives, the post war society is one that comes to mind. I find your blog compelling and well supported.

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  4. KnoxNovember 22, 2022 at 1:30 PM

    I really like the comparison to Forrest Gump, as it deals with similar topics such as a post-war narrative from someone who has been damaged by the war. I also think you made a good point when you talk about Brett redefining the way she views relationships, it really made me think about how her perception of love and relationships changes throughout the book. Good post!

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