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P514: Lifespan Development – Midterm
Valerie Khatadia
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
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Recently having finished her shift, an unknowing nurse joins Forrest Gump sitting on a
bench to wait for the city bus. Forrest opens up a box of chocolates and offers her a piece, which
she turns down and returns to reading her People
magazine. He awkwardly continues to converse
with her by referencing what his mamma told him, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never
know what you’re gonna get.” Forrest then points at the nurse’s shoes and comments on how
comfortable they must be. He then squishes up his face as he tries to remember his first pair of
shoes, which his momma said were magical.
Set in the 1950s through the 1980s, the film Forrest Gump
focused on the life of
Alabama-native Forrest Gump as he recollected stories with strangers while waiting to take the
city bus. Forrest, an innocent and naive boy, was raised by his single mother; his father was “on
vacation” as Mrs. Gump phrased it. Forrest experienced bullying in his younger years due to his
disabilities but he was befriended by a girl named Jenny Curran. Jenny came from an abusive
upbringing that affected her throughout her life. Having lived by his mother’s morals, Forrest
demonstrated his unknowing resilience regarding his adversities through his experiences such as
attending college, becoming a Vietnam War hero, and captaining a shrimping boat.
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages focused on the influences that family and society have on
an individual. Erikson acknowledged that there is adult development past the adolescent stage
and expanded Freud’s psychosocial development beyond childhood. He included rationales of
how society and family also play a role in the development of the ego. The film Forrest Gump
portrays these stages of development and supports Erikson’s theory of the interconnectedness of
society and the individual.
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Trust vs. Mistrust
“You do your very best now, Forrest.”
– Mrs. Gump
The bond that Forrest and his mother shared demonstrated Erickson’s stage of Trust vs.
Mistrust
. This stage, primarily occurring during infancy, is when babies learn whether or not to
trust the world. Children who successfully establish trust are more likely to interact with others
later on in adulthood. Mrs. Gump showed a deep devotion to Forrest’s upbringing, both socially
and academically. His mother taught him several quips to utilize when confronted or questioned
by individuals, very similar to Pavlovian conditioning. For example, when Jenny asked him if he
was stupid, Forrest was quick to respond, “ Mama always said stupid is as stupid does.”
This development of trust is further demonstrated by his interactions with others. When
Jenny and the football coaches told Forrest to run, he ran. In Vietnam Lieutenant Dan told
Forrest and Benajmin “Bubba” Blue of the “Two standing orders in [the] platoon. One – take
care of your feet, and two – try not to do anything stupid, like getting yourself killed.” Forrest
said, “I sure hope I don’t let him down.” (“Forrest Gump)
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
“Don’t let anybody ever tell you they’re better than you, Forrest. If God intended
everybody to be the same, he’d given us all braces on our legs.
– Mrs. Gump
Erikson’s stage of Autonomy vs. Shame
is centered around early childhood, ages two to
three. This phase of childhood is most known for children accomplishing potty training but is
also known for kids developing a sense of identity and self-control. Mrs. Gump explained the
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origin of Forrest’s name, having been named after the Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest
who was a distant relative. General Forrest was a member of the Klu Klux Klan, but Mrs. Gump
described the KKK to her son as a group of people who wore bedsheets. Mrs. Gump also
explained that Forrest’s daddy was on vacation or, in other words, left without the intention of
returning. She protected Forrest from being ashamed of his heritage so that he would remain
confident in who he was. This is most prevalent in how confident Forrest introduced himself to
people – the nurse, the bus driver, Jenny, Bubba – throughout the movie
Initiative vs. Guilt
“Mama said not to be taking rides from strangers.”
