解读《阿甘正传》中的美国文化.docx
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解读《阿甘正传》中的美国文化
题目:
解读《阿甘正传》中的美国文化
InterpretationofAmericanCultureinForrestGump
ApapersubmittedinfulfillmentoftherequirementsofthedegreeofBachelorofArts
TheCollegeofForeignLanguages
ZhoukouNormalUniversity
May,2014
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论文题目:
解读《阿甘正传》中的美国文化
作者单位:
周口师范学院外国语学院2010级本科4班
作者签名:
2014年5月
Contents
摘要
电影是了解一个国家的镜子,是反映并传播本土文化的一种主要形式。
《阿甘正传》是20世纪90年代末的一种美国经典反智电影。
影片旨在唤起人们对历史的反思和对美国文化的重新审视。
本文通过分析《阿甘正传》创作的社会和文化背景以及电影中展现的历史文化、嬉皮士文化、传统文化和美国梦等美国文化,更好地理解美国社会文化的变迁,从而为解读电影《阿甘正传》提供一个新的角度。
关键词:
《阿甘正传》;反智影片;美国社会和文化背景;美国文化
Abstract
Thefilmisamirrortounderstandacountry,anditisaprimaryformtoreflectandspreadthelocalculture.ForrestGumpisanAmericananti-intellectualismmovieinthelate1990s.ItaimstoevokereflectiononhistoryandtheheartsofcollectionoftheAmericanculture.ThroughtheanalysisofsocialandhistoricalbackgroundaswellasmanydifferentAmericanculturesinthefilm,suchasthehistoricalculture,hippieculture,thetraditionalculture,andAmericandream,thepaperisintendedtounderstandthechangesofAmericanculturesandprovidesanewperspectiveforinterpretingthefilmofForrestGump.
Keywords:
ForrestGump;anti-intellectualmovie;Americansocialandculturalbackground;Americancultures
InterpretationofAmericancultureinForrestGump
I.Introduction
ForrestGumpisawellreceivedAmericanmoviebyaudiencesallovertheworld.Itstatesthehistoryofthesecondhalfof20thcenturyinAmerica.ForrestGumpisanAmericanfilmadaptedfromthenovelwiththesametitle,theauthorofthenovelisWinstonGroom.Inthemovie,Gump,regardedasanincarnationofvirtue,honesty,trustworthy,andbravery,isaverypureimage.Hepromiseshiscomradestobuyashrimpboat.Hefinallyrealizeshislastwishandwinsahugewealthforthem.Gumpispersistent,soherunsacrosstheentireUnitedStates.GumpstandsfortheAmericantraditionalculture.Gumprepresentstheconcernofthemainpeopleandstandsforallofthemainstreamculture.
ThecultureoftheUnitedStatesisprimarilyWestern,butisinfluencedbyNativeAmerican,African,Asian,Polynesian,andLatinAmericancultures.AstrandofwhatmaybedescribedasAmericanculturesstarteditsformationover10,000yearsagowiththemigrationofPaleo-IndiansfromAsia,aswellasfromOceaniaandEurope,intotheregionthatistodaythecontinentalUnitedStates.“TheUnitedStatesofAmericahasitsownuniquesocialandculturalcharacteristicssuchasdialect,music,arts,socialhabits,cuisine,andfolklore”(Larry67).“TheUnitedStatesofAmericaisanethnicallyandraciallydiversecountryasaresultoflarge-scalemigrationfrommanyethnicallyandraciallydifferentcountriesthroughoutitshistoryaswellasdifferingbirthanddeathratesamongnatives,settlers,andimmigrants”(Xiong39).ForrestGumprevisespopularmemoriesofthe1960sthroughitsrepresentationsofgenderandraceanditsvisualizationofpostwarhistory.
Thepaperconsistsof5parts.Thefirstpartistheintroductiontothefilmwhichtellsadisabledman’soutstandinglife.ThesecondpartissocialandculturalbackgroundofForrestGump.ThethirdpartanalyzesAmericanculturesinForrestGumpintermsofhistoricalculture,hippieculture,thereturnoftraditionalculture,andAmericandream.ThefilmisthebestinterpretationoftheAmericancultures.ThroughtheanalysisofAmericanculturesinthefilmofForrestGump,wewillhaveabetterunderstandingofthedifferentAmericancultures.
II.TheFilmofForrestGumpAdaptedfromtheNovel
ForrestGumpisa1994AmericanepicromanticfilmbasedonthenovelofthesamenamebyWinstonGroom.ThefilmwasdirectedbyRobertZemeckisandstarredTomHanks,RobinWright,GarySiniseandSallyField.“ThestorydepictsseveraldecadesinthelifeofGump,anaïveandslow-wittedyetathleticallyprodigiousnativeofAlabamawhowitnesses,andinsomecasesinfluences,someofthedefiningeventsofthelatterhalfofthe20thcenturyintheUnitedStates;morespecifically,theperiodbetweenForrest'sbirthin1944and1982”(Robert78).
ReleasedintheUnitedStatesonJuly6,1994,ForrestGumpreceivedcriticalacclaimandbecameacommercialsuccessasthetopgrossingfilminNorthAmericareleasedthatyear,beingthefirstmajorsuccessforParamountPicturessincethestudio'ssaletoViacomearlierintheyear.
2.1TheAuthorandHisNovel
WinstonGroomwasborninWashington,D.C.,andwasbroughtupinMobile,AlabamawherehetookpartinUniversityMilitarySchool(nowknownasUMS-WrightPreparatorySchool).Groom’searliestaspirationwastobecomealawyerlikehisfather,buthefinallyturnedintoawriter.Hejoinedthearmyfrom1965to1969,includingatourofobligationintheVietnamWar.WhenhereturnedfromVietnam,heactedasareporterfortheWashingtonStar.Groomretiredwhenhewas32,andstartedwritinghisfirstnovelBetterTimesthanThesewhichwascomeoutin1978.HisnextnovelAsSummersDiegotbetterappreciation.In1985,GroommovebacktoMobile,AlabamawherehestartedtowritethenovelForrestGump.Thenovelwaspublishedin1986;however,itdidnotmakeGroomafamousauthoruntilitwasrecomposedintoafilmwiththesametitlein1994.
2.2AnIntroductiontotheFilm
GumpisamoronwhoseIQisonly75.Atschoolinordertopreventanyotherstudentsofbullying,heobeystoJenny’swordsandstartstorun.Heranfromthemockingfromothers.Heranintothefootballfieldinordertoavoidbeinghitinhighschool,whenthewarwasoverGumpwasregardedasaheroandwasinterviewedbyPresidentJohnson.Inhislife,hemetmanyAmericaneminentpersons.HeexposedtheWatergateAffair,andhewasarefereeoftheAmericantabletennisteamtomatchwithChinese.Towmusicstars,ElvisandJohnLennon,contactedwithhimandproducedmanyfamoussongs.Atlast,Gumpbecameamagnateintheshrimp.Tomarkthedeadbubba,heestablishedtheBubbaandGumpCompany,andgavethecompany’shalfsharestobubba’smother.Finally,hebecameagardener.
Gumpwentthroughmanyaffairsindifferenthistoricalperiods,buthestillkeptsimpleandkind.Inseclusion,hemissedJennyverymuch.However,Jennyhadfallenfromgraceandgivenup.WhenJennycameback,shelivedtogetherwithGumpforalongtime.Inonenight,JennygrabbedGumpbythehandandlaterslippedawayatdawn.Gumpwasverysad,andhesuddenlybegantorun.Manyotherpeopleregardedhisrunningasasymbolofsomething,andfinallythebehaviorbecameatrend.Whenheshutdown,Gumpdecidedtocomebacktohishometown.Onhisway,hegotJenny’sletter,andhedecidedtovisitJenny.AtJenny’shouse,hesawachildwhowashisson.Theydecidedtocomebacktotheirhometowntogether,butJennydiedintheend.Whentheirsoncametotheageofgoingtoschool,Forrestdeliveredhissontotaketheschoolbusandwenttoschool.Thelastsceneisareiterationofhislife.
III.SocialandCulturalBackgroundofForrestGump
Theanti-intellectualsentimentofAmericansocietydevelopedfastin1990s.Atthesametime,HollywoodproducedsomemoviesthatbelittledthemoderncivilizationandadvocatedlowIQ.Americanmedianamedittheanti-intellectualmovie.ForrestGumpwasthemasterpieceoftheanti-intellectualfilmduringthattime.DisadvantagedbyaterriblespineconditionandalowIQ,Forreststrugglesthroughchildhoodinsmall-mindedGreenbow,Alabama.Duetohismentaldisabilities,Forrestbecomesthevictimofacademicdiscrimination,whichhismotherfightsdesperatelytoresolve.Forrest’smotherusesspecialmethodtomakeGumpenrolltheschool.Inadditiontotheseunsettlingevents,Forrestfindshimselftormentedandisolatedbyneighborhoodchildrenandtownspeoplewhoseemincapableoftreatinghimwithanythingbutreproachanddisdain.
Forrestwasalsoanactivepartofmanyimportantevents,includingprotestsledbyGeorgeWallaceagainstdesegregation,andtheanti-waractivismledbyAbbieHoffman.ItalsocontainedtheVietnamWar,thePingPongDiplomacy,BlackPantherPartymeetings,andtheWatergatescandal.“Itwouldbereasonabletosaythatbeingpartofsuchimportanteventsandwouldmakehimvulnerabletothesocialforcesofthetimes,yethislackofcriticalthoughtasaresultoflowintelligenceseemedtoindicatethecompleteopposite–heremainedwhollyobliviousandignorantoftheirsignificance”(Pobert59).
3.1SocialBackground
ForrestGumpisnotaboutanysinglehistoricalevent,infact,Forrestispresentatalmostallofthehistoricaleventsthattakeplaceduringhislifetime.ObviouslyForrestwasnotpresentatalloftheeventsheisinthemovieinreallife,hewasjustaddedintosomeofthescenes.Itwouldbepossibleforhimtohavewitnessedalloftheeventshedoes,buthewouldhavehadtobeextremelylucky.
ForrestwasamemberoftheUniversityofAlabamafootballteambecauseofhisrunningability.Duringtheperiod,hewasontheteamandhelpingthemwinalltheirgames.Atthattime,PaulBryantwasthecoach,andfinallybecamethecoachwiththemostwinsincollegefootballhistory.WhiletherewasnotanyonewhohadthesamerunningabilityasForrestactuallyontheteam,thecoachwouldhaverecruitedanyonewhodidhavethatkindofability.
Forrestisalsoamemberofaping-pongteamafterherecoversfrombeingshotintheVietnamWar.ForrestisabletovisitChinabeca