Forest Gump: A Tragedy?

I watched Forest Gump tonight, and after seeing the movie many times, I wondered: How exactly does this movie end? Is this movie a tragedy?

At first glance, this movie ends happily. Forest Gump has taken life by the balls, achieved much, overcome many obstacles, marries the woman he loves, and has a child to start the entire cycle over. This is a very happy ending looking at it from this stand point.

However, there is another way of looking at this. Forest, throughout all of his experiences and travels, constantly thinks about Jenny. There is nothing more prominent in his life than his love for Jenny. In Vietnam, while running, and in college, Forest thinks about Jenny.

Forest does end up with Jenny at the end. However, throughout Gump's entire life, Jenny repeatedly grows close to him, and then detaches herself immediately. Forest experiences much hurt and confusion from Jenny's struggles and confusions with herself. Any ordinary man would have become fed up with these antics, and moved on from the turmoil which Jenny provided. Forest is different, because of his dedication and his passion for the girl who first talked to him on the bus.

Jenny is no ordinary woman. Jenny was abused by her father as a child. Abusive fathers can often lead children to have attachment disorders (http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/wood.html). Jenny goes on a rough journey through life trying to find herself and overcome her past. Some methods of doing this are letting men abuse her and by experimenting with drugs. As she grows closer to Forest, the attachment disorder causes her to split away. Just as Jenny and Forest grow close, Jenny breaks away and tries to find herself again.

Forest almost plays out a tragedy, by seeking a woman he may never be able to truly have. Forest is eventually rewarded with a son through Jenny and by becoming married to her. But does she truly love him then?

Jenny admits that she has become ill. She doesn't talk to Forest for many years (even after she has his child), but only seeks contact with Forest after she realizes she is ill, and probably decides that she needs to introduce the child to the father so the child will have somewhere to live. Does this sound like someone who actually loves someone, or someone who is operating off of cost-benefit rewards?

So, does Jenny love Forest? It is anyone's guess, but I would say yes. She decides to marry him and she spends her last days with him. After a lifetime of turmoil, Jenny finally decides that her heart belongs to her soul mate. If Jenny didn't love Forest, she could have continued searching up until her day of death. Maybe Jenny didn't love Forest completely (due to a possible attachment disorder), but she loved him nonetheless.

But is this movie a tragedy? If the viewer believes that the movie is focused entirely on Forest's quest for Jenny, then the viewer could view the movie as a tragedy or a happy movie. If the viewer believes life is a journey, then the viewer could look at this as a tragedy. Forest spends the entire movie longing for Jenny, only to finally be with her and have her die. The journey (of longing for Jenny, not the side events in Forest's life) is a tough one for Forest, leaving him often heart-broken and lost. If the viewer believes life is a destination, they could possibly view the movie as a happy one because Forest arrives at the destination of being with Jenny. Forest does lose Jenny through death, but he feels as if he is always with her in the end.