Abstract The film Forrest Gump is a classic comedy film by the fusion of perse American culture. As a branch of films, comedy films have unique charm and powerful attraction. This paper takes the typical American comedy film Forrest Gump as a study. Through this film, we can not only look back upon the changes of American society in specific historical period, but also truly understand every aspect of American dream. After giving the basic information about the comedy film, the paper analyzes Forrest Gump from the angle of American dream explicating explicitly the equal opportunity, inpidual liberty and self-reliance as well as positive attitude towards life. The inclusiveness of American dream in the counterculture movement can also be embodied in this film. The analysis of this film helps people have a more comprehensive understanding about American dream and American spirits.53103

Keywords: comedy films; Forrest Gump; American dream; the counterculture movement

摘要《阿甘正传》是一部融合美国多样文化的经典电影。而喜剧电影又是其中具有独特魅力的一类。本文以喜剧电影《阿甘正传》为研究对象，从美国梦的角度对美国文化进行了深刻剖析，详细阐述了该电影反映出来的平等自由的个人理念，以及乐观积极的人生态度。本文还会结合电影所表现出的特定的“反文化运动”时期的背景，分析特定历史时期，美国梦的包容性与多元性，从而让我们对美国精神与美国梦有更深层次的认识。

毕业论文关键词：喜剧电影；《阿甘正传》；美国梦；反文化运动

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

3. Film : Mirror of Culture 3

3.1 Brief History of Comedy Films 3

3.2 Introduction about Forrest Gump 4

4. The Development of American Dream 5

4.1 Definition 5

4.2 History 6

5. The American Dream in the Comedy Forrest Gump 8

5.1 The American Dream Symbolized by Forrest’s Spirit and Achievements 8

5.2 The Fragmentation and Return of American Dream 12

6. Conclusion 15

Works Cited 17

 1. Introduction

The classic comedy Forrest Gump, one of the most popular and controversial film in American film history has attracted much attention since its release. The success of this film lies not only in its comprehensive introduction about transformation of modern American history and culture, but also in the traditional spiritual power and inclusiveness of American dream reflected by the main character Forrest Gump. The American dream is rooted in every aspect of American culture. It is not just a dream, but a spiritual pursuit. After going through emergence, development, and evolution, American dream has different connotations in different historical stages. American film has only two hundred years of history, but in this background, a large number of films which can reflect American culture have largely produced. These works are widely popular and have a profound impact on the world film industry. The American dream, as an important part of American culture, has been covered in the themes for many times. No works like Forrest Gump can reflect the strong vitality and inclusiveness of American dream. Through discovering this film, we can know more about the rebirth of traditional values after the counterculture movement. In this paper, the definition and history of American dream will be introduced and the relationship between American comedy Forrest Gump and the classical American dream will be further studied from two main aspects. With the analysis of the features of American dream out of Forrest Gump, people can not only have a better understanding of the perse culture in America, but also learn more about traditional American values and spirits.