Forrest Gump is a well-known and adored character in pop culture. Many admirers are still unsure about his impairments, though.
The majority of viewers of the film Forrest Gump are aware that the title character is not neurotypical. Though Gump has no definitive diagnosis, according to both 1994 film director Robert Zemeckis and 1986 novel author Winston Groom, conjecture hasn’t stopped.
The majority of the data on the internet is speculation from fans who have some connection to Gump, while some experts have attempted to make a diagnosis.
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Did Forrest Gump have autism?
To begin with, Gump most certainly belongs to the autism spectrum. Actually, based on details from Groom’s book, Drs. Shinji and Naomi Ijichi provided Gump with that exact diagnosis in a study that was published in 1996.
In particular, they examined Groom’s accounts of Gump’s interactions with others and his environment and contrasted them with the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, or ASD. Gump satisfies the qualifications, they concluded.
Given that Gump narrates both the book and the movie, the conclusion that Gump has autism is easier to draw. By doing this, he draws the listener into his own viewpoint.
Gump’s behaviors and viewpoints resonated deeply with those who are either diagnosed with or familiar with ASD. His difficulty in social situations and his complete concentration on one task are two of the most obvious instances.
The emphasis Gump provides his drill teacher, ping pong, shrimping, and running is a common trait among those with ASD. They have the ability to focus quite well once they get into a task.
Similarly, from an early age, Gump consistently struggles to read the social clues of the people and circumstances around him.
For instance, when he entirely misinterprets the propriety of her father’s behavior towards his daughters and ignores tiny Jenny’s anguish and evident mistreatment.
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