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Humanizing Jenny: She’s Not The Villain of Forrest Gump

Understanding Her Actions

By SkylerPublished about a year ago 17 min read
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Thanks to the advent of the world wide web and social media, anyone can dump their ideas, suggestions, and theories. Understand, I too am guilty of this. Generations ago, except for reviews, you will only know of takes on films and their characters in a book, magazine, or documentary. A film, or any art, is subjective upon the viewer(s). Case in point, many people have taken an odd, less than empathetic outlook on Robin Wright's character of Jenny Curran in Forrest Gump. Some treat her as the antagonist, as a villain. It goes further in that many see her as some Machiavellian James Bond villain. Others state that they hate her. Note they do not hate how the character is written or portrayed by Robin Wright. No, they hate the actual person, like a viewer hates Lex Luthor in a Superman story. Let us better understand Jenny Curran.

What Are The Villain's Goal(s)?

Let us tackle this contrivance of Jenny being the antagonist or villain. What is her plan? What are her goals? Every antagonist has and needs one. Heath Ledger's Joker had a scheme, therefore, do not use him as an example of the exception. In Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, The Joker snidely asks, "Do I really look like a guy with a plan?" He adds, "I just... do things." Forgive me, but this is neither true of the character nor of any antagonist in a film. Without a concrete goal, there is no structure to the plot and no coherence. Instead, it meanders from point A to point Q and back to point J. Even the most simplistic cartoon antagonists have a motivation; Wile E. Coyote, for example.

Viewers can construct what they think Jenny wants - fame, love, peace, drugs, sex, etc. We base these on just superficial details we see in the film. At one point, she talks about being famous and wanting to be a great folk singer like Joan Baez. After one wrecked performance, that dream is off the table. Next, she is a hippie with a man from the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Again, on a surface level, from our vague assumptions, she wants peace and democracy. Yet, again this does not carry through. Afterward, we see her engaged with musicians and drug users in the seventies. Hence, we cannot say without a doubt what Jenny's goal is when she wanders aimlessly through life.

One can take some of these moments as a goal for Jenny, but how does it connect to Forrest? In what way does becoming a folk singer deter our hero from his path? He visits her, but nothing about her dreams sets him off the course of Vietnam. There is a paradox, politically, in seeing them together as the man in uniform and the hippie. Jenny's peers pass judgment on Forrest, depicting him as the enemy. Yet, Jenny engages in no political and ideological babble with him at all. She sees a man, her friend, back from the war safely, who she is happy to find years later.

In both circumstances, Jenny leaves Forrest at the end of their encounter after being assaulted by men. Her reasons for leaving can differ. In Memphis, yes, she is angry at Forrest for 'saving' her and questions his understanding of love. Beginning here is her trek across the country to find peace and happiness for herself. She even tells Forrest to 'stay away' from her. Although upset with Forrest after what happens on stage, she tells him, "Just if you're ever in trouble, don't be brave. You just run, OK? Just run away." If she is the villain, she certainly does care about our hero.

She leaves Forrest in their nation's capital as just something she has to do. Sadly, she still feels loyalty to the abusive Wesley as they plan to bus back to California. Again, who can say what her mission is? We can go by the circumstantial evidence of Berkley, the boyfriend from SDS, and the year 1968. Take all of this and conjure that Jenny is out for some high-minded liberal, activist mission to save the world. Many critics try to read politically into the film, regarding her as liberal and Forrest as conservative. Sure, these two can represent near caricatures of both sides, but if anything, both characters are rather a-political. Remember, these two do not engage in any political discussions. Hence, she is not leaving Forrest because he is some conservative war hero or 'baby killer.'

Jenny shows some change from their previous encounter. Remember in Memphis, when she asks for a ride, and he asks where to she says, "I don't care." This time she is clearly heading to California and on friendlier terms with Forrest. He gives her his Medal of Honor, which she feels awkward accepting, as most probably would. They proceed to make a sweet exchange.

Jenny Curran: Why are you so good to me?

Forrest Gump: You're my girl!

Jenny Curran: … I'll always be your girl.

Just like that, she has not deterred or interfered with Forrest. He returns to the service, becoming a national hero and celebrity ping-pong player. No certainty is there for what Forrest had in mind if Jenny had not left again. No doubt, Forrest is again confused as to why she is running away. Nonetheless, the hero is not defeated. Understand that Jenny has a journey to take, as does Forrest.

What does Jenny want, though? The problem is Jenny does not even know what she wants. What starts as a harmless, although provocative picture in Playboy Magazine leads to singing topless on stage for men. In addition, she sings under the alias of Bobbi Dylan. Where did this come from? Who is she now? How will Jenny become this famous star when using another singer's name? Performing at a peep show will not lead to mainstream success. Jenny is probably not pondering these details. Keep in mind, she did not invite Forrest to her performance. He merely stumbled upon her recent status and surprised her.

Although she joins the counterculture movement, she is hardly an active member. Nowhere does she seem radicalized like Wesley in his East German Army jacket or the Black Panther Party. Perhaps what Jenny is looking for is acceptance. Taking your clothes off for men will certainly earn their welcome but not respect. Joining a group can lead to this as well. Hence, Jenny enters the counterculture movement. Sometimes a group helps someone feel like they are part of something, something bigger than themselves. It can grant them meaning to their own life. Yet, we never see her with these people again. Instead, she sinks in to the sex, drugs, and disco of the seventies.

In the end, what Jenny is looking for, is happiness, happiness for herself. Unfortunately, she is looking in all the wrong places. Instead of trying to find help and peace within herself, she looks for some kind of high, both literally and metaphorically speaking. Her home is not on stage, in California, or on the road but in Greenbow, Alabama, with Forrest. Sadly, she had to walk through hell first to find this peace.

Jenny's Trauma

Empathy is hard for people, it seems. In Jenny's journey, people leave her origin on the cutting room floor of memory. Or did they misinterpret Forrest's comments on her father being "a very loving man always kissing and touching her." Jenny lost her mother at the age of five. The only support she had then was an abusive, alcoholic father. As a poor single farmer, he took his frustrations out on Jenny. Afterward, she goes to live with her grandmother, but Forrest speaks of Jenny being scared and sneaking out at night to come to see him. From a young age, Jenny lacks any good emotional support. Yes, she has Forrest, but one child cannot teach another child about the world and guide them through it. One must understand that Jenny suffers from Complex Trauma. What is Complex Trauma, you ask?

Complex trauma describes both children’s exposure to multiple traumatic events—often of an invasive, interpersonal nature—and the wide-ranging, long-term effects of this exposure. These events are severe and pervasive, such as abuse or profound neglect. They usually occur early in life and can disrupt many aspects of the child’s development and the formation of a sense of self. Since these events often occur with a caregiver, they interfere with the child’s ability to form a secure attachment. Many aspects of a child’s healthy physical and mental development rely on this primary source of safety and stability.

Complex Trauma can lead to many effects, which we see materialize with Jenny into her adult years. A caregiver, such as one's father, is a window to the child's world. Yet, when that father exploits or abuses his child, it warps the world negatively for the child. The child learns the world is awful and that they are at fault. As children, we make our first attachments and relationships with our parents. The health and support within these relationships determine how we make connections in the future. A poor, unhealthy relationship with a parent can lead to a negative attachment with a future partner. Complex Trauma can lead to problems in romantic relationships, friendships, and with authority figures. We can see this in Jenny's strained relationship with Forrest and ending up with overly-aggressive men. This may explain her attraction to joining the counterculture movement of the sixties, given their disdain for traditional authority.

Behavior can also come under fire, as they struggle with self-regulation and possibly lack impulse control. After Forrest saves Jenny in Memphis, she does act a bit erratic, as she scolds him. Most people, especially women in a scenario like this, would be thankful. Her anger may stem from the notion that she feels defenseless and incapable of defending herself. She does little, if anything, towards the men yelling and grabbing at her. Forrest notes the obvious of how those men were trying to grab her, and she replies, "A lot of people try to grab me." She treats the incident as more of an annoyance when most women would see it as assault. Due to her childhood history of being grabbed by her father, incidents like this are just a fact of life for her. She may not like it but learns to accept it as the norm, although it's not supposed to be.

Individuals can also engage in high-risk behaviors such as unsafe sexual activity, running away, and substance abuse. Sound like anyone you know? There is no concrete proof, but we can only make assumptions about her sex life, especially when the counterculture movement embraced free love. Since 1966 she has been on the road, and we see her drug use from the sixties into the seventies.

Another effect of Complex Trauma is on the individual's self-concept. Again, a parent plays a huge role in forming a child's sense of worth and confidence. It is hard to imagine Jenny's father praising her grades in school or telling Jenny she will grow up to be somebody one day. As children, we see the world in black and white, with actions and consequences. We face consequences for wrong actions. A child who faces abuse or neglect cannot help but blame themselves for this transgression. Obviously, to them, they did something wrong. Hence they are facing this punishment as they see it. Compounding this, the victim may find it safer to blame themselves rather than the transgressor. We see an example after Wesley smacks Jenny, and a fight erupts with Forrest. After they leave, Jenny tells Forrest about Wesley, "he doesn't mean it when he does things like this." She may not be taking blame herself, but she washes Wesley's hands of any guilt.

Many will ask why she does not seek help. At this time, what help is there? What we know now about Complex Trauma we did not know decades ago. Plus, the notion of seeing a therapist was taboo if not looked down upon. You also have figures like Nixon and Reagan, who linked psychiatry to communism. Both historical figures are present in the film and do not forget this is during the Cold War period. Sadly, Jenny has to do this alone, for she already feels she does.

Jenny's Healing

Numerous conjectures exist about Jenny, such as she arrives in Forrest's life only when she needs something. Although, when she does show up in his adult life, it was never part of the plan, nor did she ask for anything. Some have drawn this out to her returning to Alabama in 1976 because he has money now. Conspiracies exist that she is already pregnant and is using him for a free bed. Again, people try to paint her as some manipulator like The Emperor from Star Wars. Yet, upon arrival, she does not know of Forrest's newfound wealth. Nor does she rob him or ask for any money. If pregnant, she does not announce it, nor is she showing. Yes, like every other encounter, again, she leaves him. One cannot help but ask, why again? Skimming by these surface details, we assume the worst of her.

Upon her return, everything seems fine. Jenny looks clean, for lack of a better word. We see her in a simple dress with no trappings of a hippie or disco rock star. She appears as the girl-next-door type. Yes, she tells Forrest, "you don't want to marry me." People need to understand it is not that Jenny does not want Forrest. Go back to her poor self-concept and sense of worthlessness. She believes Forrest deserves someone else, someone better. As odd as it may sound, keeping him in the perpetual 'friend-zone' is probably safer for Forrest and herself. She does not want to break his heart. If she did break his heart, it would only add to her long history of guilt and shame.

Another moment of grief for Jenny, upon her return, is stumbling on her childhood home. Suddenly, she throws her shoes and hurls rocks at the old, dilapidated house. Jenny's grief is so powerful as she loses her footing and collapses. Forrest comments, "Sometimes, I guess there just aren't enough rocks." This house, these memories, is what Jenny has been running from for so long. No matter how many rocks she throws at it or how long she runs, it will never change what happened. She must accept her past and learn to move on instead of just trying to forget it.

After her night with Forrest, she finally leaves, yet again. The cab driver asks where she is running, and she denies that she is running away. Notice she returns Forrest's Congressional Medal of Honor to him. He gifted this to her almost a decade ago, as he felt she deserved it. "I got it just by doing what you told me to do," he says. Remember, she told him to run. From here on out, Jenny is done running while Forrest begins his trek across America. We see her hold down a steady job as a waitress in a diner. Now, why did she leave him again? Part of it is the cliche 'it's not you, it's me.' However, I think it stems from Jenny's need to get her affairs in order first. When the film finally arrives in the present, we see that. She is still working, has a home (with air conditioning), and has a son! Jenny even apologizes to Forrest for any trouble she may have caused him, letting him know she was "messed up" for a long time.

Jenny's Son

Sadly, audiences do not believe Forrest to be the biological father to Jenny's son. They prefer to seek out Jenny as this schemer who drops this knowledge on Forrest for free child support as she is on her way out. Part of this stems from the standards of American audiences post-1982 when the film ends. People are used to many episodes of Maury with the colloquial - you are not the father! Today, it is not unusual for a family to include a child from a different father. Before 1982 these situations did exist but were not the norm. Can you imagine a film taking place in a similar period with an interracial couple or gay couple? Forrest Gump tends to build off the standards and norms of that time. No one is saying it cannot be, but it cannot be without discussion and controversy within the film.

We see Jenny and Forrest share a night on America's bicentennial. Naysayers reject this scene simply because it does not go into depth enough. In Hollywood, a woman undressing with a man in bed usually equates to sex. A flat-out porno or exposition is not needed to establish intercourse here. Nine months later, the child would be born sometime in April 1977. Forrest meets his son after the attempted assassination of President Reagan in late March of 1981. By this time, the child would be roughly four years old. The actor, Haley Joel Osment, is about the same age as his character. Keep in mind that actors are never the precise age of their character. How many times has Hollywood cast early twenty-year-old somethings to play teenagers? Do not forget that Forrest is running across the country during this period of child-rearing for Jenny. Remember, cell phones do not exist in the seventies. How would she get a hold of him? At this point in their history, Forrest is the one running, not Jenny.

Talk about two intriguing connections between Forrest and his son. They both similarly tilt their heads. Both have an interest in Curious George. When Forrest first meets Jenny, he notes her being the most beautiful thing he ever saw. He makes a similar remark upon first seeing Forrest Jr. as his son.

In the novel, there is confirmation of Forrest being the father. Although - Jenny raises their child with another man. Producer Wendy Finerman even refers to Forrest Jr as their son. Unfortunately, questioning the child's true genealogy fits into a post-modern America of nihilism and distrust. Even those who still believe Jenny is lying, is she wrong for wanting Forrest to be the father? Some women may not find Forrest attractive, but can they truly doubt he would be a caring father to their child? Scheme or not, Jenny left Forrest Jr in the best and most loving hands. Forrest did not question it, for he is willing to lend a hand, for he follows his heart.

Jenny's Health

Let us forego Jenny's mental health to her physical health. Her death lies in mystery, given she tells Forrest that she has a virus that the doctors cannot identify. People believe it to be HIV/AIDS because of perceived sexual promiscuity and the film ending in the early eighties. Fingers point to this because of the time of her death as well. Yet, the author notes it was Hepatitis C, which was still unidentifiable in 1981. Possibly, she got this from sharing needles with fellow drug users in the seventies. Yet, screenwriter Eric Roth confirmed HIV/AIDS as the cause. He planned the sequel would confirm and intertwine this detail into the story.

Regardless of how she died, critics use this as another means to paint Jenny as a horrible person. She is now endangering Forrest and their son, which is their claim. Remember, AIDS was still new to the public. People thought they could contract the illness simply by shaking hands with someone who tested positive. Philadelphia, another Tom Hanks film, addresses this misconception. Hepatitis C will not be identified until 1989. Do not forget that the public has not the access to health information in 1982 as it does today. Medically speaking, it is possible for her son to contract either one, but knowledge was scant at the time. If anything, the cause of Jenny's death should have little to no bearing on the film's conclusion.

A particular theme in the film is the idea of destiny. The feather from the beginning represents this, as we see it float along in the breeze. At first, it almost falls on the shoulder of a man until flying off to the feet of Forrest Gump. Forrest says to Jenny, "I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happening at the same time." Lt. Dan believed we all have a destiny and that everything is part of a plan. Jenny runs counter to this, just floating around through life. Yes, she wanted to be a folk singer but did not hold it up as her destiny. Instead, she embraced a life of hedonism.

Forrest even asked his mother about his destiny, to which she had no answer. We have to find it ourselves. Mrs. Gump did not know her destiny was to be Forrest's mother. Because of hindsight and our faith in traditional feel-good storytelling, it was Jenny's destiny to be Forrest's wife and the mother of their son. Jenny did not know this, but I doubt, within hindsight, she would be unhappy with her destiny.

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About the Creator

Skyler

Full-time worker, history student and an avid comic book nerd.

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