Forrest Gump is a 20th-Century version of the holy fool, exemplified in "GIMPEL THE FOOL" by I.B. SInger, and Alyosha and PRINCE MISHKIN by Feodor Dostoevsky. He is simpleminded and innocent but well-intentioned and life affirming, trnasforming like "PIPPA PASSES" by Robert Browning, the lives of those he encounters.
By means of cinematic special effects, he is shown to be involved in historic events over four decades. His take on these events is idealisitc and eye-opening.
One of the movie's most famous lines is "Life is a like a box of chocolates-you never know what you're going to get".
Some more quotes from Forrest Gump:
Forrest: There is an awful lot you can tell about a person by their shoes .. Where they're going, where they've been.
********
Forrest: I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is.
********
Jenny Curran (Robin Wright) Do you ever dream, Forrest, about who you're gonna be?
Forrest Gump Who I'm gonna be?
Jenny Curran Yeah.
Forrest Gump Aren't, aren't I going to be me?
**********
Forrest Gump: My name's Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump.
***********