Candide: The 18th Century Forrest Gump

Ms. King brought up a really interesting comparison a few days ago in class between the 1994 film Forrest Gump and Voltaire's Candide. Both works follow the lives, from birth to middle/old age, of two main characters who somehow witness the major events of their time periods. Forrest Gump encounters key people and occurrences of the 19th century such as Elvis Presley, Vietnam War, the hippie movement, JFK, the Watergate scandal, the birth of Apple, the AIDS crisis, and so much more. Likewise, Candide is involved with notable events from the 18th century such as the Lisbon Earthquake, the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the Jesuit Wars, colonialism, and slavery. I think it's interesting how both works are able to display important themes and messages while simultaneously providing a summary of the events that shaped history. Another similarity is that, despite the constant trials Forrest and Candide face, they never fail to keep an optimistic outlook on life. Furthermore, both Forrest and Candide are motivated to keep moving forward and not give in to their misfortunes for a love interest. Forrest is constantly trying to seek the love and approval of his childhood best friend, Jenny; Candide is constantly trying to find and marry his childhood best friend, Cunegonde.