I been an idiot since I was born. My IQ is near 70, which qualifies me, so they say. Probly, tho, I'm closer to bein a imbecile or maybe even a moron, but personally, I'd rather think of myself as like a halfwit, or somethin.
The only class I liked was lunch, but I guess you couldn't call that a class.
I have suffered a loss, Forrest, far greater than my legs. It’s my spirit, my soul if you will. There is only a blank there now – medals where my soul used to be.
Its a kind of long story what all happened nex, but anyway, I begun to play football.
‘Home. He said, home.’ Bubba, he died, an that’s all I got to say bout that.
When I was born, my mama name me Forrest, cause of General Nathan Bedford Forrest who fought in the Civil War.
Meantime, Bubba an me, we has got us a plan for when we get outta the Army. We gonna go back home an get us a srimp boat an get in the srimpin bidness.
Now I know somethin bout idiots. Probly the only thing I do know bout, but I done read up on em – all the way from that Doy-chee-eveskie guy's idiot, to King Lear's fool, an Faulkner's idiot, Benjie, an even ole Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird – now he was a serious idiot. The one I like best tho is this ole Lennie in Of Mice an Men. Most of them write fellers got it straight – cause their idiots always smarter than people give em credit for.
‘Gump,’ Coach say after I am finished, ‘you sure got a way with words.‘
I can think things pretty good, but when I got to try sayin or writin them, it kinda come out like jello or somethin.
At least Jenny Curran acted like I was there.
Now I'm slow – I'll grant you that, but I'm probably a lot brighter than folks think, cause what goes on in my mind is a sight different than what folks see.