What does the feather mean in Forrest Gump?

Answer 1

All living creatures have a purpose in life. When they have fulfilled that purpose, they have met their journey's end; their destiny (destination). Forrest's Mother gave him a clue, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." (Translation-NO one knows their fate (destiny). "The Answer, my friend, is Blow'in in the Wind...", (Bob Dylan, 1963) by Peter, Paul, and Mary. When Bob Dylan wrote this song, he did it with a philosophical take on life, meaning...NO ANSWER. (Because, NO one knows their fate (destiny)-including Bob Dylan). Only those that have completed the journey, know the answer...because they've earned it, by reaching their destiny. Another interpretation is that the feather represents both Lieutenant Dan Taylor's belief that people have a destiny, and his mother's belief that people's lives are all floating around "accidental...like on a breeze." Forrest speaks of this to Jenny at her grave and opines, "I think, maybe it's both. Maybe both can happen at the same time." The floating feather, and the manner it comes to and then blows away from Forrest, is symbolic of this.