Whats Eating Gilbert Grape free essay sample

Background: For this assignment, we will focus on what is wrong with the life of the main character, Gilbert Grape, in the film bearing his name. We will want not only to explain what is wrong right now, but to trace, as far back as possible, the causes of the causes of his problem, until we reach the earliest or deepest possible cause, sometimes called the first or primary cause. We will peel back the layers that contribute to his unhappiness and passiveness, until we expose and analyze the deepest underlying cause(s). Each time we locate a cause, we will ask ourselves, What is the cause of that cause? This is a psychological movie, and its meanings continue to unfold as we think and talk about them, so its important to view the film as many times as possible. View it and talk about it with friends, roommates, family. We will write a custom essay sample on Whats Eating Gilbert Grape or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Become as familiar as you can with the characters and their lives. Each incident, each casual exchange of dialogue between characters becomes important. (Be sure to write about events in the film in the present tense! For example, When Arnie climbs up the water tower. . . not climbed. ) Task: Write a well-developed, carefully supported essay in which you answer the question Whats Eating Gilbert Grape? Your thesis statement will answer that question directly, and your topic sentences will break the answer down into component parts. Organization: Many possible ways of organizing the material in the film (and your investigation into it) present themselves. Here are just a few that might yield interesting results: A. This film focuses centrally on food, hunger, and eating. The title uses the idea of eating not in a literal sense, but in a metaphorical sense: something (what? ) is eating away at Gilbert, and our job is to figure out what. (Even Gilberts last name is a food. ) The film is chocked full of images of and references to food: family dinners, Mamas weight and size, the grocery store where Gilbert works, the competitive chain grocery store, shopping for food, cookie- and cake-baking, ice cream eating (several times), two birthday cakes, diner scenes, outdoor meals, picnics, etc. Each of these references to eating provides a clue to what is wrong with Gilbert. Group them into categories that you can work with, and analyze several per body paragraph. Provide a topic sentence that probes into the meanings of the scenes. B. Its clear that Gilberts unhappiness has its roots in his family, and so it might prove useful to analyze his relationship with each member of his family (including his absent father: at one point, he says, My father built this house, and its my job to do the repairs. What happens to the house by the end? ) Devote a paragraph to each family member, beginning with the least significant, perhaps, and moving towards the most significant; by coming to terms with Gilberts family dynamics, we might come closer to understanding whats eating him. C. Focus primarily on Gilberts relationship with his brother Arnie in order to understand whats bothering Gilbert. At one point, Arnie repeats what hes heard said about himI could go at any time! and its funny, in part because Arnie doesnt understand the significance of what hes saying. But what he says is true, of course, not only for him, but for all of us. If it is true that we, too could go at any time, how should we live? The film, by dramatizing Gilberts crisis and the way he finds to grow through it, offers an answer to that question. D. Focus primarily on Gilberts relationship with Becky in order to understand whats wrong with Gilbert. How is Beckys life different from Gilberts? What does Becky, and her connection with travel and the road come to represent in the film? How does Becky intervene in Gilberts life and in his relationship with his mother and with Arnie as well? What does Becky offer to Gilbert that he has been unable to provide for himself? What does it mean, in the end, that Gilbert chooses to go on the road with Becky and Arnie? E. Focus on the films symbols in order to explain its meaning, particularly regarding Gilberts problem(s): what does the house symbolize? the basement? how about climbing (the tree, the water tower, the stairs)? eating? the road? the caravan? water (the incident of Arnies bath; Gilbert, Arnie, Becky bathing and playing in the stream? Mr. Carver drowning in the wading pool? and fire. The film is richly symbolic; it offers a great deal to think and write about. Important Note: No matter which approach you choose, you must come to terms with the change Gilbert undergoes by the end of the movie. Every paper must deal with the ending of the film. Note how the ending repeats, with significant differences, the beginning of the film. Comment on, explain these differences. Account for how they came about. Mechanics: Give your essay a good title. Analyze each quotation and/or example fully and in considerable detail. Refer to characters by name (say Amy, or Ellen, not just Gilberts sister).