"We're not going anywhere, goodbye." This quote talks about how the Grape family is being held down and can't leave. What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

   The death of their father causes their mother to become depressed, and they are constantly reminded of their father because of this. In the general store the owner says “The way you say that makes you sound like your father.” Their father has an adverse affect on Arnie where in one scene at the dinner table Arnie starts screaming “Dads dead, Dads dead, Dads Dead.” and upsets his mother. Gilbert cannot face his father’s death and keeps all his emotions hidden inside himself, his hesitation to enter the basement of the house – his father’s study, shows that he hasn’t let go of the pain and sorrow. Especially because when Gilbert tries to make Arnie go down to help Arnie starts shouting “No, I don’t want to go down there Gilbert, no way! Dads in there!” This void within himself seems to separate him from his family sometimes, though at some points he becomes angry. Their fathers’ death is truly the main cause of the happenings of the Grape family. Gilbert doesn’t really understand this because he mocks his own mother, but he somewhat realises this after his mother has died. Gilbert never enters the basement, because he wants to avoid confronting his fathers’ death, until near the end of the film. At this point their mother has let go and passed away, and Gilbert lets go of all his anger and frustration when he knocks the timber poles down, and from this he has truly let go of his feelings towards his fathers’ death, and maybe his brother leaving as well. Gilbert’s anger is directed at mostly his father, because he has to take care of Arnie everyday, and because they have to take care of their mother everyday. He also cares for Amy, as he never tries to hurt her, she can be seen as an umpire in the house. Amy cares for everyone in the family and cares for her mother, she prepares a bed for her mother even though their mother may never go up to it.

    At the start of the film the caravans coming into Endora and this is nearly identical to the end scene where they are leaving Endora, but this time with Gilbert and Arnie. Becky enters Endora and the lives of the Grape family this way, as she slowly gains Gilberts interest they become friends and later become a loving couple. However, because of Becky it seems that Gilbert slowly neglects his family duties. Not only does Becky cause him to do this, but Betty as well. As Betty and Gilbert are in her house, he leaves Arnie in the car by himself, and he, in his moment of fun and joy climbs the water tower. Becky sees Gilbert calling Arnie down from the water tower, she admires him for his relationship with his brother. When Gilbert leaves Arnie in the bathtub to pick up Becky he over estimates Arnie’s ability to take care of himself, and that Becky has a priority over Arnie at times. Arnie becomes scared of water because of this and Gilbert, in his anger, slaps Arnie because he won’t have a bath. Both Arnie and Gilbert turn to Becky at this point, she is seen as a caring and kind person, and shows that she does not judge by first impressions. Later Arnie manages to overcome this with Becky’s help. Becky tells Gilbert that she finds his mother brave and admires her for what she does, when Bonnie saves Arnie from jail. So at Arnie’s birthday Gilbert agrees to introduce her to his mother and Becky seems to inspire Bonnie to do something for her family. This is shown when Bonnie finally releases her family from their burden, her. Becky makes the family change in ways that couldn’t have happened had she not appeared. So they come to terms with their past and learn to accept what used to be. Finally the family spread out starting their new life at the end, Amy moving to another town to work, Elle going to school again to start anew, and Gilbert and Arnie travelling with Becky around the world.

   The film ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ shows many symbolic representations of life, death and change. Family can change a person’s future greatly, either by actions of themselves or by others. Not only is taking care and remembering family important, but so is letting go of the past and moving on. The trouble and burden that can be created through the constant build up of sad emotions is shown in the movie, and this can be changed for worse or for better. It is shown that one person can make many lives better and that the way a person looks on the outside can never express what they are inside. Family is a significant factor of life for the Grape family and it is a section of their life which they cannot let go of throughout the film, until the end, in which they go their separate ways.