What's Eating Gilbert Grape Case Study Answers

The most pressing problem is Mama’s obesity and inability to care for her children. With Bonnie unable to care for her children and herself, Gilbert has taken responsibility for making money, repairing their old farmhouse, overseeing his two quarrelsome younger sisters Amy and Ellen and care for Arnie. Gilbert has taken on more responsibility than the average male at his age and this is due to Bonnie not being able to play her role as a mother. Gilbert loves Arnie, there is no doubt, but he does not want the responsibility of taking care of him every day and 24 hours in a day. Bonnie gave up on life and now Gilbert, for his siblings’ existence, must abandon his wants in life. It is possible to view Mama as manipulative and the pressing problem to Gilbert’s frustration, as she has forced Gilbert into positions where his only real choices are either to become surrogate parent figures or to abandon their family. While Mama is certainly not manipulating her children consciously, the effects of her choices may be her …show more content…
I choose this method because it will give a more holistic view of the family, which in itself is why Gilbert is frustrated. I can develop situations which demonstrate how the family interacts and functions. The major focus is on the family system rather than Gilbert, but in the end, we will gain better considerations of the family dynamic. If this does not work or I am not qualified to do so, I will refer the family to a therapist. The need for consoling is a must since this problem cannot be fixed without uncovering reasons behind the family’s structure. With the therapist, the Grape family secrets, myths, enmeshment, dyads, triads, and schisms will provide clues to why the family has become so dysfunctional and what was brewing underneath the surface before the crisis-precipitating