What's Eating Gilbert Grape Analysis

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What’s Eating Gilbert Grape directed by Lasse Hallstom is a movie that illustrates elements of social learning and responsibilities at a young age. The movie is about a young boy name Gilbert Grape who apparently is stuck playing adult role after his father died. His father committed suicide when Gilbert was only seven years old. Gilbert have to take care of his morbidly obese mother, mentally ill brother who is going on 18 years and two sisters. To add to his dilemma, he works at a locally grocery store that is slowly declining because of the customers are shopping at the new supermarket grocery store, that has more choses to offer. Gilbert, who is very stress out for the role that he has to play in his family as the care taker and giver to provide for his family. He struggles with having so much responsibility at a young age. Consequently, Gilbert should be spending his time enjoying life instead of having to deal with the burdens of his family’s members. The film addresses many elements of social emotional learning, responsibility and conflict theory; while living in a dysfunctional family. Nevertheless, the town’s people treat the …show more content…
Social learning theory “is a theory that is based on the assumption that people are likely to act out the behavior they see in role models a media sources” (Kendall 395). No one has Gilbert interest at heart until a young girl (Becky) come to town with her grandmother. Gilbert finds the young girl interest because she is outspoken and through her he finds his own identity and comes to grip with reality how he has a purpose in life. Before, the young girl (Becky) comes to town with her grandmother Gilbert was living in the shadows of everyone else wants and needs. He felted ashamed of his family but however, Becky changes this perception about how he feels about his

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