What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Gilbert is the main character in the film and the focuses on his dream and his desires. Discuss.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a film based on Gilbert and his relationship with his family. How his dreams are based on his family and less on himself. Gilbert eventually comes to terms with the fact that he has to give up everything for his family and it is really quite heartbreaking. Gilbert is not like other young adults who work hard to achieve their dreams in life. However, he has to put up with lots of things that others wouldn't be able to, like looking after his mentally disabled brother Arnie. Having to be the responsible one in the family can be very annoying, according to Gilbert. He never gets the time to do what he wants. He is also annoyed about his mother's weight problem because it causes him to take responsibility in everything.

This film hardly revolves around his dreams and his desires because he is too busy worrying about his family and how much it affects him. Becky asks Gilbert what he wants and he answers her saying, "I want a new house, I want mom to take aerobics classes, I want Ellen to grow up, and I want a new brain for Arnie…." But when she asks him what he wants for himself he says "I wanna be a good person". Gilbert is a giver and is unselfish. Mostly all his hopes in dreams are about his family. When he does think about himself, his mother tells him "You got to do better, you go to do better," Yet he's the one running around trying to work for himself and his family.

Becky: Tell me what you want as fast as it comes to you.

Gilbert: I wanna be a good person.

His dreams and desires is not he's focused on himself because most of the time he's busy looking after Arnie. Gilbert and Arnie have a strong relationship based on trust, protection