Peter Hedges Thematic Approaches

Hedges’ Thematic Approaches The novel, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, written by Peter Hedges offers a thorough and in-depth interpretation of recurring themes, based upon and indicated by the interactions between characters. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape presents a story of the internal and external struggles of a young man. Gilbert Grape’s quality of life is altered by the death of his father, his stunted emotional growth, the boredom induced by the uneventful town of Endora, and the burden of his problematic family. Gilbert’s desire to leave Endora increases as he finds himself suffocated by his severely obese mother’s conceded demands, as well as his brother, Arnie’s, intellectual development disorder. While faced with his issues, he encounters

Hedges develops many thematic notions from the beginning of the novel and maintains them throughout the text by intensifying their significance and increasing their levels of occurrence. In the first chapter, Arnie Grape tells Gilbert, “You’re getting littler and littler. You’re shrinking” (8). Gilbert reacts by thinking, “Stupid people sometimes say the smartest things” (8). Arnie’s moment of unintentional coherence unfolds into a series of themes that enhance the novel and help to show Gilbert’s struggle and continual shrinkage as he detaches from his character. Peter Hedges’ initial message delivered through Arnie’s words directed towards Gilbert provoke three themes that are consistent throughout the novel. The themes are in regards to the characters’ unexpected heightened awareness, refusal to confront issues, and the

The theme suggests individuals’ keen understanding of situations despite their lack of indication of their comprehension. The characters within the novel are more conscious of their living situations and emotions than originally perceived in earlier chapters. For example, Bonnie Grape consumes an excessive amount of food that undoubtedly will be the cause of her death. The issue becomes so extensive that the Grape’s house begins to cave inward as the floor begins to engulf Bonnie, unable to support her weight. Throughout the novel, the remaining members of the Grape family refuse to suggest to Bonnie the extremity of the issue that she is causing. However, in chapter forty-nine, Bonnie exposes her full understanding of her continual damage to the family. Bonnie erupts in rage towards Gilbert by stating, “Sorry. Doesn’t. Bring. Albert. Back. It doesn’t. Erase. What we’ve become. I mean that all my kids want to kill each other, I mean that my house is caving in. Have you noticed this floor? I’m shoving the house down the drain” (264-265). In previous chapters, Hedges depicts Bonnie as careless of her detrimental actions towards herself and her family. However, with this exchange, Hedges indicates Bonnie’s level of awareness and observance of the issues surrounding her and her family and exposes her