Essay Questions

Why does Moonee run off to Disney World?

Quite simply, Moonee runs off to Disney World at the end of the film to escape the clutches of the DFS people who were trying to take her. She did not want to go with them, thus leaving her mom and friends behind. Disney World is also a symbol of hope, so their trip to Disney World is symbolic of the fact that she has not lost her child-like innocence and that she is still very hopeful.

Why does Bobby allow tenants to stay long-term at the motel when long-term rentals are expressly prohibited?

Bobby does this because he is a kind-hearted, decent man who does not want to see the people who rely on the motel to go homeless. In other words, he is sympathetic to their plight and wants to do the right thing by them.

Why does DFS want to take Moonee away from Halley?

DFS wants to take Moonee away from Halley because the environment Moonee is growing up in is not healthy. Primarily, they come to take Moonee away from her mother to put her in the foster care system because Halley had just brutally beaten Ashley. However, they also come to take Moonee away from her mother because of two other things: 1) Halley prostituting herself in the room next door to her daughter (who is in the bathtub with headphones on full-blast and with the door locked); 2) Halley's job as a stripper, and 3) Halley selling fake tickets to those who want to go to Disneyland (as well as perfume at a huge markup to unsuspecting tourists).