Gilbert: "I want Momma to take aerobics classes. I want Ellen to grow up. I want a new brain for Arnie. I want..."
Becky: "What do you want for you? Just for you?"
Gilbert: "I want to be a good person."
Gilbert and Becky lay on the lakebed and begin to become more acquainted with one another. After observing the Grape family, especially the dynamics between Arnie and Gilbert, Becky has grown concerned about the pressure and expectations that weigh on Gilbert. When Becky asks Gilbert what he wants out of his life, she encourages him to prioritize himself and live his life a bit more selfishly. Becky wants Gilbert to understand that he needs to develop as an individual and figure out his own needs and desires. Gilbert's responses indicate the control he feels over his family. When he explains that he wants to be a good person, it is evident that Gilbert is holding himself to an expectation that he himself cannot define.
"We don't really move. I mean, we'd like to, but... my mom is sort of attached to the house. Attached is, I guess, not the right word. She's pretty much wedged in."
To Gilbert, his mom and his home carry the same significance. Both are tattered and broken, and it is his responsibility to look after and attempt to repair them both. Both Gilbert and Bonnie have a nearly ghostly presence. Gilbert's home consistently reminds him of his father, who hanged himself years ago in the basement. Similarly, Bonnie's obesity reminds him of her degeneration and mounting depression in the seven years following his father's death. Gilbert alludes to the fact that moving from his home would grant his family a "blank slate" of sorts.
"I love the sky. It's so limitless."
Becky feels a sense of freedom and amazement that Gilbert has not felt in a very long time. Becky's life is privileged—she has the ability to travel and explore new places and opportunities. Gilbert, on the other hand, is too bogged down with his responsibilities at home to maintain such an open and positive mindset. Becky's arrival in town allows Gilbert to begin to think of life differently. Her excitement and openness grants him the comfort to begin expressing his emotions and start becoming an active agent in changing his life.
"You know what? I bet you could do this all by yourself if you really wanted to. Could you do this by yourself?"
Gilbert is excited by his budding relationship with Becky, but he recognizes that his family duties prevent him from having the freedom to spend as much time with her as he would like. Gilbert wishes for Arnie's autonomy, and his decision to leave Arnie alone reveals his subconscious desire for Arnie's independence and his own release from the role of caretaker.
"Because... I knew you'd always be there. Because I knew you'd never leave."
Betty explains why she chose Gilbert to be her lover. This demonstrates that even from the perspective of Endora's other residents, Gilbert presents himself as stagnant and uninspired. This comment prompts Gilbert to challenge himself and become more proactive.
"Match in the gas tank, *boom* *boom*!"
Gilbert says this funny phrase in order to coax Arnie down from climbing the water tower. However, this quote is much more significant, as it symbolizes the decision for Gilbert to incinerate his home at the film's conclusion. The motif of fire remains important throughout the film, perhaps because its volatility is equally representative of the Grapes' life at home.
Gilbert: [to Becky] I don't know what to say.
Arnie: Say "thank you," Gilbert. "Thank you."
Gilbert: [whispering] Thank you.
This quote demonstrates that although Gilbert has to care for Arnie, there are moments in which Arnie cares for Gilbert. Specifically in regards to Becky, Arnie helps Gilbert show his vulnerability and thus strengthen his budding romance.
Momma: "You're my knight in shimmering armor. Did you know that?"
Gilbert: "I think you mean shining."
Momma: "No shimmering. You shimmer, and you glow."
The night before Bonnie's death, she decides to open up to Gilbert in a way that she never has before. She admits the immense guilt she feels for the burden she places on her family. However, she also reveals her pride and happiness at her children's ability to compensate for her "absence" as a mother. Bonnie's approval of Gilbert grants them both peace and closure before her death.
Momma: "I haven't always been like this."
Becky: "Well, I haven't always been like this, either."
Bonnie is undoubtedly ashamed of her weight, appearance, and her inability to provide for her family. When Gilbert introduces Becky to Bonnie, Bonnie is forced to swallow her pride and face her fear of being ridiculed by others. When she explains to Becky that she hasn't always been this obese and depressed, she is attempting to make herself more appealing and relatable as a way of defending herself. However, Becky reassures Bonnie. In her response, Becky places herself at the same level as Bonnie, thus easing tensions, reassuring Bonnie, and making an awkward situation more natural. This scene suggests that Becky's presence is rehabilitative not just for Gilbert, but for the entire Grape family.
"I'm not gonna let her be a joke."
Following Bonnie's death, Gilbert is determined to preserve his family's privacy and his mother's own concerns. Although Gilbert takes care of his family financially, he is also cognizant of their emotional needs. Even in Bonnie's death, Gilbert works to care for his mother in a way that would make her proud. This thought process eventually leads Gilbert to burn down his house, with his mother's corpse inside, in order to save her from ridicule and embarrassment.
