Summary
After Arnie and Gilbert return from Becky’s RV, they join the rest of their family for dinner. Arnie’s birthday party is six days away, and the family continues to make preparations. After Gilbert asks Ellen to stop talking with her mouth full at the table, Ellen becomes agitated. In her retaliation, she mockingly calls Gilbert “dad.” Offended, Gilbert bitingly replies that “dad’s dead.”
The entire family is clearly thrown off by Gilbert’s comment, and Arnie begins repeating “dad’s dead” and banging on the table. This upsets Bonnie greatly, and she stands up and begins stomping on the floorboards. The Grapes' frail house cannot handle the impact of Bonnie’s weight, and Tucker later comes into the basement in order to assess the damage to the home. Later, Bonnie dozes off, as she does nightly, in front of the television. Gilbert turns the television off, but he notices that Bonnie wakes up every time the television is no longer playing. Amy suggests that Bonnie go sleep upstairs, but Bonnie replies that she is more comfortable on the couch and hasn’t slept upstairs in years.
Arnie and Gilbert return to the diner, where they again meet Tucker and Bobby. As Gilbert tells his friends about Becky, the camera pans to reveal that the Carvers are eating at the same diner. Bobby then begins talking about the spontaneity of death and how everyone at the morgue mocks the dead bodies that are particularly “grotesque.” Mr. Carver approaches the table and explains that he is waiting for Gilbert to visit his office so the two can talk. Tucker and Bobby laugh at Gilbert’s misfortune.
Tucker stops by the house to continue repairing the floorboards. Gilbert refuses to help Tucker in the basement, so Gilbert tries to get Arnie to assist his friend. However, Arnie also refuses, and he explains to Tucker that his father hung himself in the basement years ago. The scene then cuts to downtown Endora, where Ellen is looking after Arnie. After he tries to climb the water tower yet again, Ellen begins to hit Arnie and forcefully pushes him to the ground.
Gilbert is clearly aggravated at his sister’s abrasiveness. He harshly chastises Ellen and coaxes Arnie, telling his brother that no one is allowed to place a finger on him. After dropping Arnie off at home, Gilbert drives to the field where Becky has parked her caravan. After she notices Gilbert peering at her from behind a bush, she invites him to eat dinner with her and her grandmother. Over dinner, Gilbert learns that Becky and her grandmother were traveling West when their trailer broke down.
Knowledge of the RVs brokenness—and eventual functionality—plants the seed that Becky’s visit will soon come to an end. Becky’s grandmother brags that Becky has traveled all over the world, and Gilbert grows visibly self-conscious about the fact that he has never left Endora. After dinner, Becky and Gilbert go together to get ice cream. While out, they run into Tucker, Bobby, and Betty Carver. When he receives a glare from Betty, Gilbert and Becky leave to watch the sunset together.
Gilbert hurriedly leaves Becky to return home and care for Arnie. When Gilbert returns home to facilitate Arnie’s bath time, it is clear that he is rushed. Eager to return to Becky, Gilbert tells Arnie that he is now old enough to do his nighttime ritual on his own. He leaves Arnie in the bathtub and drives back to Becky, and the two exchange stories about their families. When Gilbert wakes up at home the following morning, he finds that Arnie remains in the bath from the night before. Although Gilbert is ashamed in his own negligence, his family’s anger and frustration makes him feel even more guilty.
Analysis
The Grape dinner scenes are significant, as they demonstrate the family’s dysfunctionality and unhappiness. Although dinners often symbolize times of togetherness and sharing, most of the family’s conflicts materialize during their evening meal time. While it is traditionally the parent that prepares dinner for their children, Amy is responsible for literally bringing the dinner table to Bonnie. Due to Bonnie’s obesity, it becomes clear that the entire family has a subtle yet strained relationship with food. Just as these arguments wear down each of the Grapes individually, the stress materializes in the home’s irreparable damages.
When Ellen decides to call Gilbert “dad,” she reveals her issues with anger management and abandonment. Although she seeks a parental figure to guide her, Ellen has a difficult time adapting to her brother’s leadership and his assumption of the paternal role. However, Gilbert’s rebuttal only further exacerbates the situation. Ellen’s comment thus triggers Gilbert’s own similar issues with anger and abandonment. Gilbert recognizes that he will never be his father, which is a complex idea that Gilbert himself is not fully able to digest. Perhaps it is positive, in that he vows never to abandon his family like his father did. However, the pressure to provide for his family—both emotionally and financially—undoubtedly stunts Gilbert’s own developmental growth.
The recurring motif of meal-time is further evident in the diner scenes with Gilbert, Tucker, and Bobby. Over food, the three discuss the dynamics of the Grape family, talk about their own friendships, and ponder their existences. The nature of their discussion at this meal is particularly important, as it foreshadows the two deaths that occur throughout the story. Bobby’s description of the “grotesque” bodies significantly impacts Gilbert, and his later decision to incinerate Bonnie’s remains is greatly influenced by Bobby’s commentary. In addition, the presence of the Carvers at the diner reinforces the claustrophobia of Endora and Gilbert’s inability to escape.
Tucker is characterized as Gilbert’s steadfast friend. Although he is obviously far removed from the intra-family dynamics, Tucker witnesses many of the struggles that Gilbert faces and the continuous sacrifices Gilbert makes on behalf of his family’s well-being. Tucker’s constant assistance repairing the Grape home symbolizes his desire to patch up the Grape’s problems. Gilbert reveals his fear and vulnerability when he tells Tucker about his fear of entering the basement. We notice that for Gilbert, his physical home is a burden—it continuously reminds him of his family’s struggles and sadness.
The motif of mealtime is further evident in the scene in which Becky and her grandmother share dinner with Gilbert. Over food, the three become more acquainted with one another. We begin to see both Gilbert and Becky’s mutual interest in one another, and their desire to learn more about each other. Although Gilbert and Becky are similar in their attentiveness and sensitivity, this meal also reveals the vast differences between these two characters. Gilbert’s feelings of inadequacy and shame are further magnified when he discovers Becky’s worldliness and learns of her many life experiences. In order for him to be honest and open with Becky, Gilbert must put aside his ego and allow himself to take pride in his own life experiences.
Further, the motif of voyeurism reappears when Gilbert is unable to share a private moment alone with Becky. Rather, Tucker, Bobby, and Betty all watch and pass their own individual judgments. Although Gilbert attempts to engage in behavior that is developmentally normal, the gaze from his community manipulates his behavior and renders it awkward and suspicious. Thus, within Endora, the entire Grape family is seen as a spectacle. Their movements are closely watched, and, despite consistent attempts to assimilate, each family member is relentlessly reminded of their “abnormality.”
Arnie’s baths are a nightly ritual that provide structure and order to the relationship between Gilbert and his brother. As Gilbert bathes Arnie, we, the audience, are reminded of Arnie’s infantilized position and Gilbert’s role as father and caregiver. Up until this moment in the plot, Gilbert’s selflessness leads him to repress his own desires. Although Gilbert has always been the most loyal to Arnie, his budding relationship with Becky excites him and inspires him to live a more “individual” life. In deciding to leave Arnie in the bathtub, we see Gilbert begin to “act his own age.” However, the consequences to his actions are long-term—Arnie develops a fear of water, and he grows dirtier and dirtier as he resists bathing. In this way, Gilbert is neither able to reconcile with nor avoid his familial responsibilities.
