Fire (Motif)
Fires occur repeatedly throughout the story. At the beginning of the film, Gilbert's narration explains that Amy was previously employed at a cafeteria before it burned down. This commentary is accompanied by the visual clip of Amy accidentally setting food in the kitchen on fire. Additionally, in order to coax Arnie down from the water tower, Gilbert chants the words "Match in the gas tank, boom boom!" Later, when Gilbert is sitting in Mr. Carver's office, their meeting is interrupted when Betty calls to explain that their kitchen is smoking intensely. Finally, in one the film's closing scenes, the Grape children decide to set their home on fire instead of lifting Bonnie "by crane" out of their dilapidated abode. Fire can represent the volatility and threat that continuously loom over the Grape family. Although fire often has a negative connotation of being destructive, the use of fire at the film's conclusion represents the reclamation of the catastrophic symbol. Rather, the Grape children are able to find regeneration and rebirth in the destruction of their "old lives."
Dinner (Motif)
Each night, the Grape children move the dinner table to the couch. Bonnie has not moved from this position in seven years. This action symbolically demonstrates how the children alter and change their own behaviors in order to accommodate their mother. Additionally, most of the family's arguments break out over dinner. Although this meal traditionally symbolizes the moment in which a family shares and comes together, the time they spend together is often riven by conflict. Gilbert reveals his discomfort and jealousy of Becky when he shares dinner with her and her grandmother at the site of their camper. Through this experience and Gilbert's subsequent reaction, it is clear that he has been affected by his family's dinnertime rituals and their nightly conflicts.
Heights (Motif)
Arnie is preoccupied with heights and climbing things. Whenever Gilbert's supervision wanes, Arnie can either be found scaling Endora's water tower or climbing the tree in his family's yard. This represents Arnie's desire to find thrill in the mundane. It also indicates Arnie's quest for freedom and his playful nature. Although his pursuit of heights often worries those around him, Arnie feels the freest when he is able to escape from his life on the ground.
FoodLand (Symbol)
FoodLand represents the increasing industrialization of small-town America. At the same time that FoodLand arrives in Endora, Burger Barn, a fast-food chain, also arrives in town. These changes in Endora mirror the changes in Gilbert's own life. As he attempts to break from the "traditional" ways that his family has learned to operate, he senses his family's anger and disappointment. Although this change in Endora's consumerist landscape is frowned upon by many, it is necessary and inevitable in terms of progression and growth.
Voyeurism (Motif)
Due to the isolated structure of Endora's landscape, its residents closely watch each other's behavior. The Grapes, who deviate from the traditional family structure, are watched and monitored in a way that is more condescending and petty than it is supportive. This voyeurism has negative effects on numerous people. Bonnie, for example, is house-bound due to the critical gaze she receives from her community. Similarly, the death of Mr. Carver prompts Endora residents to scrutinize the entire family and blame Betty for his death. This judgment is so severe that Betty Carver decides to move to St. Louis in order to avoid her town's criticism.
