Similarities Between Arnie And Gilbert Grape

Arnie Grape is an energetic boy with autism; he lives with his obese mother, two sisters, and his brother Gilbert Grape. Arnie Grape was told by the doctors that he wouldn’t get to celebrate his tenth birthday but he’s about to be eighteen and got to outlive his father and mother. His autism prevents him from communicating normally with others; he talks slow and at times will repeat what other people say. For example, when his brother Gilbert Grape said “Don’t scare Gilbert” after Arnie ran away from home after Gilbert hit him hard out of frustration, Arnie imitated him and hugged him, in his way letting him know that he understood. Arnie also repetitively climbs on top of a tree in the morning when his family is having breakfast and waits till his brother Gilbert comes and finds him. Also, Arnie climbs a water tower as soon as his brother turns the other

For example, when he was with the Becky who was new to town and his brother Gilbert, he told Becky that she wasn’t invited to his birthday party not understanding what his brother was saying when he said he was being rude by telling her that. Also, Gilbert who’s always trying to teach him good manners, told Arnie to tell Becky sorry after he accidentally dropped her groceries he had offered to carry to her mobile home. However, Arnie continuously said he was not sorry for what he did, understandingly Becky said she was not sorry and that Gilbert shouldn’t worry about Arnie apologizing to her because she was okay with it. For a kid with autism, it’s very hard to adapt to sudden changes, it can even degrade the person’s quality of life. However, despite all of the adversities in Arnie’s life, he manages to adapt to his environment after the sudden death of his mother. Leaving the past behind, Arnie and Gilbert say goodbye to their sisters who decided to take a different path than them, and decide to join Becky and her mother who travel the