Assessment of Gilbert Grape

The theoretical model that is appropriate to describe the Grape family in this film is the Neuman Systems Model. "Neuman defined the family as a group of two or more persons who create and maintain a common culture; its most central goal is one of continuance" (Harmon-Hanson, Gedaly-Duff, & Rowe Kaakinen, 2005). I found this model useful in reference to the Grape family because throughout this film I learned that they have a culture unique to their family. This culture involved the children providing isolation for their mother and fulfilling her role in the household. Their priority goal appeared to be continuance of this culture because it was safe and protective.

Within this model, "the family has the ability to open or close its boundaries to protect its members and preserve the integrity of the family as a whole" (Harmon-Hanson, Gedaly-Duff, & Rowe Kaakinen, 2005). This characteristic of the model is perfectly depicted in various scenes of this film. One example is that the children are consistently closing in on society to protect their mother. The scene in which the children went with their mother to the jail to pick up Arnie was a display of the family preserving their integrity. The children helped their mother and stayed together as the crowd of townspeople gathered around them snapping pictures and making cruel comments. At the end of the film, when the mother passed away, the children burned the house down to protect their mother's integrity. In this scene, Gilbert stated, "No one is going to make a joke out of my mother."

This model is unique in that it "addresses family health promotion, family reaction when a stressor affects the family and restoration of the family via family functions to achieve balance or equilibrium" (Harmon-Hanson, Gedaly-Duff, & Rowe Kaakinen, 2005). This aspect of the model was evident when Gilbert left the house after his fight with Arnie. The family was very distraught and the mother was uncertain whether Gilbert was going to return. The family was restored following this stressor by Gilbert's return home for Arnie's birthday party. Gilbert also went to talk with his mother when he returned home and he promised that he would never "up and leave" the family as his father did. This event provided balance and trust to be restored to the family dynamics.

An article related to my discussion, titled "Caregiver Strain: Considerations for Change," presents information that can be used to diagnosis and treat caregiver strain associated with parent care. I chose this article because it relates to this film in that the adult children were acting as caregivers for their mother and brother. This article clarifies that there are three components to diagnosing caregiver strain. These characteristics are "exhaustion, emotional arousal, and goal-discrepancy distress" (England, 2000). Exhaustion occurs when the child does not have enough energy to perform the necessary tasks. This may have been evident when Gilbert did not express any interest in helping with the tasks to prepare for Arnie's birthday party. Emotional arousal is defined as the occurrence of varying feeling states. For example, Gilbert would be in a playful mood with Arnie and then the event occurred where he became very frustrated and hurt Arnie. Also, emotional arousal was exhibited in the scene when Ellen (Gilbert's sister) was yelling, screaming, and kicking Arnie to keep him from climbing up the water tower. Goal-discrepancy distress is evident when there is anxiety over not being able to meet personal needs. This was apparent in the scene where Gilbert left Arnie to bathe himself so that he could meet with Becky. It also occurred when Gilbert left Arnie in the truck alone, so that he could have an affair with the married women, and in the meantime, Arnie walked off and climbed the water tower. Based