What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
In general, the study of personality and respective traits has continued to undergo intense research within the field of psychology. The film, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? provides an effective platform for assessing personality based on the lead character, Gilbert Grape. Based on the novel, the film written by Peter Hedges depicts the struggles that the lead character faces as he provides for his family while providing care for his autistic brother, Arnie and his depressed and obese mother, Bonnie. In addition, Grape has to assume paternal responsibilities due to his father’s suicide while maintaining a disloyal relationship with a married woman, Betty. Therefore, with significant use of the protagonist’s experiences with his family as well as prevailing social dynamics, Carl Jung’s Personality Theory will apply considerably in assessing his personality.
Part 1
In overview, the Jungian theory of personality is among the oldest forms of character assessment tests ever derived within the field of psychology, specifically personality psychology. Unlike several personality theories, the Jungian approach to personality focuses on internal and external disparities among individuals. The amalgamation and interaction of individual born tendencies build a personality. In addition, the combination of these predispositions leads to the creation of a unique character within every person. For example, when an individual faces a certain experience such as violence, his mental status will undergo alteration and affect his personality as well as his perception of the committed act. Accordingly, this particular theory concentrates on recognizing and enumerating these individual characteristics of personality. Irrespective of the similarity within this body of research, numerous theorists have developed further theories on traits based on Jungian’s introversion and extroversion theorem. Examples of these conjectures comprise the trait theory by Gordon Allport, which asserts the existence of three qualities that make up personality. These include cardinal, central and secondary traits. The other category constitutes the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire by Raymond Cattell, which asserts that there are 16 character traits (Maddi, 2001).
Identification of Personality Theory
Nonetheless, in response to the film and the lead character, What’s Eating Grape, the best theory that applies constitutes the attitudes of Introversion and Extroversion by Carl Jung. Undeniably, Jung developed a personality model based on two global traits evident in each person. Based on these categories, Jung argued that differences in personality grew out of the orientations in life among different persons, which lead to the emergence of disparate attitude types. From this assertion, it is evident that the Jungian approach to personality identifies introversion and extroversion as responses to the internal and external world. According to Jung, introversion comprises directing attention towards the inner world. For example, people such as Gilbert Grape who liked being on their own or had limited social contact with other individuals are introverts. In contrast, extraversion focuses on directing attention and energy externally on the outside world as well as other people (Maddi, 2001). For instance, Becky is an example of an extrovert based on the way she was free-spirited and social with Grape and his family. Therefore, an individual who is an introvert tends to be reserved and quiet while an extrovert manages to be outgoing and considerably sociable.
Therefore, the main reason behind the selection of the theory while corresponding to Gilbert Grape involves the character’s predisposition towards introversion. Throughout the movie, the protagonist exhibits an introverted attitude based on the way he directs his energies towards his internal experiences. According to Jung, the introvert generally focuses on his inner psychic activities and thus, takes pleasure in engaging in duties that limit him from having an encounter from the social world. In illustration, Grape showed this by concentrating more on his thoughts and his personal life without expressing himself to any person. This is different from the extroverted attitude, which influences a person to channel his energies on the outside world, without considering individual thoughts and experiences. In view of this, the Jungian theory applies specifically to Gilbert Grape based on the manner he interacts with the external world. It provides a suitable platform for evaluating Grape’s actions, thoughts and decisions and elucidating them psychologically and rationally.
Periphery
The peripheral personality type that best fits Gilbert Grape comprises the introverted psychological type. Based on his unfortunate experiences, the protagonist has evolved into a socially awkward person. In relation to his introversion, the lead character tends to be withdrawn. This is due to the responsibilities that he has to assume within his dysfunctional family. As narrated within the movie, Grape underwent a massive transformation due to a number of events that took place within his family. Foremost, the death of his father because of suicide unleashed a myriad of responsibilities that he had to gain regardless of being considerably young (Matalon, Ohlsson, Teper, & Hallström, 1993). An example of his introversion is based on Grape’s limited social interactions due to occupational obligations such as his grocery job in Lamson’s Grocery Store, family duties that involve caring for his obese mother, his autistic brother as well as his sisters, and fatigue due to back pain (Matalon, et al., 1993).
Corresponding to the Jungian theory, the character also exudes Introverted Feeling. As said by Jung, introverted feeling comprises inner and contemplative concentration on the personal world of profoundly based values that seeks harmony via alignment of individual mannerisms with those mores (Maddi, 2001). In the film, Grape exudes this function-attitude based on some of the activities he performs. A good example of this is his involvement in a sexual relationship with Betty Carver, wife to Ken Carver, an insurance salesperson (Matalon, et al., 1993). The protagonist consistently tends to Mrs. Carver’s emotional and physical needs even though he is aware of the immoral implications. Furthermore, Grape is also aware of society’s negative judgment if it learns of this activity based on its values. Thus, the lead character decides to quit the relationship in order to align his personal values with that of his personal world.
Further proof of Grape’s introverted feeling is according to his strained relationship with society. Grape knows that the society already knows of the circumstances surrounding him and the attention imposed on him because of his brother’s mental condition and his mother’s depression and obesity. Because of this, he attempts to live in mystery in order to avert further attention from the society. For instance, when his mother dies, Grape decides to burn his house and all material possessions in order to restrict the townspeople’s attention. Furthermore, he also tries to assume financial and emotional responsibilities for the family even though he feels the opposite. The reason involves his desire to live in peace with his inner world. The mores and values instilled in him by the society influence Grape to assume such roles in order to be in peace with his inner world. Hence, irrespective of the burden that he has, the protagonist cannot abandon his family because of the profound values deep inside him.
Still on his emotions and thoughts, the protagonist feels the need to escape from his harsh life as well as his forced responsibilities. In order to explain this, the Jungian premise asserts that introverted attitude overly considers fantasies and dreams. For instance, the lead character generally fantasizes of his freedom from his family by running away and the other burdens cast upon on him as an outcome of his responsibilities. Even though he realizes that such thoughts are impossible to achieve, he continually visualizes them. Nonetheless, he is unable to do this since he cares more of his family’s serenity. Moreover, the society may judge him significantly since it will view his actions as irresponsible and negligence of duties passed down to him. Hence, Grape has to continue being a caregiver and a financial provider for his family regardless of his dreams and fantasies.
Development of Character’s Personality
Many of the events that the lead character has undergone led to the development of his peripheral personality type. His introversion is a result of his focus on his inner experiences rather than external experiences. This notion coincides with Jung’s paradigm, which alleges that the focus on individual and external experiences ultimately leads to the development of different attitudes and relative functions in correspondence to introversion and extroversion. Hence, applying to Grape, the character tends to exude characteristics that generally incline of the introvert scale. Some of the example traits that Grape exhibits comprise quietness, moodiness, reservation, and introspection. Apart from this, Jung’s assessment dictates that introverts are more likely to recharge their energies when in solitude due to the overbearing implications that events such as social gatherings may impose on their thoughts, sentiments and actions.
The development of Grape’s personality due to his experiences is in accordance to a variety of events that occurred in his family especially when he was young. For instance, the suicide of his father transforms the protagonist’s character into distinct and exclusive. His experiences equip him with innate capabilities and incentives that continue shaping his character. Simply, his personality possesses a variety of particular motivations as well as developmental attributes. The lead character discovers that most of his relationships with his companions and the neighboring townspeople undergo characterization as an outcome of his familial responsibilities. Based on this, Grape possesses a caregiver character, where he functions to supply those he knows with aid as well as other types of nurturing. This is evident due to the considerable time he has engaged in the provision of care for his mother and brother (Matalon, et al., 1993).
Core
Indeed, Grape’s character is rather unique and distinct from most of the characters within the film. Based on his introverted personality, Grape manages to hold his family together irrespective of the negative thoughts towards his family. Even though he feels tired with all the responsibilities he assumes as provider and caregiver, he continues to persist since he knows that his family depends on him considerably. Nonetheless, some of the traits that Grape possesses are inherently similar to those of his mother, Bonnie. From the film, it is evident that both are melancholic based on the experiences they faced. Foremost, her husband’s suicide drove Bonnie into a condition of quietness accompanied by depression. The same instance also applies to the anti-hero. Accordingly, the demise of his father forced him to withdraw based on the roles that he had to attain in his absence. This undergoes illustration where Grape had to focus on caring for the family at the expense of his father’s death and his mother’s depression.
Further similarity between Grape and his mother in relation to personality involves the subsequent change in both individuals’ characters. For instance, Bonnie experiences a change of character when she manages to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of Arnie, regardless of her melancholic persona and her physical challenges. The same also applies for the lead character. Consequently, the protagonist goes through character modification when he becomes romantically involved with Becky. By reflecting on his sentiments and realizing that he loves his family, Grape changes from a melancholic character to a more expressive person and actually begins to exude positive emotions towards his family, especially Arnie. Based on these separate instances, it is evident that both characters experience an alteration of personality due to the influence of significant persons in their lives, who enable them to accomplish considerable strides irrespective of their structural and interpersonal constraints.
Part II
Strengths of the Jungian Personality Theory in Evaluating Gilbert Grape
Indeed, the Extraversion-Introversion Personality Theory by Carl Jung provides a rather logical assessment of Gilbert Grape’s personality in the film, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Based on the propositions of the theory, it was possible to assess Grape’s initial character based on the two attitudes provided by the respective premise. The two attitudes, which comprise introversion and extroversion, provided a fair mechanism for studying the character of the protagonist. Foremost, Jung’s theory offered a platform for understanding the initial character of Gilbert Grape. As an example, the theory did this by revealing Grape’s introvert traits, which mostly include quietness, moodiness and reservation. The focus on Grape’s personality was only possible through the examination of his visible traits based on the mechanism provided by the premise. From his qualities, it was possible to distinguish the protagonist’s character from the others evident within the film. In addition to differentiation, the respective personality theory also facilitated the use of exemplification. Exemplification generally involves the utilization of illustrations as evidence in order to make a logical argument.
Concerning the character, the theory provided several possibilities, which were important in establishing Grape’s actions. Such actions offer the individual with the ability to note the introverted aspect of personality within the lead character. Apart from this, Jung’s conjecture also established the causative reasons behind some of the choices reached by Grape. Such reasons are further proof of the lead character’s introversion. For instance, his decision to have a secretive affair with Betty Carver and his lack of social interaction with the townspeople illustrates his predisposition to solitude. In addition to this, the Jungian hypothesis also determines the elements that led to the development of his personality. By asserting the effect of experiences, the viewer is capable of knowing the specific aspect that led to the growth of the protagonist’s melancholic persona. For example, Grape’s introversion is attributed to his consistent focus on his inner experiences due to the events that led to his family’s dysfunction.
Additionally, the Jungian theory also explains Grape’s thoughts based on the utilization of function attitudes. According to Jung, four functions lead to the development of eight disparate personality types. Feeling, which is the foremost sentiment, is the approach through which an individual comprehends the worth of conscious activity. For example, Grape expresses feelings of dissatisfaction and moodiness due to the activities he carries out such as his grocery job, and his care giving responsibilities for his obese mother. The second function, thinking, enables an individual to comprehend the meaning of objects and thus, depends on rationality and callous mental activity. The last functions, intuition and sensation, seem similar though they have considerable distinctions based on the definitions provided by Jung. For instance, sensation comprises the mechanism via which an individual knows that something is real while intuition involves having knowledge of something without consciously understanding the origination of the knowledge. Based on these functions, these personality types constitute Extroverted Thinking, Introverted Thinking, Extroverted Feeling, Introverted Feeling, Extroverted Sensing, Introverted Sensing, Extroverted Intuitive and Introverted Intuitive (Maddi, 2001).
Concerning Gilbert Grape, the Jungian theory enabled the application of Introverted Feeling as a personality type in order to understand some of the character’s actions. As mentioned, introverted feeling generally involves alignment with personal values with values of the inner world. From this, it is simple to understand the actions behind Grape’s ceased relationship with Betty. Undeniably, the protagonist is aware of that the relationship goes against the institutions present within his internal world as an outcome of society’s influence. For instance, in order to stop the conflict between his personal values, the lead character ends up dissolving the association he had with Betty Carver. The influence of the Introverted Feeling personality type allows him to concentrate more on his personal values rather than the mores expressed by the external world.
In addition, the Jungian theory also provides a valid elucidation of the protagonist’s thoughts. The most obvious of these explanations is evident in Grape’s thoughts of escapism. As an example, the protagonist possessed thoughts of running away from his family and living in solitude in order to avert from the responsibilities imposed on him. In assessment, the Jungian theory explains that introverted persons usually exhibit predispositions towards dreams and fantasies. This applies for Grape who can only fantasize about abandoning his family. However, in reality, he cannot do that since he is aware of the dependence that his family has on him.
Drawbacks of the Jungian Personality Theory
Nevertheless, the Jungian personality theory lacks infallibility especially in explaining the initial character as well as the development of Grape’s personality. For instance, it does not explain why Grape decided to express his feelings and thoughts to Becky regardless of him being an introvert. Apart from experiences, other causatives are also capable of creating the respective personality type his character embodies. In addition to this, the specific premise is also unable to point out the origination of the introverted attitude in general. By rejecting involvement in the development of personality, this particular presumption further affects the determination of Grape’s traits in relation to Jung’s personality theory. Based on this, it is important to assess other theories that may actually cover the shortcomings of Jung’s hypothesis. One of these theories constitutes the Psychoanalytic Theory by Sigmund Freud (Maddi, 2001). Even though the conjecture provides a fair elucidation for the character’s traits, Freud’s premise offers a critical explanation of the development of Grope’s personality in terms of the decisions he makes.
In relation to elucidation of Gilbert Grape, the use of the psychoanalytic theory asserts why Jung’s theory does not explicate the character’s actions, emotions and thoughts as well as the change in personality properly. In terms of the actions that the character commits, Jung’s personality theory identifies the focus on inner experiences as the reason for the protagonist’s drives. On assessment, this statement is valid enough. However, the only problem is that it does not explain some of the actions that Grape commits. For instance, the point at which Grape forgets his brother, Arnie in the bathtub in order to be in Becky’s presence is uncovered for by this particular assertion (Matalon, et al., 1993). However, relative to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, it is possible to explain Grape’s sudden change in behavior regarding the aforementioned action.
The fallibility of the Jungian theory is also evident when it fails to explain Grape’s increased negligence towards his mentally handicapped brother, Arnie. For example, because of the immense emotions he expresses towards Becky, the lead character continues to abandon his responsibilities at the expense of his sibling. Another instance of this negligence apart from the one mentioned is when Arnie climbs the water tower. The event takes place when Grape talks with his sister, Ellen concerning Becky and the sentimental impact she poses on him. Even though the lead character is aware of Arnie’s affinity towards climbing the water tower, at this instance, he seems to be unaware of this and fails to watch over his brother resulting into his hike over the hazardous structure (Matalon, et al., 1993). From this event, it is evident that the id sought to satisfy its emotional needs and as an outcome, failed to influence Grape from protecting his brother.
Undeniably, it is possible to suggest that the uncontrollable desire of the id against the ego led to the action. For a while, especially after his father’s death, Grape has always been an effective caregiver for his family. In illustration, the protagonist continues to provide care for his disabled mother, his young sisters, and his mentally ailing brother. At this point, one would argue that the superego of his psychological structure enabled him to balance morality to his responsibilities. Based on this, whenever Grape would have thoughts of leaving his family, he would experience feelings of guilt and shame. Such sentiments arose out of his reflection of the dependence that his family has for him irrespective of his youthful nature. Because of such emotions, the lead character became unable to leave his family.
Further explication of Grape’s personality is evident when Grape decides to have an affair with Ken Garver’s wife, Betty (Matalon, et al., 1993). Once again, the Jungian theory fails to explain the reason behind this action pertaining to the lead character. Even though Jung’s premise manages to construct an introverted personality out of the relationship, it is still unable to elucidate the probable origination of the particular behavior. For example, Grape involves himself in a sexual yet romantic relationship with Betty. Irrespective of Betty’s marital status as well as his young age, both continue to participate in the relationship without considering the possible limitations of their involvement. At this point, one would associate the impulsiveness and the pleasure seeking nature of the id with the actions of the lead character. Indeed, the id functions on basis of the principle of pleasure.
On another note, the Jungian conjecture fails to explain the familial bonds between Grape and his dysfunctional family. Freud’s Attachment theory explains these drawbacks. Accordingly, attachment constitutes a special sentimental relationship among close individuals. It involves a transaction of care, comfort and pleasure. The attachment presumption generally focuses on Freud’s propositions concerning love. Nonetheless, the ideology of attachment is an enduring psychological connectedness among human beings. It usually arises out of early childhood experiences, which comprise a significant effect on behavior and development in the later phases of life. (Maddi, 2001). Relating to Gilbert Grape, the attachment theory applies considerably especially relating to the caregiver personality that the lead character exudes in the motion picture. For example, the bond between Grape and his brother, Arnie shows this assertion. Based on the attachment theory, it is possible to assert that attachment assists in survival.
Therefore, for Grape, the bond established between him and his brother is that of protection. As an autistic boy, Arnie is incapable of engaging in reasonable actions. This is evidenced by his passion for flagging cars and climbing the water tower. Because of this, the protagonist strives considerably to protect Arnie from any form of hurt. The relationship between both siblings illustrates the attachment that each have for one another. In another instance, there is also a shared bond between Grape and the rest of his family. Indeed, the lead character acts as the caregiver for his siblings and his obese mother (Matalon, et al., 1993). Despite of his negativity towards his mother, the familial bond influences to continue being a protector, a brother as well as a father for his siblings and parent. Apart from this, the attachment that he possesses with his family especially after the death of his father has instilled caregiving developmental attributes within his personality, thus allowing him to foster his family.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Extroversion-Introversion Personality Theory by Carl Jung is important in assessing the lead character, Gilbert Grape in the movie, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? The particular hypothesis provides a pair of psychological personality types, which are evident in most individuals. These characteristics comprise introversion and extroversion. By applying these traits, it is evident that Gilbert Grape possesses an introverted personality type, which lies heavily on the melancholic side based on its predisposition towards low extraversion and high introversion. Nonetheless, the theory possesses a variety of shortcomings based on its inability to explain the change in personality within the lead character as well as some of the thoughts, feelings and actions that he performs.
References
Maddi, S. R. (2001). Personality theories: A comparative analysis. Prospective Heights, IL: Waveland Press.
Matalon, D., Ohlsson, B., Teper, M. (Producer) & Hallström, L. (Director). (1993). What’s eating Gilbert Grape? [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.
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