Beyond the line essay: Of mice and men vs Whats eating Gilbert Grape

Taking care of of a mentally challenged person is harder than it seems. Both George (Of mice and men) and Gilbert (Whats eating Gilbert Grape) know the struggles of that responsibility. They both get very frustrated. Both are held back but both love Lenny and Arnie unconditionally.

In the movie "Whats Eating Gilbert Grape" he takes care of his little brother Arnie, who is retarded. He gets very frustrated and it leads him to do something he regrets. One scene when he is trying to give him a bath, Arnie acts up and Gilbert smacks him in the face. He soon after feels bad. George takes care of his best friend who is also mentally retarded. He also gets very frustrated and says things to Lenny that he doesn't mean.

Both Gilbert and George are held back in life because they have this huge responsibility of taking care of Arnie and Lenny. George struggles to find work as it is along with having Lenny. If he didn't have to take care of him he wouldn't be slowed down, most likely. Gilbert is just a teenager with the burden of having a humongous mother and a retarded brother, instead of living a normal life.

Most importantly, they do love Arnie and Lenny. They wouldn't do what they do if they didn't truly care. George wouldn't let Lenny do anything that would hurt him. Gilbert spends most of his time doing anything to entertain Arnie. He tries to sugarcoat things to make Arnie not worry about anything. George and Gilbert are both thoughtful protectors.

All in all they both do a good job in protecting Lenny and George. They work through all the frustration and still keep going. They don't mind making sacrifices to take care of Lenny and Arnie. George and Gilbert both love and care for Lenny and Arnie. You have to be a strong person to do what they do.

Between The Line Question #3

Q: Does the time period they are in help or hurt Lenny's situation ?

A: I think it is hurting his situation. Back then they didn't really understand the situation. You can tell by the way George treats him that people really don't know what's going on in his head. Since society might be confused about his situation, Lenny is most likely confused about it too. This is why the time they were in does not help Lenny's situation at all.

Between The Line Question #2

Q: Does George really care about Lenny ?

A: I believe George does care about Lenny but he just gets frustrated. If he didn't care about him he would have just left him way back. Of course he is going to get frustrated because he is dealing with a child basically and all parents get mad at their children. I think even though Lenny is bigger, George looks at him a little brother or even a son. This is why I think George really cares.

Between The Line Question #1

Q: What does the puppy symbolize ?

A: It symbolizes many things. I think a really important thing it symbolizes is innocence. The puppy is new, fresh, and innocent and not quite developed yet. Lenny is the same way only I believe he will never be quite developed but his disability makes him vulnerable and innocent. The puppy and Lenny are both confused and unsure of what they are doing.