What's Eating Gilbert Grape

It’s the Fourth of July, and the whole town is excited because Lance came home to visit his mother and will be the focal point of the annual parade. Gilbert gets drinks for everyone at Dairy Dream and joins Amy, Arnie, Janice, and Ellen at the parade. The town is having a costume contest for kids from ages five to 12. Arnie is joining them dressed as Washington crossing the Delaware. His is clearly the best costume; most of the other attendees arrived as Uncle Sam, apart from the Carver children, who are dressed as Abraham Lincoln. The parade begins, and Arnie accidentally knocks over several children by turning and hitting them with his cardboard boat. Gilbert has to join the parade to get Arnie back on track. Later, Lance announces the winners of the costume contest. Everyone expects Arnie to win, but the first prize goes to the Carver boys. Lance, however, offers Arnie a special “Lance Dodge ‘You’ll be the next President of the United States’ award” (177). 

Amy worries that they cannot top this day when it comes to Arnie’s birthday party. Gilbert reassures Amy, and she, in turn, thanks him for always being supportive and wishes he could find someone to love.