What's Eating Gilbert Grape

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is the debut novel by Academy Award-nominated writer Peter Hedges. Set in 1989, the novel is a coming-of-age story about a young man whose life is overshadowed by the tragedy and family drama that surround him. The novel was a critical success upon its release in 1991 and was adapted into a movie starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio in 1993, for which Hedges also wrote the screenplay.

This study guide is based on the Simon and Schuster paperback, 1991.

Content Warning: The source material for this study guide includes discussions of suicide, intellectual disabilities, and obesity. In addition, the source material includes derogatory terms for intellectual disabilities and obesity that are omitted from this guide, other than within direct quotes from the novel.

Plot Summary

Gilbert Grape lives in Endora, Iowa, in the home his father, Albert, built. Living with him in the home are his older sister, Amy; younger sister, Ellen; younger brother, Arnie; and mother, Bonnie. Albert died 17 years ago. In the years following her husband's death, Bonnie became disabled by severe obesity. For this reason, Amy and Gilbert are responsible for running the household. Caring for Arnie, who has an intellectual disability, is Gilbert’s primary focus.