Gilbert Grape Assessment

The Decision-Making Process

According to Hepworth, Rooney and Larsen (2002), issues of decision-making are closely linked to the power dynamics within a family in that the responsibility of decision-making is often held by parents or modeled after parents’ approaches to decision-making. You see this dynamic being played out in the Grape family as Gilbert and the rest of the family look to Mama for the final “say-so” on decisions having to do with the family. Along with Mama’s authority, comes the unspoken power of their deceased father. Even though there father is not around to partake in decision-making, the idea of him and the way he had previously run the family still has a great influence on the way each member makes decisions.

Having Mama, who is immobile and generally uninvolved with each family member’s life outside of the home and the father, who is not around to be involved in the family’s life, be the key proprietors of making decisions, adds an additional stressor to the family’s functioning. Mama tends to make decisions based around her own needs and the needs of Arnie, the child she feels most connected to, due to the social stigmas surrounding the both of them.

The death of the father is an unresolved issue for many of the Grape family members. By continuing to use the father’s standards as a means of running the household, they are holding on to something that does not exist and are not allowing themselves to make changes within the family structure. This is strain on the family has caused some of the members to separate themselves from the decision-making process. “Prolonged or unresolved conflict may factionalize the family unit and cause some members to disengage” (Hepworth, Rooney & Larsen, 2002, p. 284).

There are seven key components to be aware of when assessing a family’s decision-making process. One is that successful decision-making requires constructive criticism and the ability for each member to self-express while also leaving room for compromise and negotiating various ideas and outcomes (Hepworth et al, 2002). In order to maintain homeostasis, the Grape family chooses not to share their feelings and instead fulfills each individual responsibility without complaint. Also, many times when something does not go as planned and the family’s structure is disturbed, negative feedback is given. Most of this feedback comes from Mama, who is always looking out for Arnie’s best interest and the youngest sibling, Ellen who is a prime example of someone who has “disengaged” themselves from the family’s decision-making process.

The second component to be aware of is that effective decision-making requires that each family member understands their worth and the worth of other members' contributions to the decision-making process (Hepworth et al, 2002). Gilbert clearly has no regard for himself when decisions are made surrounding his responsibilities to the family. He complies with the family’s needs realizing that that is the only way for the family to “survive and thrive within an American community” (Hepworth et al, 2002). Ellen, the youngest sibling counts everyone but herself “out” when making decisions. She is looking out for her well being and has decided that she will do everything she can to make sure decisions are made in her best interest.

The third component is that each decision should be thought out in terms of needs rather than solutions meaning that each member must be willing to adjust their ideas and norms according to various situations (Hepworth et al, 2002). The family is so set in their ways that they often forget that decisions need to be adjusted for various family needs. For example, when Gilbert falls in love,