Analysis Of The Grape Family And Arnie

In each situation, the sibling is frustrated that Arnie has not been watch properly, but their main focus is on getting Arnie down to safety. Once that occurs then the family goes on with their activities of daily living and it is not a source of tension until the next event. Another example occurs when Gilbert breaks down and hits Arnie right before his birthday party. Gilbert flees the home after this incident occurs, but when he returns home and apologizes to Arnie, he easily forgives him and all is right with the world. They instantly fall into their routine of playing the where’s Arnie game. This shows that Gilbert and Arnie have a good line of communication, and an understanding of one another love for each other. Although, the family lives in a rural environment there are many strengths that stem from being a part of a small community. The Grape family and Arnie in particular are well known in the community of Endora. This familiarity plays a huge role in Bonnie being able to get Arnie

33). In each family system, the members are interconnected. This interconnectedness means ever interaction or behavior affects another member or all members of the family system. In family systems, patterns will emerge and become evident over time. According to the multigenerational family life cycle perspective, the family history and patterns of relationships have the ability to influence future generations in terms of their outlook, hopes, and future opportunities (Brandell, 2011, p. 154). These generational patterns can be negative or positive. In the Grape family there are several circular patterns of behavior that are evident such as Arnie’s continued adventures with the water tower, Bonnie’s obesity which is enabled by her children, the daughters blaming Gilbert and expecting him to fix, and the male pattern of leaving in the