The importance of discovery is measured by the impact it has on people. Tim Winton’s “Big World” and “Aquifer”, short stories from his anthology, The Turning, and Lasse Hallstrom’s What’s Eating Gilbert Grape illustrate that individuals learn from their mistakes and personal discoveries over time. Through the use of various techniques and devices, Winton and Hallstrom’s craft relatable adolescent characters who their targeted audiences and able to empathise and sympathise with, whilst achieving revealing insights about the power of discovery.
Significant discoveries can be a slow realisation that changes the way we perceive ourselves and relationships. In “Big World”, the narrator hopes to discover excitement, girls and an escape from his boring life. During this journey he is forced to confront an unco
...mfortable truth about himself and his relationship with Biggies which was initiated by “a single decisive act or violence that joined me to Biggie forever”, but the fragility of the relationship is revealed when Biggie leaves the narrator in Broome for Meg.
The unexpected way in which events unfold is reinforced by Meg not showing up for Biggie’s funeral. “Meg won’t show”, this short sentence conveys the way events arrive in an unexpected way. Another major discovery is the narrator’s vanity and how it cost him. He knew what he was doing was wrong but couldn’t stop it as it made him feel smarter and superior. “Out of loyalty but also seer vanity”. “And the fact is I blew it. ” The colloquial language emphasises how much he regrets doing all of Biggie’s work for him as that got them both of the “to the finish line but didn’t
help them cross it.
An exterior factor which may affect ones present identity is ones past experiences. This concept is explored in Tim Winton’s “Aquifer”, as it follows an adult on a tumultuous journey which leads him to make personal discoveries. “Aquifer” is a clever portrait of growing up and the transition from “Innocence” to “experience”, from overcoming fears, disobeying parents, meeting the “dare” to visit the swamp and realising that “time” wasn’t straight. “Life moves on people say, but I doubt that. Moves in, more like it”.
Winton’s use of juxtaposition implies that his past has caved in on him, that he hasn’t let his past free. Aquifer is quite cohesive by telling us a tale of guilt that could be provided towards human nature, and how it stays with us throughout our lives. The film “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Directed by Lasse Hallstrom is set in the small and slow moving town of Endora. The way Endora is portrayed throughout the film relates to key ideas. The ideas of being trapped and isolated. The establishing shot of the film is along empty fiends and roads.
This gives the audience a sense of loneliness. This is reinforced by Gilbert’s statement “Describing Endora is like dancing to no music”. The viewer sees that Gilbert is lonely and feels that his life is empty, just like Endora. The crumbling house is a motif for the dysfunctional Grape family and its Gilbert’s job to maintain the repairs. His fear of entering the basement to help Tucker with the floor because “Dad’s down there” this short sentence shows how he is trapped in a life
he doesn’t want.
This is also shown in “Big World”, when the narrator realises that he had enough of his life and wants to start fresh. He realised that there was more out there then what meets the eye. It is only when Gilbert let’s go of his resentment towards his family and through his relationship with Becky that he “can go anywhere”. It is evident that there are many ideas associated with discovery in “Big World”, “Aquifer” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? ”. However, it is not only that these texts and movie when we observe this but even in our world today, where many individuals discover and change.
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