The Goonies Ploth Character Description

Ace Meyer
J. Gehring
LGST 173
09 April, 2023
Sometimes things that come off horribly offensive might be (accidentally or not) a worthwhile representation at a second glance. The 1985 cult classic, The Goonies, follows a group of young boys trying to save their neighborhood from gentrification by seeking out hidden treasure. At the start of their adventure, they must sneak into the house of a crime family, the Fratellis, and the tunnels beneath. When one of the boys, ‘Chunk’, is discovered by ‘Mama Fratelli’ he is imprisoned in a cell-like room with the family’s intimidating, deformed, younger brother ‘Sloth’.
Sloth is presented as a terrifying monster, chained to the wall below the family home, and roaring when people approach his room. He is unable to form full sentences and is presented as emotionally unstable. His physical appearance is akin to a large toddler, with an oval head, misshapen facial features, and a small wisp of hair.

When Mikey, hiding in the corner, pushes the tray within reach, Sloth yells in triumph sending the young boy sprinting away out of fear. The audience is presented with this physically and mentally disabled character who is treated as a burdensome shame, something to both control and fear.
However scared Chunk is of Sloth initially, he soon finds that the supposed monster is not only friendly but also intelligent. At the beginning of their imprisonment together, Chunk introduces himself and offers Sloth a Baby Ruth candy bar. After failing to pass the bar to Sloth, Chunk cowers and apologizes as Sloth bellows again before it becomes apparent that Sloth’s anger is not directed at Chunk. Sloth then rips his chains out of the wall, frees himself, and opens the candy bar, before sharing part of it with Chunk, and hugging him with