A STUDY OF CHICK BENETTO’S CONFLICTS AS SEEN IN MITCH ALBOM’S FOR ONE MORE DAY
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By Esti Dewanti
Student Number: 051214143
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
i
A STUDY OF CHICK BENETTO’S CONFLICTS AS SEEN IN MITCH ALBOM’S FOR ONE MORE DAY
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By Esti Dewanti
Student Number: 051214143
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
vi ABSTRACT
Dewanti, Esti. (2009). A Study of Chick Benetto’s Conflicts as Seen in Mitch Albom’s For One More Day. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University
This thesis discuses the conflict faced by Chick Benetto as the major character of Mitch Albom’s For One More Day. In his life, Chick faces many conflicts. His conflicts make him try to end his life.
This study aims to find out how Chick Benetto is characterized, what conflicts he faces, and what resolutions to Chick’s Benetto’s conflicts. There are three problem formulations in this thesis. They are: 1). How is Chick Benetto characterized in For One More Day? 2). What are the conflicts faced by Chick Benetto? 3). What are the resolutions to Chick Benetto’s conflicts?
This study is a library research. This study uses two kinds of sources, namely primary and secondary sources. The primary source is the novel, For One More Day. The secondary sources are taken from some books related to the theory, such as theory of critical approach, theory of character and characterization, theory of conflict, theory of conflict resolution, and some reviews about types and reasons of suicide. This study applies psychological approach to analyze the conflicts and the resolutions of the conflict.
From the analysis, there are three main points drawn. First, Chick Benetto is a person who is messy, rude, selfish, rebellious, introvert, dishonest, tender, and wishy-washy. Chick’s characters are seen from his manner, speech, reaction, and thought. Second, Chick faces two kinds of conflict, namely internal conflict and external conflict. The internal conflicts are money investment, Chick’s decision about the divorce, suicide, Chick’s mother’s request, Chick’s parents’ divorce, and Chick’s decision about his father’s request. The type of the external conflict is zero-sum conflict. The conflicts are between Chick and his mother, between Chick and his ex-wife, between Chick and his sister. Third, in solving the conflicts, Chick uses accommodation and avoiding types.
The thesis ends with suggestions for the future researchers and teaching learning activity. This thesis can be used for the future researcher as information in analyzing the novel For One More Day. There is also suggestion for using the novel For One More Day in Intensive Reading II Class in English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
vii ABSTRAK
Dewanti, Esti. (2009). A Study of Chick Benetto’s Conflicts as Seen in Mitch Albom’s For One More Day. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan and Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini membahas tentang konflik yang dihadapi oleh Chick Benetto sebagai tokoh utama dalam For One More Day karya Mitch Albom. Dalam kehidupannya, Chick menghadapi begitu banyak konflik. Konflik-konflik itu membuat dia mencoba untuk bunuh diri.
Skripsi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagamaina Chick Benetto dikarakterisasikan, konflik apa saja yang dia hadapi, dan pemecahan masalah yang diambil untuk menyelesaikan konflik-konflik tersebut. Ada tiga rumusan masalah dalam skripsi ini. Rumusan-rumusan masalah itu adalah: 1). Bagaimana Chick Benetto dikarakterisasikan dalam For One More Day? 2). Apa saja konflik yang dihadapi oleh Chick Benetto? 3). Apa saja pemecahan konflik untuk konflik tersebut? Skipsi ini adalah penelitian perpustakaan. Skripsi ini mengunakan dua macam sumber, yaitu sumber utama dan sumber kedua. Sumber utama adalah novel For One More Day. Sumber kedua diambil dari beberapa buku yang berhubungan dengan topik dari skripsi ini, seperti teori tentang karakter dan penokohan, teori tentang konflik, teori tentang pemecahan masalah, dan beberapa sumber tentang tipe dan alas-an oralas-ang untuk bunuh diri. Skripsi ini menggunakalas-an pendekatalas-an psikologi untuk menganalisa konflik dan pemecahan masalah dari konflik tersebut.
Dari pembahasan, terdapat tiga poin utama. Pertama, Chick Benetto adalah orang yang berantakan, kasar, egois, pemberontak, tertutup, tidak jujur, penyayang dan plin-plan. Karakter Chick dapat dilihat dari kelakuannya, perkataannya, reaksinya, dan pikirannya. Kedua, Chick menghadapi dua macam konflik, yaitu internal konflik dan eksternal konflik. Internal konfliknya adalah investasi uang, keputusan Chick tentang perceraiannya, bunuh diri, permintaan ibu Chick, perceraian orang tua Chick, dan keputusan Chick tentang permintaan ayahnya. Tipe dari eksternal konflik yang dihadapi oleh Chick adalah zero-sum konflik. Konflik tersebut antara Chick dengan ibunya, Chick dengan mantan istrinya, dan Chick dengan adik perempuannya. Ketiga dalam meneyelesaikan konflik tersebut, Chick menggunakan pemecahan konflik jenis akomodasi dan menghindar.
Skripsi ini diakhiri dengan saran untuk peneliti di masa yang akan datang dan aktivitas belajar dan pembelajaran. Thesis ini dapat digunakan untuk peneliti yang akan datang sebagai informasi dalam menganalisa novel For One more Day. Terdapat juga saran untuk menggunakan novel For One More Day di kelas Intensive Reading II di Program Study Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In finishing this thesis, there are people who have supported me. First of all, I
would like to give my biggest gratitude to my Lord and my Saviour,Jesus Christ for His blessing, love, and guidance.
I would like to give my gratitude toVeronica Triprihatmini, S.Pd., M. Hum., M.A. as my thesis sponsor, for her guidance, patience, and time in guiding me to finish my thesis. She has given me knowledge in finishing this thesis.
I would like to thank all the lectures in English Education Study Program who have given me knowledge about English. The knowledge is very meaningful for me. I
would also like to thank the secretariat staff of English Education Study Program and the library staff of Sanata Dharma University for helping me in finishing my thesis.
My deepest gratitude goes to my mother, Sumarni, for her prayer, love, guidance, support and kindness. I would like to thank my father,Wirjawan Abadi, my sister, Wijayanti, my brother-in-law, Avianto, and my cute nephew, Evan for their love and support so that I can finish my thesis. I would also like to give my
gratitude to all my families in Sukoharjo and Klaten.
ix
Fidel, Rindang, Ella, Indra, and Berlin for the friendship, laughter, and togetherness. They have given me wonderful days and experiences in Yogyakarta. I
love them all. I also thank Lia, Nana, Dewo, and Kiemasfor keeping forcing me to finish this thesis as soon as possible.
x
Sometimes the end is just the beginning
(Suburban Girl Movie)
I dedicate this thesis to:
Jesus Christ
xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE………...i
APPROVAL PAGES……….………...…ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY………...iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMI…...v
ABSTRACT…...………. vi
ABSTRAK………....vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……….viii
PAGE OF DEDICATION………. ..x
TABLE OF CONTENTS……….xi
LIST OF APPENDICES………....xv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION………...1
A. Background of the Study………...1
B. Problem Formulation……….4
C. Objectives of the Study………...4
D. Benefits of the Study………...4
xii
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ……….. …….7
A. Review of Related Studies…………...………...…...7
B. Review of Literary Theories………..8
1. Theory of Character………..8
2. Theory of Characterization………..10
3. Theory of Critical Approach………...12
4. Theory of Conflict………...13
C. Review of Types and Reasons of Suicide………17
D. Theoretical Framework………19
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY……… 21
A. Object of the Study………..……….. 21
B. Approach of the Study………...……… 22
C. Method of the Study………..………. 23
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS………...……… 25
A. The Description of Chick Benetto’s Characters…….……… 25
1. Messy………... 26
xiii
3. Selfish……….. 28
4. Rebellious………. 29
5. Introvert……….………... 30
6. Dishonest……….. 31
7. Tender……….……….. 33
8. Wishy-washy……….………... 34
B. The Conflicts Faced by Chick Benetto………...……… 34
1. Internal Conflicts………..……… 35
a. Money Investment………..………… 35
b. Chick’s Decision about His Divorce……….……… 36
c. Suicide………... 37
d. Chick’s Mother Request………..…….. 38
e. Chick’s Parents Divorce………..…... 39
f. Chick’s Decision about His Father’s Request………..…….. 40
2. External Conflicts………... 41
a. Between Chick and His Mother……….. 41
b. Between Chick and His Ex-Wife, Catherine………...42
c. Between Chick and His Sister, Roberta……….. 43
C. The Resolutions to Chick Benetto’s Conflicts………...…...……….. 44
1. Resolutions to Internal Conflicts……….. 45
xiv
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS……….. 48
A. Conclusions……….…… 48
B. Suggestions……….…… 49
1. Suggestions for the Future Researchers……….... 49
2. The Implementation of For One More Day in Teaching Intensive Reading II……… 50
REFERENCES………..…. 51
xv
LIST OF APPENDICES
Page
APPENDIX 1: THE SUMMARY OF MITCH ALBOM’S FOR ONE MORE
DAY……… 54
APPENDIX 2: THE BIOGRAPHY OF MITCH ALBOM………... 55
APPENDIX 3: LESSON PLAN………... 57
APPENDIX 4: LEARNING MATERIAL………... 62
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with five parts. First is the background of the study that states
the reasons why the writer chooses this topic. Second is problem formulation
containing three questions that are analyzed and discussed in this study. Third is
objective of the study that answers the questions formulated in the problem
formulation. The next part is benefit of the study that describes the benefits of this
study for the readers, the students of English Language Education Study Program, the
English teachers, and the researchers. The last part is definition of terms related to the
study.
A. Background of the Study
Reading literary works gives pleasure and enjoyment for the readers. However, it
also offers more than that. Little says that reading literary works can add our
understanding about our lives and environment (1). In our environment we can see
that many people enjoy reading literary works because some literary works represent
their lives, for example in a novel. In a novel, there are conflicts that make the story
more interesting. The conflicts in a novel are usually faced by people in real life.
In a real life we always deal with conflicts or problems. The problems may come
from us or other people. Isenhart and Spangle say that conflict cannot be separated
have our own conflict. In relationship with others, we will find more conflicts.
Worchel and Cooper state that conflict is a contradiction as a result of incompatibility
within the individual or between two or more individuals (46). Stanton states two
kinds of conflict namely, internal conflict and external conflict. Internal conflict is a
conflict between two desires within a character. External conflict is a conflict
between characters or between a character and his environment (16). In literature,
people are able to find conflicts inside it because literature is the portrait of people’s
life. The author of literature wants to say something to the readers about life. Little
says that most of literary works deal with human life including its problems. There
are family problems, social problems, and personal problems which can be found in
the literary works (1).
In real life, people may have different views in facing their problem. Some people
are able to face it patiently and wisely. They can find the best solution to their
problems. They can use their mind and heart in solving their problem. On the other
hand, some people cannot face their problem well. They cannot use their mind and
thought in solving their problem. Since they cannot find the best solution, they will
feel depressed. They even want to end their life because they cannot hold their
problems anymore. Dr. Peter Parker says that someone’s mood influences the will to
end someone’s life. Such people who want to end their life can be found in our
environment (www.sinarharapan.com).
Nowadays, we often hear news about suicide in our environment, people cut their
that the number of teenagers who want to suicide increases from time to time. In
Indonesia, there are many people try to end their life. In Bogor, there was a boy
named Daud Firdaus who tried to end his life by drinking insect pesticide because he
could not accept their parents’ divorce (www.indosiar.com/patroli). Another case
happened in Surabaya, East Java. A family consisting of four persons was found dead
in their house. From the evidence found in that house, the police said that the father
had killed his wife and two children before he killed himself. The police said that
economic problem became the cause of this case (www.surabayapost.co.id). In
addition, the article states that the causes of suicide are depression, wrong eat circum,
and harassment.
The conflicts mentioned above have similarity with the conflicts in the novel For
One More Day by Mitch Albom. In the novel, there are many conflicts faced by the
character, Chick Benetto, which lead him to end his life. He faces many conflicts
since he was very young. Since he gets many problems in his life, he cannot hold his
problems anymore. He feels depressed and wants to end his life. Chick Benetto
cannot face his problems patiently and wisely. He wants an easy way to end all of his
problems. In the novel For One More Day, Mitch Albom gives many conflicts that
people usually face. Mitch Albom also gives the resolutions taken by the character in
facing the problems.
In the novel, it is interesting to study Chick Benetto’s conflicts. The writer is
interested in analyzing Chick Benetto’s internal and external conflicts because Chick
life. Therefore, by analyzing the conflicts in a novel, it can give new point of view for
the readers in facing and solving their problems.
B. Problem Formulation
From the background above, some problems can be formulated as follow:
1. How is Chick Benetto characterized in For One More Day?
2. What are the conflicts faced by Chick Benetto?
3. What are the resolutions to Chick Benetto’s conflicts?
C. Objectives of the Study
Based on the problems formulated in problem formulation above, the objectives
of the study are:
1. To find out how Chick Benetto is characterized in For One More Day
2. To find out the conflicts faced by Chick Benetto
3. To find out the resolutions to Chick Benetto’s conflicts
D. Benefits of the Study
There are some benefits from this study that can be gained by the writer, the
English teachers, the students, and the researchers. For the readers, they will be able
to find out the conflicts faced by Chick Benetto. In addition, this study gives views
For students of English Language Education Study Program, this study can give
better understanding about intrinsic aspects of literature, especially the conflicts of
literature. The benefit for the researchers is that it can be used as additional source in
analyzing conflicts of a novel. The result of this study can be use to explore conflicts
in a novel. For the writer, the writer is able to know the conflicts among people and
how to solve them.
E. Definition of Terms
There are some terms used in this study. To avoid misunderstanding, the terms
are defined.
1. Conflict
Worchel and Cooper state that conflict is a contradiction as a result of
incompatibility within the individual or between two or more individuals (460). There
are two kinds of conflict stated by Stanton namely, internal conflict and external
conflict. Internal conflict is a conflict between two desires within a character.
External conflict is a conflict between characters or between a character and his
environment (16).
In this study, the conflicts refer to both internal and external conflicts. Internal
conflict is a conflict of a character with his/her own feeling. External conflict is a
conflict of a character with the other characters. Both the internal conflict and
2. Family
According to Cheal, family is any group which consists of people in intimate
relationships which are believed to endure over time and across generation (4). In this
study family refers to Chick Benetto’s family.
3. Divorce
According to Sanfrook, divorce is a moment which gives signs to couple’s
relationship, but it does not imply the end of the relationship (124). In this study, the
divorce leads Chick Benetto to have a will to end his life. The divorce refers to the
divorce of Chick Benetto’s parents and Chick Benetto’s divorce with his wife.
4. Suicide
Suicide is the intentional killing of oneself ( www.wikipedia.org/suicide). In this
study, suicide means killing oneself because of certain reasons. In this study, Chick
Benetto cannot hold his problems anymore that make him wants to end his life.
5. Resolution
Resolution is method for alleviating or eliminating sources of conflict
7 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
In conducting this research, the writer uses some theories to support the analysis.
This chapter consists of two main parts, namely review of related theories and
theoretical framework. Review of related theories consists of theory of character,
theory of characterization, critical approach, theory of conflict, and theory of suicide.
The last part is theoretical framework which is used as a summary of the theories to
answer the problem formulations.
A. Review of Related Studies
The novel For One More Day by Mitch Albom is a well-known novel. This novel
has been translated in many languages. Therefore, some people use this novel for
their study. In this case, the writer finds a thesis conducting the same topic in the
same novel, For One More Day. The thesis entitled The Influence of Benetto’s
Intrapersonal Conflicts on His Personal Life as Reflected in Mitch Albom’s For One
More Day was written by Dian Prawesti.
The thesis written by Dian Prawesti has the same topic as the writer’s topic which
is about conflicts. However, there are some differences between those two theses. The
Dian’s thesis discusses about the internal conflicts faced by Chick Benetto. In
addition, Dian’s thesis discusses about the influence of the conflicts to Chick
solve his problems. In that thesis, the resolutions are shooting, avoidance, and
competition.
Being different from that thesis, this study discusses the internal and external
conflicts faced by Chick Benetto. The writer also discusses the resolutions taken by
Chick Benetto, namely avoiding and accommodation types. In addition, the writer
does not discuss about the influence of the conflicts to Chick personal’s life. There
are also the significances of this study. This study is to find out the internal and
external conflicts faced by Chick Benetto. This study is also to find out the
resolutions taken by Chick Benetto. In addition, this study may give new point of
views for the readers in facing problems.
B. Review of Literary Theories 1. Theory of Character
In a literary work, characters play an important role to the story. In order to
understand the story, the readers have to know the characters in the story. Every
person in a story has different characters from the others. In order to understand the
characters in a story, the readers have to know the definition and kinds of character.
Abrams states that characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative
work. Characters are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral,
dispotional, and emotional qualities that are expressed by in their dialogue. The basic
In addition, Holman and Harmon state that character is the person that reflects
people in real life who are described by the author in his literary work. They define
characters as descriptive sketch of person’s type. The person’s character is not
described as individual personality, but it is described as an example of vice or virtue
(81). Rohrberger and Woods state that characters are the persons who act in a story.
They said that characters must be credible, which means that the readers must accept
them as believable people (20).
Henkle states two kinds of character. First character is major character in which
he also calls as protagonist. The readers are able to identify the major character from
the complexity of characterization, the amount of attention given to him, and the
intensity that a character seems to transmit. Henkle says that major character always
fascinates the readers with his words or behavior so that major character deserves the
readers’ fullest attention. On the other hand, the second character, secondary
character, does not have full attention from the readers. This kind of character
functions as a foil to the major character. Secondary character is generally less
complex, less sophisticated, and less interesting (88-97).
Forster divides characters into flat and round. He says that flat character is built
by a single idea or quality. It is not represented by much individualizing detail.
Therefore, it can be described in a single phrase or sentence. A round character is
complex in temperament and motivation. This character is as difficult to describe as
2. Theory of Characterization
Character and characterization cannot be separated. In real life, if we judge
someone’s characters, we will use characterization. According to Rohrberger and
Wood, characterization is the process by which the author creates a character. This is
used by the author to decide the characters of the story. Characterization is used in
order to give better understanding about the character of the story. The readers will
have an understanding that the characters present the characters of the author. The
readers are able to know that the characters are different, because the author gives
different things for each character (20). According to Murphy, there are 9 ways in
which the author attempts to make his characters understandable for his readers
(161-173).
a. Personal description
The author describes a person’s appearance and clothes. We can see from his hair,
skin colour, his build, his hand, face, skin, eyes, and clothing.
b. Character as seen by other
The author describes the character indirectly. It can be seen through the other
person’s eyes. The other person in the story gives opinion about the other character.
c. Speech
The author gives some insights through what a person says. Whenever a person
speaks, has conversation with others, and gives opinion, the readers will be able to
d. Past life
The author gives explanation about the character through the person’s past life.
This can be done by direct comment by the author through the person’s thoughts,
through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
e. Conversation of others
The author gives the readers clues to a person’s character through the
conversations of other people and the things they say about him. People who talk
about other people and the things they say often give as a clue to the character of the
person spoken about.
f. Reaction
The author gives the readers a clue to a person’s character by letting the readers
know that person reacts to various situations and events. From the reaction he has
toward various situations and events, the readers will be able to find out what kind of
character a person has.
g. Direct comment
The author describes or comments on a person’s character directly. From the
author’s direct comments on a person’s character, the readers will be able to know the
characters directly.
h. Thoughts
The author gives us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. The
about thought of different people. The readers are able to know different person’s
thought.
i. Mannerisms
The author describes a person’s mannerisms, habits or idiosyncrasies in a story.
The readers are able to know a person’s character from his mannerism, habits, or
idiosyncrasies.
3. Critical Approach
Rohrberger and Woods explain that literature as one of arts which has esthetic
value. They also explain that the response to the esthetic value is called esthetic
response which is used to response the beauty of literature (3). In order to understand
the esthetic value of literature, the readers need critical approach. Rohrberger and
Woods state five kinds of critical approach (6-13).
The first critical approach is mythopoeic approach. This approach is used to
discover recurrent patterns of human thought. The patterns are found in the ancient
myth and folk rites that influence people’s thought.
The second approach is psychological approach. This approach tries to locate and
demonstrate the recurrent human’s patterns by using his imagination and creation. In
this approach, character is the element of literary work. This approach is applied to
discover the character’s personality, which can be found in symbolic words, thoughts,
The third is formalist approach. This approach focuses on the structure of literary
work. The formalist approach concentrates almost entirely on the esthetic values,
which are concerned with the harmonious of the meaning derivation from structure
and technique in determining structure. This approach does not concern with the facts
of the author’s life, the genre of the literary work, and the social milieu. .
Next approach is biographical approach. This approach focuses on the author’s
personality and life. In order to know the personality and life of the author, the
readers could collect facts about the author’s personality and life. It can help the
readers to appreciate the author’s literary work.
The last approach is sociocultural-historical approach. This approach focuses on
the social, culture, and history background of literary works. It implies that the social,
culture, and history background of literary works will influence the making of the
literary works.
4. Theory of Conflict a. Types of Conflict
There are two kinds of conflict stated by Stanton, namely internal conflict and
external conflict. Internal conflict is a conflict between two desires within a character.
External conflict is a conflict between characters or between a character and his
environment (16).
Worchel and Cooper state that conflict is a contradiction as a result of
two kinds of conflict, namely intrapersonal conflict and interpersonal conflict
(460-463). Intrapersonal conflict is a conflict when a person makes a choice between two
or more alternatives. Interpersonal conflict is a conflict which exists between two or
more persons. From Stanton’s definition and Worchel and Cooper’s definition, it can
be concluded that they seem to have same definition about kinds of conflict.
According to Worchel and Cooper, based on the types of response tendencies,
there are four kinds of intrapersonal conflicts. They are approach-approach,
avoidance-avoidance, approach-avoidance, and double approach-avoidance.
The approach-approach is the simplest type of conflict. This type results when a
person is motivated to approach two positive goals but can reach only one. This type
of conflict should be easy to resolve. In this type, the closer someone to his goal, the
stronger will be the drive toward that goal.
The second type is avoidance-avoidance. This type occurs when someone has to
choose between two equally unattractive goals. This conflict is difficult to resolve,
since whenever someone gets near to one negative goal, the drive to avoid that goal
increases.
The third type is approach-avoidance. This type of conflict involves only one goal
which has both attractive and unattractive qualities associated with it. In this type, the
person’s desire to both obtain the goal and escape from it traps him in conflict.
The last type is double approach-avoidance. This type can involve having to
conflicts that appear to be approach conflict are actually double
approach-avoidance conflicts.
The second kind of conflicts is interpersonal conflict. There are two kinds of
interpersonal conflict based on which side wins or loses.
The first type is zero-sum conflict. This conflict means that one’s winning is the
other’s loose, since individuals think that if they cannot obtain the goal, the other side
will win. Therefore, each side wants to obtain everything he wants.
The second type is non-zero-sum conflict. This conflict is also called as a
mixed-motivation conflict. In this type, there are two important things. The first one is one’s
winning is not the other’s loose. The second one involves cooperation and
competition. In this type, it can be concluded that individuals in conflict are beneficial
for each other.
b. Conflict Resolutions
People have different ways in resolving their conflicts. Isenhart and Spangle state
that people have different reactions in perceiving opinion and interference from other
people. Some people become aggressive and assertive. They will threaten and make
demands. Others will become quiet and passive and avoid talking about their
concerns (26).
Isenhart and Spangle give five types in resolving conflicts. Those types are
influenced by some factors. Those factors are the importance of issue to the party,
anticipates that others will react, and personal goals. Those resolutions are avoiding,
accommodation, compromising, competitive, and collaborative (26).
1). Avoiding
In this type, one party denies that there is a conflict, changes topics, and avoids
discussion. This style is effective in situation in which there is danger of physical
violence, the issue is not important, there is no chance of achieving goals, or the
complexity of the situation prevents solutions.
2). Accommodation
In this type, one party sacrifices its interests and goals and lets the other party
achieve their interests and goals. This type is effective when there are no any chances
to achieve the interests, when the outcome is not important, or when there is a belief
that satisfying one’s own interests will in some ways alter or damage the relationship.
3). Compromising
In this type, all parties make concessions for partial satisfaction of interests. There
is an agreement for all parties to sacrifice their interests in order to gain the best
solution for both parties. This type is effective in situations that require quick
resolution of issues, when other parties resist collaboration, when complete
achievement of goals is not important, or when there will be no hard feelings for
settling for less than expected.
4). Competitive
This type is characterized by aggressive, self-focused, forcing, verbally assertive,
of the interests of others. This type is effective in situations in which decision must be
made quickly, options are restricted, there is nothing to lose by pushing, other parties
resist cooperation, and there is no concern about potential damage to the relationship.
5). Collaborative
This type is characterized by active listening and issue-focused, emphatic
communication that seek to satisfy the interests and concerns all parties. It is effective
in situations in which power is reasonably balanced; the long-term relationship is
valued; both parties display cooperative behaviors; and there is sufficient time and
energy to create a solution that will satisfy both parties.
C. Review of Types and Reasons of Suicide
Kastenbaum in Harvey’s gives some meanings about suicide. Suicide is sinful;
suicide is criminal; suicide is the rational alternative; suicide is a reunion with a
departed loved one; suicide is rest and peace; suicide is getting at back
others-revenge; suicide is the penalty for failure; and suicide is a mistake, stating with a cry
for help that was not heeded (138).
There are four types of suicide. The first type is murder-suicide. This type
involves one person killing another, usually a close relation, and then killing himself
or herself. Murder-suicides occur when one person wants to end people’s suffering
then his life as well. Murder-suicides also occur when one person is leaving a close
being left feels desperate, he or she kills the departing partner and then himself or
herself.
The second type is institutional suicide. This type of suicide is done by a group of
people. They follow the leader’s commands and do not ask anything. They believe
they know the answer for doing the suicide. People in this group will kill themselves
together. In addition, there are two more categories of suicide. The first category is
rational suicide which involves an attempt to end a state of suffering associated with a
terminal or life-threatening illness. The second category is suicide which is not
associated with a terminal or life-threatening illness (Harvey 146)
Rational suicide is quite controversial. This type is usually associated with a
person’s decision to end the suffering connected with terminal illness. Mayo in
Harvey’s suggests that suicides are irrational but in some ways it can be said rational.
Suicide is irrational in the sense that usually a person is in great despair possibly
suffering from a terminal illness (146).
In deciding to end their lives, people usually have some reasons. Harvey says that
suicidal thoughts may come to people’s mind when in time of crises. The crises are
when a valued relationship has ended; when valued possessions have been lost; when
a person discovers that he or she is in serious illness; when a loved one has a terminal
illness; when a person has experienced a hurtful humiliation in interpersonal
relations; or when a person has lost a large amount of money (133).
DeSpelder and Strickland in Harvey’s identify some factors that influence suicide
loss of purpose and meaning, financial hardship, multiple losses of loved ones,
chronic pain and illness, alcohol and drug abuse, and the desire to avoid being a
burden (144).
People who end their lives have certain characteristics. G Pandu Setyawan states
that people who end their lives usually are wishy-washy, introvert, and moody
people. They are wishy-washy in deciding everything including deciding whether to
live or not. People who are introvert keep their problem for themselves. They do not
want to share with other people. By keeping all the problems alone, they can be
depressed. People who are moody cannot place their mood in a right place. They very
often get angry. It can make them feel depressed. If they cannot hold their feeling,
they think suicide is the right choice (www.antara.go.id)
D. Theoretical Framework
In this study, the writer analyzes Chick Benetto, the character of this novel, and
the conflicts and resolution faced by him. Therefore, the writer uses the theory of
character and characterization, theory of conflict, theory of conflict resolution, and
some reviews of suicide. The writer uses those theories to answer the problem
formulations.
The first question is about Chick Benetto’s characters. In answering the first
question, the writer uses Abrams (1971), Rohrberger and Woods (1971), Holman and
know about character in a novel. The writer also uses theory of characterization from
Murphy (1972) to find out the characters of Chick Benetto.
The second question is about the conflicts faced by Chick Benetto and the
resolutions. In answering the question, the writer uses the theory of conflict by
Worchel and Cooper (1979) and Stanton (1965). According to Worchel and Cooper,
there are two kinds of conflict, namely interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts.
Stanton states two kinds of conflict, namely internal and external conflicts. Their
explanations are same each other. Internal conflict is the conflict between Chick
Benetto and himself. External conflict is a conflict between Chick Benetto and other
people. The second question also deals with the resolution. The writer uses the theory
of conflict resolution from Isenhart and Spangle (2000).
The last, the writer uses some reviews of suicide from Harvey (2002). These
reviews are used to find out whether people with certain characters have a big chance
to end their lives. The reviews are also used to find out whether or not the conflicts
21 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
This chapter consists of three parts, namely object of the study, approach of the
study, and method of the study. Object of the study describes the work studied along
with its physical description. This part also gives the summary of the novel.
Approach of the study explains the approach used in conducting the research. The last
is method of study which explains the steps taken by the writer in conducting this
research.
A. Object of the Study
In this research, the object of the study is a novel entitled For One More Day
written by Mitch Albom. This novel was published in 2006 by Hyperion. This novel
consists of 208 pages. There are 32 chapters in this novel. Those chapters tell the
character, Chick Benetto, since his childhood until his adulthood.
The story is about Chick Benetto and his family. Chick Benetto lives with his
mother, father, and his sister. Since his childhood, he always has to choose between
his mother’s opinion and his father’s opinion. His father has ever said that he can be a
mother’s son or a father’s son, but cannot be both. He actually feels confused in
making decision. His father forces him to play softball. Therefore, he decides to
Chick finds out that his parents are going to divorce. He is very shocked knowing
that. He cannot accept his father’s leaving. Hence, he starts to hate his mother. He
does not care about what his mother does for him and his sister. He is never satisfied
with his mother’s action. When he is married, he still feels confused in following his
mother or his father. His mother finally passes away. After his mother’s death, he
seems loose his mind. He divorces his wife, and even his daughter does not invite
him in her wedding.
Chick Benetto feels depressed with all his problems. He wants to end his life
using his gun. From that moment, he meets his mother again. He is very shocked
because it has been eight years. His mother takes him to their neighborhood. After
meeting his mother, he finally realizes that his mother has done many good things for
her family. His mother has reasons in making decision for her family in which Chick
does not know about it. Therefore, it makes him realize that he has to move on.
B. Approach of the Study
This research analyzes the conflicts faced by Chick Benetto. Since this research
deals with conflicts, the writer used psychological approach. This approach tries to
locate and demonstrate the recurrent human’s patterns by using his imagination and
creation. In this approach, character is the element of literary work. This approach is
applied to discover the character’s personality, which can be found in symbolic
characters. It is also used to find out the conflicts and resolutions to solve his
problems.
C. Method of the study
This study is a library research study. Library research means that the writer uses
books and references to support the analysis. In this research, there were two sources
used to conduct this research. The first source was the novel written by Mitch Albom
entitled For One More Day. The second sources were theories related to the research.
The secondary sources were the theories to support the research. Those theories
were the theory of character and characterization, theory of conflict, theory of conflict
resolution, and theory of suicides. The theories were taken from library an internet to
support the answers.
In conducting this research, there were some steps taken by the writer. The first
step is reading the novel. The writer read the novel to find out what the novel was
about. The writer read the novel carefully in order to understand the story well.
The second step was formulating the problem formulations. In this step, the writer
used many books and references related to the topic chosen. The theories used were
theory of character and characterization, theory of conflict, theory of conflict
resolution, and some review of reasons and types of suicide.
The third step was analyzing the novel. In this step, the writer firstly analyzed the
novel according to the first problem formulation about the character. The writer used
the first problem formulation, the writer moved on to the second and third problem
formulations. In this part, the writer used the theory of conflict, conflict resolution,
and theory of suicides.
The last step was drawing conclusion of the research. The conclusion was about
the answers to the problem formulations. The writer also gave suggestions for
25 CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter consists of three parts. The first part is the description of Chick
Benetto as the character in the novel. The second part is the conflicts faced by Chick
Benetto. The last part is the resolutions taken by Chick Benetto to solve his conflicts.
A. The Description of Chick Benetto’s Character
A character plays an important role in a novel. According to Abram, Chick
Benetto can be said as one of the character in the novel For One More Day (20).
According to the description of character by Hankle, Chick Benetto can be included
as the major character of the novel (88-97). He also plays as the narrator of the story.
His character is complex and his character gets the whole attention from the readers.
The story begins when Chick tries to kill himself because he cannot hold his
problems anymore. He feels left by his wife and daughter. His suffering begins worse
after his mother’s death. He has to face his divorce. After trying to kill himself, he
meets his eight-year-dead-mother. He starts to tell his life from childhood until his
adulthood that he has faced many conflicts during his life.
In this story, Chick is described as a man who likes drinking alcohol. He often
goes to Mr. Ted’s pub to buy some drinks. In addition, he will continue his drinking
again in his apartement. He thinks that by drinking liquor, he will be better. However,
Some of his characters also influence him in trying to end his life. G Pandu
Setyawan states that people who want to end their lives have some characteristics,
which are wishy-washy, introvert and moody. In this case, Chick has some of those
characters. Hence, it implies that his characters influence him in trying to end his life.
Chick Benetto’s characters are described below.
1. Messy
Chick Benetto is a messy man. It can be seen from his manner. He does not care
about his appearance. He usually gets drunk in his time. His behavior of getting drunk
becomes a problem for him. Because of his bad behavior, Chick cannot manage
himself well. He does everything badly. He drinks and sleeps badly. When he gets a
new job, he does not change his habits. He is still messy. In his office, his appearance
is still messy. When Chick will meet clients, he will only use mouthwash to cover his
appearance.
After that, I drank more-ballplayers in my time always drank-but it became a problem which, in time, got me fired from two sales jobs. I slept badly. I ate badly. I seemed to be aging while standing still. When I did find work, I hid mouthwash and eyedrops in my pockets, darting into bathrooms before meeting clients (5).
2. Rude
Chick Benetto is a man who is rude in the way he speaks and reacts especially if
he feels uncomfortable. His being rude is seen from his speech when talking to other
people and his reaction towards a situation.
When Chick does not like the persons he speaks to or the topic they are talking
angry with his mother because of his costume. In a Halloween parade, Chick’s
mother makes a mummy costume for him. The costume is made from toilet tissue.
Unfortunately, his costume dissolves because of the rain. Chick is ashamed because
everybody laughs at him. Chick blames his mother. In addition, he cries and speaks
rudely to his mother. He yells to his mother that she ruins his life.
They are laughing. I am burning red. I want to disappear, but where to go in the middle of a parade? When we reach the schoolyard, where the parents are waiting with cameras, I am a wet, sagging mess of rags and toilet paper fragments. I see my mother first. As she spots me, she raises her hand to her mouth. I burst into tears.
“You ruined my life!” I yell (40).
Chick shows his rudeness again to his mother. It is seen from his reaction towards
his mother’s request. Chick’s mother always asks a kiss from her children before they
go to school. One day, when his mother takes him and his sister to school, he shows
his rudeness. His mother asks a kiss from him. However, Chick is ashamed to give a
kiss at school. His reaction is not good. He refuses to give a kiss to his mother rudely.
Chick also shows his being rude to his friends. It can be seen from his reaction
when he finds out that his friends are looking at his mother in her room. One day, he
meets his friends near his house. He feels suspicious with them. He thinks there is
something that they hide because they are watching something in his house. He
follows the way they look. He finally finds out that his friends are looking at his
mother in her bedroom. He is sure that they are watching his mother changing her
result, he spontaneously jumps to them and fights against them. He grabs one of them
by the neck and throws punches at anything that moves (69).
Chick does not only show his rudeness to his mother and friends but also to his
little sister, Roberta. His being rude to his sister can be seen from his speech with his
sister. Since Roberta is still a child, she does not understand about her parents’
divorce. Therefore, she asks Chick whether his father will be there or not. He answers
his sister with impolite words and tone. He says that she is stupid.
Chick Benetto still shows his being rude in his teenage time. It is seen from his
reaction when he is at the movie with his mother. He is ashamed to sit together with
his mother at the movies. He does not like all things that his mother does. In addition,
he is angry with his mother because she is the only divorced woman around. He
wants his mother to behave like other mothers who stay at home and do house works.
However, his mother goes to work to fulfill their needs. He does not know that his
mother struggles for him and his sister (89).
3. Selfish
Chick Benetto is a selfish boy. He always forces everybody to follow his choice.
This character can be seen from his speech when he is with his mother and sister. One
day, his mother picks him and his sister up from school. His mother does not look
well. Chick notices it. He feels that his mother is not in a good condition. His mother
asks him to miss one practice to have an ice cream, but he does not want to go. He
says that he cannot miss one practice. He insists on going to the practice. In that case,
from her job. He does not care about his mother’s feeling and condition. Although his
sister really wants to go, he ignores it. He keeps in his choice. (83)
Chick continues his being selfish to his mother and his sister. It can be seen from
his reaction when he does not agree with his mother and his sister about having an ice
cream. He knows that his mother and his sister feel sad and upset. Chick’s sister
really wants an ice cream although a fast ice cream only. However, Chick is still in
his choice. He says no to them. In addition, he even goes out from the car and does
not listen to his mother and sister. He yells to his mother and his sister that he does
not want to go.
I go out of the car and said, “I don’t want any ice cream. I’m going to practice.” As I crossed the street, my sister yelled out the window, “Do you want us bring you a cone?” and I thought, You’re so stupid, Roberta, cones melt (p. 84).
4. Rebellious
Chick Benetto is a rebellious boy in his teenage time. It can be seen from his
speech when he argues with his mother and his reaction when his mother finds
cigarette in his drawer. One day, his mother finds cigarettes in his sock drawer. He is
fourteen years old when his mother knows about it. Chick yells that it is his room
which means she cannot enter to his room. His mother does not like if he smokes in
his teenage time.
Chick defends himself from his mother. He does not want to confess that he is
guilty. He even yells to his mother during the conversation. He feels that he is old
word to his mother. He says that his mother is a hypocrite. He says that because he
feels his mother is not fair. His mother smokes but she does not allow Chick to
smoke. His mother does not like that word but he still uses that word. He even says
that his mother makes him sick. Therefore, Chick’s mother takes the cigarette.
5. Introvert
Chick Benneto is an introvert man. It is seen from his reaction when he is meeting
his mother for the first time after her death. He keeps his problem by himself. He
does not want to share with other people even to his mother. When he feels awkward
meeting his mother, he does not say anything. He is between belief and disbelief.
Hence, he keeps his feeling by himself. When his mother asks what is happening with
him, he says nothing. He does not answer his mother’s question. He keeps silent
during that time (42).
Chick still continues his being introvert. His mother knows that he is not in a
good condition. When his mother asks what happens to him, he does not answer. He
keeps his problem. He does not tell his mother about what has happened to him. He
does not tell his mother about his marriage and his depression. He feels that it is no
use to tell his problem to other people around him. Therefore, he only says that he has
not been good.
We took a few more steps. My forehead pounded. I rubbed it with the ball of my hand.
“What happened, Charley? Are you in pain?”
“I haven’t been so good, Mom,” I said (71).
6. Dishonest
Chick is a man who often lies to everyone. This kind of his characters is seen
from his speech when he talks to his mother. He does not tell the truth to everyone.
When his mother asks about his wife, he does not tell the truth that he has divorced
with his wife. He says that his ex-wife, Catherine, is fine. He wants everything to
look fine from the outside. However, in the inside something ruins.
“Charley? Honey?” she repeated. “How’s Catherine?” “She’s OK,” I lied, not having any idea how Catherine was. “And this business about Maria being ashamed of you? What does Catherine say about that? (107)”
Chick lies to his mother about his father’s visit. It is seen from his speech after
meeting his father. He does not want his mother to know that his father visits him in
his baseball game. He knows that his mother is going to be angry if she knows about
his father’s visit. He does not want to make the situation more complicated.
Therefore, he keeps by himself that his father actually comes to his baseball game. It
is seen from his manner, “I don’t tell her about seeing my father. He shows up for my
next game, too, and he nods again when I come to the plate (117).”
Chick lies again to his family. His being dishonest is seen from his reaction after
receiving his father’s call. When his mother holds a birthday party, his father calls
and talks to him. His father offers him a job in a baseball team. Nevertheless, he does
about job. Therefore, he pretends that he is annoyed with that call because his friend
bothers him on a Saturday.
I had to lie to everyone there. It wasn’t hard. I wore a pager for work, and I called it from the downstairs phone, they went upstairs quickly. When the pager went off in front of Catherine, I acted annoyed, grumbling about them “bothering me on a Saturday (161).”
Chick almost continues to lie to his wife when his wife calls him. This dishonest
character is seen from a character’s thought given by the author. In this case, the
character, Chick Benetto, thinks that he will lie again to his wife. He has prepared a
lie to his wife when she calls. He says that he has to work which spends his time.
“HELLO”
My wife’s voice sounded shaky, disturbed. “Hey, it’s me,” I said, “Sorry, I-“
“Oh, Chick, Oh, God, we didn’t know where to reach you,”
I had been ready with my lies- the client, the meeting, all of it- but they fell now like bricks (172).
The last proof that Chick is dishonest is when he chats with his mother. It is seen
from his speech during the chatting. Chick says to his mother that he lies about his
leaving on the day when his mother dies. His mother thinks that he has something to
do in her death. In that case, he is actually in a baseball game. He lies to everybody
that he has work to do outside town. However, he finally confesses that he is in a
7. Tender
Although he has bad characters, Chick still has some good characters. He actually
really loves his mother. It can be seen from his thought. He adores her so much
especially when she makes some jokes. She does not mind smearing ice cream on her
face for laugh. She likes making odd voice of Popeye the Sailor Man or Luis
Armstrong. Chick loves it so much.
Still, I CAN say I adored my mother, in the way that boys adore their mothers while taking them for granted. She made that easy. For one thing, she was funny. She didn’t mind smearing ice cream on her face for laugh. She did odd voice, like Popeye the Sailor Man, or Luis Armstrong croaking (32).
Chick’s being tender is also seen from his reaction when he finds his friends
looking at his mother’s room. His love is shown when he finds his friends watching
his mother changing her clothes. He cannot accept that fact. He does not want anyone
does something terrible to his mother. He wants to protect his mother as hard as he
could. Therefore, he ran to them. He is not afraid although they are bigger than him.
He fights against his friends who do that action. He jumps them from behind and
throws punches at anything that moves (69).
Chick actually loves his mother so much. He feels desperate and lost when he
knows about his mother death. He never thinks about that before. It is seen from his
thought given by the author. When he hears the news about his mother’s death, he
In Chick’s being together with his mother, he shows that he loves his mother. It is
seen from his speech during that time. He says that he wishes they did the time
together before. Hence, he wants to repeat their being together from the past because
he feels he has missed many wonderful times with his mother. He feels that he does
not use his time well with his mother before she dies (174).
8. Wishy-washy
Chick is a wishy-washy person. He is sometimes confused in making a decision.
First he can choose the decision, but then he can change his decision. It is seen from
his speech and his thought when he gets a call from his father. His father tells him
that he can play in a baseball team. However, Chick cannot go because that day is his
mother’s birthday. At first, he refuses his father’s offer because he wants to stay with
his mother and family in that occasion. He remembers what his mother says about
being a good boy. He feels guilty if he leaves on that day. He thinks that his father
ruins his concentration. However, he thinks of his father’s offer and decides to accept
his father’s offer. Therefore, he decides to go to the baseball team on that day and
leaves his family (159-161).
B. The Conflicts Faced by Chick Benetto
In the novel For One More Day, Chick Benetto has many conflicts. He faces
many family conflicts since his childhood. In this part, the writer will describe Chick
1. Internal conflicts
According to Stanton, internal conflict is a conflict between two desires within a
character (16). Chick Benetto has many internal conflicts in his life. From the
beginning of the story, he has to face the reality that his daughter does not invite him
in her wedding. His daughter only sends a card saying that she has already married.
She also sends the picture of her wedding (10).
From Worchel and Cooper’s explanation, Chick Benetto’s internal conflicts
reflect the kinds of internal conflict, namely avoidance-avoidance and
approach-avoidance (469). Avoidance-approach-avoidance is an internal conflict in which a person has to
choose between two unattractive goals. Approach-avoidance is a conflict which only
has one goal involving both attractive and unattractive qualities associated with it.
The conflicts are discussed below.
a. Money investment
After becoming an athlete, Chick becomes a salesman. He wants his family to live
better. One day, a beautiful saleswoman offers him to invest his money. He decides to
invest his money to her. He cannot think whether it will be useful or not. He only
cares about the saleswoman. He does that because he is attracted by the woman who
is young and good-looking. In addition, her fashion style makes an old man feel
nervous. Chick gets stupid because of her. Hence, he finally agrees to invest without
thinking or discussing with his wife. This money investment traps him in an
approach-avoidance conflict. Finally, Chick decides to approach this conflict. This
attractive quality is he will have much money if the investment goes well. The
unattractive is he will be bankrupt if the investment is failed. The desire to have much
money became his consideration to approach the conflict.
A year after my mother died, I did the dumbest thing I’ve ever done financially. I let a saleswoman talk to me into an investment scheme. She was young and good-looking in that confidence, breezy, two-buttons-undone fashion that makes an older feel bitter when she walks past him-unless, of course, she speaks to him. Then he gets stupid (4).
Chick’s investment does not go well. He has some meetings with the saleswoman
but it gives nothing. Chick actually knows that there is something improper.
However, he ignores it. He is astonished with the saleswoman’s physical appearance.
Her perfume makes him lose his mind. He gives his savings to that woman. In fact,
he does not get anything from the investment. The saleswoman deceives him. She
moves to West Coast with Chick’s money. As a result, the failure of the investment
gives a new problem for him. He has to explain to his wife about the money
investment.
We meet three times to discuss the proposal: twice at her office, once in a Greek restaurant, nothing improper, but by the time her perfume cleared my head, I’d put most of savings in a now-worthless stock fund. She quickly got “transferred” to the West Coast. I had to explain to my wife, Catherine, where the money went (4-5).
b. Chick’s Decision about His Divorce
Chick’s foolishness in making an investment makes him live in a deep sorrow
with his family. He often fights with his wife because of money. Catherine is tired
he feels it is his fault. His marriage is finally collapse although he actually does not
want it. However, he cannot defend his marriage. Therefore, Chick and Catherine
finally live separately. He is very ashamed with his divorce. He moves to an
apartment by himself (5).
Money became a problem; Catherine and I fought constantly about it. And, over time, our marriage collapsed. She grew tired of my misery and I can’t say I blame her. When you’re rotten about yourself, you become rotten to everyone else, even those you love. One night she found me on the basement floor with my lip cut, cradling a baseball glove (p. 5).
The conflict that Chick faces is approach-avoidance. This conflict has only one
goal which is defending the marriage. Furthermore, this conflict has attractive and
unattractive aspects. Chick has to choose whether or not he divorce Catherine. If he
divorces Catherine, he will be in his misery because he still needs and loves her.
However, if he does not divorce Catherine, she will be angry and sad because she
does not love and need Chick anymore. She wants a better life by having divorce
from him.
c. Suicide
Chick cannot hold his problem anymore. Therefore, he decides to end his life.
One night in October, he makes a decision that he will end his life. He feels very
depressed in facing his problem. He still cannot believe that a man like him who has
ever been an athlete will try to end his life.
Chick decides to end his life because he cannot hold his problems anymore. He
decides to go home to Pepperville Beach, in which he grows up. He is very confused
before doing his action. He moves around his apartment. He walks in circles before
deciding to go. Finally, he takes his gun and wants to end his life using his gun (11).
This conflict is an avoidance-avoidance conflict. The conflict has only
unattractive goals, ending his life or staying alive. The two choices will not give any
advantages for him. If he chooses to end his life, he will die and will not meet. If he
does not end his life, he will face his problems that he feels he cannot hold that
anymore. He feels that he does not have any better choice. Every choice cannot bring
his happiness back.
d. Chick’s Mother’s Request
After meeting his mother in his old house, Chick still feels awkward. He is still
confused why his dead mother is there. He still cannot believe that he meets his
mother. His mother asks him to stay with her because he wants him to spend a day
with him. However, he cannot answer quickly to his mother request. He cannot give a
good answer to his mother. He feels confused because he thinks that it is impossible
to stay with a dead person. Hence, he says to his mother that it is impossible. His
mother does not give reaction to Chick’s statement. Instead of giving reaction, she
scoops eggs from a pan and asks him to eat (55-56).
The conflict Chick has above is an approach-avoidance conflict. The goal of this
conflict is staying with his mother. This goal has both attractive and unattractive
On the other hand, Chick thinks that it is impossible to stay and spend a day with his
mother. If he cannot fulfill his mother request’s, she will feel regret. In that case,
Chick wants to make his mother feel happy. However, he is still confused in deciding
it.
e. Chick’s Parent’s Divorce
After the divorce of his parents, Chick feels sad. He wants to cry but he cannot.
He thinks he is the only man in that house that may not cry. He actually wants to cry
but he remembers his father’s saying that as a man he should not cry. He has to be
strong. He tries to behave that his father will be back. He behaves like that so that he
will not cry because of remembering his father. Therefore, he does not cry at all, but
he lies to himself and other people.
I remember wanting to cry myself, but it had already dawned on me that there were now three of us, not four, and I was the only male. Even at eleven, I felt an obligation to manhood.
Besides, my father used to tell me to “buck up” whenever I cried, Buck up, kid buck up.” And, like all children whose parents split, I was trying to behave in a way that would bring the missing one back. So no tears, Chick. Not for you (57-58).
The type of conflict that Chick faces is approach-avoidance conflict. The goal of
this conflict is no crying. The goal has both attractive and unattractive qualitiess for
him. The attractive quality is that he does not cry and lets people think that he is fine
after his parents’ divorce. The unattractive goal is that he cries and lets people know
that he is in a deep sorrow. The worse thing if he cries is he will break his father’s
f. Chick’s Decision about His Father’s Request
One day, Chick’s father calls him and offers him a job in a baseball team. He says
that he cannot go because that day is his mother’s birthday. His father keeps asking
him to go. His father says that there is no tomorrow for the offer. Chick has to go on
that day if he wants the job.
Chick is confused in making a decision. On one hand, he does not want to ruin his
mother’s birthday. On the other hand, his father asks him to go. He remembers his
mother’s saying about being a good boy. He thinks that his father robs his
concentration. He knows that his mother will be disappointed if he decides to go. He
thinks hard to make a decision. He finally decides to follow his father’s request to
join the baseball team. Hence, he lies to everybody that he has a job outside the town.
His family is disappointed, but somehow they let him go (159-161).
The type of internal conflict that he has is an avoidance-avoidance conflict. The
conflict does not offer any attractive goals but unattractive goals. On one hand, if he
follows his father’s offer, he will make his mother disappointed. His mother will not
be happy because he leaves the birthday party. On the other hand, if he does not
follow his father’s offer, his father will be mad. The conflict traps him without any
good goals. He is confused to make a decision because every decision will bring
