42
The second conflict between Chick and his mother is when she finds cigarette in his drawer. His mother finds his cigarette when he is fourteen years old. She does not
like this. However, Chick does not feel that he is guilty. He says that his mother is a hypocrite. His mother does not like that word. She thinks that it is impolite for him to
say that word to his mother. He says that word because his mother smokes but he is not allowed to smoke. His mother takes the cigarette away from him. Nevertheless,
Chick keeps yelling to his mother. He even says that he is sick of her 85. Chick’s mother does not like the way he speaks, especially when he says that he
is sick of his mother. She is very angry with him. She cannot believe that Chick speaks impolitely to his mother. Therefore, she slaps his face. She does it because she
thinks that it is too much for her. Chick cannot do anything. He runs to the garage and waits there. When he gets back to his room, he hears his mother crying. He finds the
cigarettes are still in the drawer and lights one up. They do not finish that problem well 86.
Chick and his mother keep on their side. They say everything to convince that they are in the right side. Both of them think that they are in the right side. In the
conflict between Chick and his mother, Chick wins the conflict. His mother does not punish him. She does not even take the cigarette from his drawer. His mother can
only cry in her room.
b. Between Chick and His Ex-Wife, Catherine
The second zero-sum conflict is between Chick Benetto and Catherine. After receiving a letter from his daughter, Chick feels disappointed. The letter says that his
43
daughter has already been married. She does not invite Chick to her wedding. He wants to ask the reason. Therefore, he calls his ex-wife at her working place. Chick
feels angry. They fight on the phone. His ex-wife is annoyed with Chick because he asks her to tell the reason. He even blames her because he is not invited. He says that
she cannot stand for him. In that case, it is not her idea for not inviting Chick to the wedding. It is other people’s idea. His ex-wife defends herself by saying that it is
complicated because the family of their daughter’s husband also takes part in the wedding party 9-10.
Chick becomes more annoying in that conversation. He even asks his ex-wife whether she goes with someone or not. His ex-wife does not like that question.
However, Chick keeps thinking that she goes with someone. He feels lonelier than before. He feels lonely because everybody leaves him. Therefore, Chick says to
Catherine that he will go somewhere. However, He does not answer when his ex-wife asks him where he will go. He hangs up the phone 10.
In this conflict, Chick tries to get the reason. However, he does not get the reason for not being invited. His ex-wife does not give a good reason for him. For his ex-
wife, she cannot convince that it is not her idea. She also does not know where Chick will go. Each side gives their argument to get what they want.
c. Between Chick and His Sister, Roberta
After Chick parents’ divorce, his mother is not married to someone. Chick’s sister, Roberta, says that their mother should get married. She thinks that their mother
is still pretty. She thinks that their mother deserves a new husband. However, Chick
44
does not agree with her. Chick forces her to tell whether their mother has a boyfriend or not. However, Roberta does not tell the truth. He thinks that his mother cannot
marry someone else except his father. He thinks that nobody wants to marry her. They argue about that. Roberta is annoyed because his father does not show up. She
thinks that it is fine for her mother to get married again. Hence, Chick ends the conversation. He does not want to discuss about it 126-127.
In this conflict, both sides keep in their opinion. Chick and his sister defend their opinion to get what they want. Chick keeps thinking that his mother should not get
married. He thinks that nobody can replace his father’s position. Nobody is allowed to marry his mother except his father. He keeps forcing his sister telling the truth
about their mother’s boyfriend. On the other hand, Chick sister thinks that their mother should get married. She thinks that their mother is still pretty. In addition,
their father never shows up. She even does not know where their father is. She keeps silent about their mother’s boyfriend. She does not tell anything to Chick. Chick
finally does not want to discuss it anymore. They stop arguing before finding the best solution.
C. The Resolutions to Chick’s Benetto’s Conflicts
In finishing his conflicts, Chick Benetto uses two types of resolution. He uses accommodation
and avoiding
types. According
to Isenhart
and Spangle,
accommodation is type of conflict resolution where one party sacrifices their interests
