Claudia and Ben THE DESCRIPTION

3. THE DESCRIPTION

3.1 Claudia and Ben

As human being, everybody has a sense of parenthood and has a baby. Baby is a gift from God that is very craving by everybody. But in fact, there are some people who don’t want to have a baby in their family. Not because they don’t like or can’t give an affection but the fear of change and the fear of decline their career. That’s one of the factor of someone to make a commitment not to have a baby. It happens to Claudia, she is a career woman that works as a editor publishing in Manhattan. But it doesn’t like the other woman, she never wanted to be a mother. Even when she was a little girl, playing a plastic dolls and pretend to be a good Aunt Claudia but honestly she really doesn’t like that. As written as follow, I never wanted to be a mother. Even when I was a litle girl. Playing dolls with my two sisters, I assumed the role of the good Aunt Claudia. I would bathe and diaper and cradle their plastic babies and then be on my way, on to more exciting pursuits in the backyard or basement. Giffin,2007:1 Although Claudia never wanted a baby, it doesn’t mean that Claudia never makes a relationship with a boy. When she was in senior high school, she fall in love with her schoolmate, Charlie. But baby is one of the reason that makes their relationship broke. Charlie wanted a baby and Claudia does not want to have a baby “When Charlie asked me how many children I wanted, I report firm “zero”. Universitas Sumatera Utara Everything looks usual, Claudia hopes that she can find a man that has same thought with her. And then she meets with Ben; on a blind date orchestrated by their mutual friends, Ray and Annie. Claudia fell comfortable with Ben and she can learn and share her felling about children “Then I met Bet. Beautiful, kind, funny Ben who seemed way too good to be true, especially after I learned that actually shared my felling on children” Ben and Claudia quickly discovered that they had a lot more in common than their view on children and a lot more binding them together than their crazy chemistry. It is not just the same thought about children, they also have similar background of their life; they both grew up in New York with two sisters and parents who divorced late in the game. Moreover, they are both hardworking, high achievers who were passionate about their careers and also they both have same hobbies, like watch a movie, travelling, reading the paper in bed and drinking coffee into the evening hours.“We had a similar background. . .” Their relationship closer after seven months later on their anniversary. They also had exchanged the vows. It makes Claudia really sure about her felling and nothing would ever change her felling to Ben “. . .Nothing would ever change, except the addition of wrinkles and gray hair and sweet satisfying memories” Then they decide to get married and of course the subject of children surfaced often during their newlywed. They try to expalain their plans to their family “We’re not going to have a children,” one of us would mater of factly reply... “ and the final recurrent motif was the whole, “Who is going to take care Universitas Sumatera Utara of you when you’re old?”. Ben and Claudia would say “Each other” and Claudia stated that “The children are no guarantee of anything, you could have a kid who grows into a selfish”. But over the time, they learned to keep quite on their subject not to have a baby. It was so much easier for them, they would simply exchange a knowing glance and discuss about their future. They were annoyed by the narrow minded assumption that children were a given, but at the same time they enjoyed the underlying smugness that came from being apart of a child free union.. Then about two years into their marriage, something changed. Suddenly Ben has a desire to have a baby. Ben became over interested in the progress of Annie’s pregnancycy. He admired the ultrasound photos, even taping one to their refrigerator “.... Ben became all too interested in the progress of Annie’s pregnancy...” Ben really does not know about his feelings and why he suddenly wants to be a father also has a baby after all. But it’s not the same with Claudia, she just tries to stay calm as she delivered eloquent speech and told to Ben that all of that parenthood stuff wasn’t who they are and Ben can’t have both. It can be seen in the following dialogue, “I don’t know how to say this, Ben said, his voice cracking. “So I’ll just come out with it” I nodded, feeling queasy. “Go ahead” think I might want kids after all.” “You scared me.” I laughed. “I’m serious Claudia. I don’t know it’s just this feeling I have, “Ben said, making a first over his heart Giffin, 2007:15 Someday on Saturday afternoon, Ben points to a little girl on the street that looks like Claudia. Ben hopes that if they have a daughter, she certain looks like Universitas Sumatera Utara Claudia. Ben tries to tell it to Claudia, but Claudia can’t say anything. “She looks like you, If we had a daughter, she’d look like that” and Claudia just give him a look. Ben keeps trying to give understanding to Claudia about his feeling to have a baby, he said that baby will change their life for the better life and a pregnant women are more beautiful, but Claudia tell to Ben that she does not want to be pregnant. Ben also suggests Claudia to adopt a baby whereas Claudia does not think that is the good idea. Finally Ben defers to Claudia, he thinks that they don’t have to have a baby immediately, he does not need to have one now and they can wait a view years to do this, This situation makes Claudia more confused, she doesn’t know what should she does and still holding on to her commitment not to have a baby although Ben begs to her. Claudia is afraid that baby will impact her career cause Claudia really loves her career and has no time to take care the baby. But Ben ever told to her that he can stay at home for a while to take care baby or they can hire a nanny, so Claudia does not have to quit her job and it’s not make Claudia wants to be a mother and have a baby “I told you, I can stay at home for a while. Or we can hire a nanny. You don’t have to quit your job. You don’t even have to go part time. There are a lots of working moms bout there, you can have both.” But it’s not the same with Claudia, she doesn’t want at all. She stays on her commitment not to have a baby although Ben always told to Claudia that she would be an awesome mother. Universitas Sumatera Utara Now, they wanted different things, Ben wants a baby and Claudia still stays with her commitment not to have a baby. This problem make them always clash with each other and seems like there is no love between them. “...He said, fuck you, Claudia.” “No, fuck you Ben” said Claudia. Claudia feels confused, disappointed also sick when everyone assuming that she has to have a baby to be happy “I’m just so sick of everyone assuming that you have to have kids to be happy. I thought Ben was different, but he’s just like everyone else. He totally bait and switched me.” Nobody can understand about her feeling why she never wanted a baby and she never think that Ben can changed like that. It’s hard to Claudia to choose whether she still be Ben’s wife or getting divorced with Ben. The next day, Claudia decides to meet her lawyer Nina Raden to tell her that she is getting divorced and Claudia insists that there isn’t another woman in Ben’s life. Then Claudia tells her that she just wants her personal property Day by day they spent as usual, but there is a change cause they are in getting divorced. When they have a lunch, they make a little conversation that is different as usual if they have conversation, Claudia ask Ben about how about his family feeling about them. Ben just stays calm and said that he has told them they were having problems “I told them we were having problems,” he says. “Did you tell them the nature of our problem? So now they all think I’m a cold bitch? I ask. “Nobody thinks anything bad about you” he says. Ben didn’t tell them the nature of their problem because Ben don’t want make his family worried to them. Universitas Sumatera Utara After analyzing this description, it is found that the strong of Claudia’s commitment not to have a baby is a guideline of life held by Claudia so far. Not because she doesn’t like children, but the fear of change and the fear of failed to be a good mother that make Claudia never wanted a baby. It’s hard to Claudia to choose whether she is ready to have a baby or getting divorced with Ben. It seems that Claudia is a selfish woman that willing divorced with her husband only for a commitment

3.2 The Collapse of Claudia’s Commitment Not to Have a Baby