dream and the interpretation of his dream affects his previous decision. Charley’s decision is shown in the next part.
C. The Effects of Charley’s Dream toward His Decision in Life
1. The Revelation of Charley’s Decisions
Before analyzing the effects of Charley’s dream toward his decision making process, the writer shows the decisions that have been taken by Charley
during his life. The revelation of Charley’s decision leads the writer to analyze the process how he makes his decision.
Actually the writer finds that Charley has made five decisions that can influence his life. The writer does not use all those five decisions. The writer only
uses the last decision to be related to the dream explained before.
When Charley has already got his time to spend with his mother again, he will do everything to keep it with him. He gets a chance to be with his mother
again for one more day to fulfill the love and belongingness needs with his relationship with his mother. This chance happens in his unconscious state. An
accident causes him to experience a day with his mother in his unconsciousness because of coma.
The evidence that the writer finds, shows that Charley really regrets his childhood decision to become daddy’s boy. He meets his regret after knowing the
reason why his father left his family years ago. Across the room, the Italian Woman pulled her bathrobe tighter. She
clasped her hands as if in prayer. Such a strange trio we made, each of u, at some point, longing to be loved by the same man. I could still hear his
words, forcing my decision: mama’s boy or daddy’s boy, Chick? What’s it gonna be?
I made a wrong choice,” I whispered My mother shook her head.
“A child should never have to choose p.188. It is clearly stated that finally Charley considers his fault. The first
decision he made is the biggest fault in his life. Behn and Vaupel say that there are three major complications that can turn a decision into a dilemma. What
Charley decided when he was a child includes in the first major complication. Since he is only a child, he does not know the consequences of his decision yet
1982: 15. He cannot predict the future because he is still too young. He cannot find any alternatives before he decide his decision.
Charley’s faults do not make his mother blame him. She never blames him for what he has done to his mother. His mother shows and of course still loves
him whatever he is now: a disappointing son, a failed father and husband for his family, a drunk and also a desperate person. She keeps standing for her son. She is
there to be the one who finds a way for Charley’s deadlock. She helps her son by giving the answer for all troubles he has, which is forgiveness.
The first decision is become a daddy’s boy p.21. This first decision later is known as the starting point of his desperation and regret. Since he chooses to
become a daddy’s boy, he ignores her mother and her wants. This first decision also has the big contribution in the second decision that Charley made.
After choosing to become a daddy’s boy, Charley’s father leaves his family without any reason. When he is in college and his father comes back to his
life, he makes his second decision that is leaving the college and joining a
baseball game p.131. His second decision is also put Charley in a deeper regret. In his consciousness, he does not know that his mother have to work as a house
cleaner just to pay his college tuition. He knows it in his unconsciousness and he thinks that it has already been late.
The third decision is made on her mother’s birthday. His longing of his father makes him left his mother’s birthday party to play baseball p.161. He lies
to everyone that he has to work. This third decision has the biggest contribution in Charley’s desperation and regret. Charley has to see the fact that his mother was
dead because of a massive heart attack 172. Charley feels sorry for not being beside his mother when she died. He regrets of missing the last moment because
of his decision to fulfill his father’s wish. This third decision is considered as the climax in his life. He becomes a drunk, loses his family and his job. His daughter
kicks him in her wedding. He is not invited to the wedding. It increases his desperation and makes him decides to commit suicide p.11.
After the funeral, I go so drunk I passed out on our couch. And something changed. One day can bend your life, and that day seemed to
bend mine inexorably downward. My mother had been all over me as a kid – advice, criticism, the whole smothering mothering thing. There were
times I wished she would leave me alone.
But then she did. She died. No more visits, no more phone calls. And without even realizing it, I began to drift, as if my roots had been
pulled, as if I were floating down some side branch of a river. Mothers support certain illusions about their children, and one of my illusions was
that I liked who I was, because she did. When she passed away, so did that idea p.4.
His desire to commit suicide is seen as the fourth decision by the writer.
The writer thinks that it is a turning point in Charley’s life. After Charley made his fourth decision, he gets an accident and coma. In his unconsciousness, he
meets his late mother. All the problems or questions in his mind are answered by his mother in his dream. He finds everything explained in his dream p.179. He
also finally realizes that his life is very important to other people and that all of his mistakes can be fixed.
After knowing everything and realizing his mistakes, Charley is going back to his fourth decision. He must think again on that decision. He must make a
choice again. Between his confusion on the last decision, he hears someone calling his name p.191.
“Yes, you were a good mother.” She touched her mouth to hide a grin, and she seemed to fill to bursting.
“Live,” she said. “No, wait –“
“I love you, Charley.” She waved her fingertips, I was crying.
“I’ll lose you…” Her face seemed to float over mine.
“You can’t lose your mother, Charley. I’m right here.” Then a huge flash of light obliterated her image.
“CHARLES BENNETO. CAN YOU HEAR ME?” p.191.
From the quotation above, the writer sees that Charley’s mother wants him to keep alive, but Charley wants to be with his mother. He recalls what he and his
mother done in his dream. Finally he makes his choice that is to keep alive just like what his mother wants. He wakes up from his coma and gains his conscious
p.192. According to Atkinson, decision relies on heuristics that are discovered
and learnt from own experience, such as past experience 1983: 239. From the explanation above, the main character in this novel finds that his past experiences
have a greater role on his decision than relevant information. Charley uses the
heuristic of availability since he always compares what he does now and in the past.
2. Charley’s Decision Making Process
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