Background of the Study
2 secure feeling for the family. It builds up images about a father, who is firm,
responsible, discipline and tactful. Meanwhile, a mother has the other characteristics, which are caring, loving, and affectionate. Both parents complete each other and a
child should have both models to imitate in their personal life. However, it is common for children to have closer relationship to his mother
or his father. They tend to choose the one whom they feel more comfortable with, the one who loves them more than the other one and the one who can still stay by their
sides whether they have done the best thing or the worst thing. Somehow, in this case, there is a difference between mother’s love and father’s love.
Pieper says that maternal love does not have to be “earned” and there is nothing anyone can do to lose it 115. A father, on the contrary, tends to set
conditions; his love has to be earned. A mother loves her children unconditionally because it relates to her deepest longings of children. The time when the mother is
pregnant also makes the relationship between the mother and children even stronger. This makes a mother easy to express her affection to the children, while a father, as a
man, tends to be clumsy in expressing his love and emotion even to his children. In Personality Development, Hurlock says that if a man feels that overt expressions of
affection for his children, especially his sons, are unmasculine, the children are likely to interpret this to mean lack of interest or love Hurlock 358. By this kind of
condition, family is the first place for children to learn some patterns about love, affection, loyalty in their personal life as well as conflict.
Human life and conflicts are inseparable. People must have their own conflicts in life since sometimes what they want is not something that they expect to
3 be. According to Redman in A Second Book of Play conflict is the struggle between
two opposing forces, ideas, or beliefs, which are the basis of the plot Redman 363. There are two kinds of conflicts, external and internal conflicts. External conflict
refers to a struggle between the protagonist and an outside force, for example conflicts that occur between a person and his family. Meanwhile, internal conflict
refers to a struggle within the heart and mind of the protagonist, for example conflict that happen in a son’s heart whether he has to obey his mother’s rule or his father’s
rule. The conflict is resolved when one force, usually the protagonist, succeeds or fails in overcoming the opposing force. Conflicts have a significant role in
someone’s personal life because she can learn something by experiencing conflicts in herhis life.
Novels, poems, and dramas are some examples of literary works that portray such personal life experiences. Novel is one of the literary works that sets up the
readers to the situation which might happen in the real life. Novel consists of some elements to build the story, such as plot, character and characterization, setting,
theme, and conflicts. Conflicts can make the story of the novel more interesting. Besides, we can gain the moral lessons and life experiences through conflicts.
For One More Day by Mitch Albom 2006 is an example of novel that depicts such conflicts which might happen in everyone’s personal life. It is a novel
which tells us about intra-personal conflicts experienced by a son who is always forced to choose whether he wants to stay in his daddy’s side or his mommy’s side
by his father. Chick Benetto, the major character in this novel, is the oldest and the only son in the family. He decides to be a daddy’s boy in his early age. He imitates
4 most of his father actions and habits. He follows his father’s decisions for him
although sometimes he realizes that his mother’s decisions are much better for him. Even, he sometimes feels that he betrays his father if he does something nicely to his
own mother. As he grows up, his father leaves the family without any reasons that Chick
and his sister can understand. While the father is away, Chick’s mother tries hard to fill up the missing parts. She tries to make everything perfect for her beloved
children. She tries to complete everything without letting the children know what actually happens and what their father has done to the family. Until one time in
Chick’s adulthood when he is almost successful in living without his father’s presence anymore his father comes back into his life. He ruins Chick’s life by giving
some difficult choices for Chick to choose. Once, Chick fails to make a good decision and because of it he is depressed. In that time, his father also leaves him and
Chick has just realized that he has made a big mistake in his life. Those conflicts and events which happen to Chick influence his personal life.
This novel is interesting to discuss since the conflicts represented in the story are quite fundamental and might happen in everyone’s personal life. The conflicts in
this novel also show the examples of parental love and relationship in the family.