are so many toys, so many entertaining places, funny clown etc. Chick is very thirsty because he plays everywhere and it makes him tired. Posey supports her
son to become more confident when she asks Chick to drink water in a fountain. Here Chick actually is still frightened to get the water by himself but his mother
strengthens him to drink water as many as he needs. Another Chick’s memory of his childhood with his mother is when he
enters kindergarten. At this time, he is so afraid to be left by his mother. He is crying and asks his mother not to leave him alone. He thinks that if his mother
leaves he will lose his mother. Then Posey supports her child by giving advice that he will never lose his mother. Posey also gives a letter to be a replacement of
her absence. She wiped my eyes with a tissue from her purse, then hugged me good
bye. I can still see her walking backward, blowing me kisses, her lips painted in red Revlon, her hair swept up above her ears. I waved good-bye
with the letter. It didn’t occur to her, I guess that I was just starting school and didn’t know how to read. That was my mother. It was the thought that
counted Albom 28.
Furthermore, during her son’s childhood, Posey always tells Chick about
this and that. She wants Chick obeys her rules. Chick thinks that his mother is a nag. He does not want to be over-controlled by his mother. He wants to be more
autonomy without his mother’s rules. Chick thinks that, “…. For most of my childhood I considered her a nag. Was I wearing my galoshes? Did I have my
jacket? Did I finish my schoolwork? Why my pants were ripped Albom 29.”
4.3.1.2 Three to Six Years
The advice, criticism, opportunity and initiative create the sense of initiative versus guilt. Here, the role of Posey is the one who reminds Chick about
anything important for him. However, this role affects Chick’s personality because he will develop the sense of guilt if he cannot follow the role model. On
the other hand, Chick’s father does the same by forcing Chick to choose whether he wants to be “mama’s boy” or “daddy’s boy”. Chick says, “My father once told
me, “You can be a mama boy’s or a daddy boy. But you can’t be both Albom 21.”
For Chick, this is absolutely a confusion to choose between those options. Finally Chick chooses to be a “daddy’s boy” because he thinks that this is the
nature law that a boy should be with his father and a girl should follow her mother. As a consequence, Chick imitates all the deeds his father does even he
does not have a real motivation on it. Then, he also thinks that he should be in his father team in every occasion. For example, he tries not to take care if his mother
makes a joke. Although the joke is considered so funny for him, he does not want to laugh because if he laughs he thinks that it will be a sign of betrayal for his
father. “I wanted to laugh – especially when she said “fig” – but since my father wasn’t participating, laughter felt like a betrayal Albom 46.”
Actually, Chick sees that being one’s team in a family is a bad idea but he is too late to recognize it. He understands it after his adult. Since he is only a child
at that time, he knows nothing about it. He says, “In retrospect, I should have
made more of the fact that one was leaning toward me and the other was leaning away. But I was kid, and what do kids know Albom 30.”
4.3.1.3 Six Years to Puberty
The name of this stage is industry versus inferiority. When Chick Benetto is in nine years old, he has an experience to face a librarian who does not want to
let him borrow a book. The librarian thinks that Chick is too young to read the book. Chick knows this with his statement. “The librarian studies me. My shirt is
untucked and one shoe is untied Albom 51.” Here, the librarian lady considers that the book is too hard for Chick. Chick accepts it and changes the book into
another book which actually has been read before. It can happen because at the age of six until puberty, children want to
acquire skills and perform works in the form of becoming educated and supporting the family in order to feel competent and attain sense of achievement
Bukatko 26. Children will listen to the teacher, headmaster or older persons’ advice and support. He gains the feeling of being industrious by finishing all of
the works or skills demanded by teacher or other persons in the school. Meanwhile, he can gain inferiority if somebody who has more power prohibits
them doing something. However, Chick’s mother can stand for him. She comes to the librarian
and tells that her deed is wrong. Children need to be appreciated by allowing them to do something. She helps Chick to fix the inferiority feeling.
