Example of the same deliberate choice again and again?

October 15, 2021 10:09 AM

Looking for an example from a book, movie or tv show where a character repeatedly deliberates about which action to perform, and each time makes the same choice. So, every Friday after school Suzy's dad takes her out for ice cream and Suzy looks carefully at all the flavors to decide which one to have. And each time, she chooses chocolate.

It's important that each time, there is real deliberation, rather than the person habitually performing the same action (ordering chocolate every Friday out of habit). The less fantastical (no time travel or cyclical universes), the more realistic the example, the better! Examples from any media type welcome, ideally from something well known.

posted by jebs to Media & Arts (10 answers total)

The next morning Mrs. Welsch asked, 'Wouldn't you like to try a ham sandwich, or egg salad, or peanut butter?' Her mother looked quizzically at Harriet while the cook stood next to the table looking enraged.

'Tomato,' said Harriet, not even looking up from the book she was reading at breakfast.

'Stop reading at the table.' Harriet put the book down. 'Listen, Harriet, you've taken a tomato sandwich to school every day for five years. Don't you get tired of them?'

'No.'

'How about cream cheese and olive?'

Harriet shook her head. The cook threw up one arm in despair.

'Pastrami? Roast beef? Cucumber?'

'Tomato.'

Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy
posted by praemunire at 10:22 AM on October 15, 2021 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Charlie Brown choosing to try to kick Lucy's football.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 10:40 AM on October 15, 2021 [19 favorites]

I suppose the classic example is Hamlet, where a large part of the play is Hamlet really pondering at length whether to fulfill the ghost's command, and each time he reaches some variation of the same decision -- "not quite yet".
posted by traveler_ at 10:43 AM on October 15, 2021

Matchstick Men Synopsis and trailer, directed by Ridley Scott
posted by effluvia at 11:28 AM on October 15, 2021

Your description made me think of beloved kids book Bread and Jam for Frances although (spoiler alert!) after explaining her preferences and making consistent choices many times, Frances does ... move on.
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 11:46 AM on October 15, 2021 [8 favorites]

This reminds me of Bread and Jam for Frances, though I’m not sure it’s an exact fit.
posted by Carouselle at 11:46 AM on October 15, 2021 [4 favorites]

Was also totally about to post Bread and Jam For Frances.
posted by johngoren at 12:43 PM on October 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

Kourtney Kardashian picks John Mayer on the Ellen Show. It's become a famous tik tok sound now with a bunch of other examples.
posted by airplant at 12:39 PM on October 16, 2021

Response by poster: Thanks for these great suggestions!

I think the Charlie Brown one works perfectly. The sort of case I need is one where the person doesn't know what they will do, but others think they do, based on past choices. So Charlie Brown doesn't know if he will kick the football again, but we all know that he will!
posted by jebs at 1:55 AM on October 17, 2021

The Netflix show "Maid" about a woman who is abused going back to her abusive spouse and enabling her carefree mother.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:00 AM on October 18, 2021