The final AA meeting (possible spoilers)

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elgatonyc

New Member
Aug 13, 2006
4
10
New York City
Dan is stunned to see that his fellow AAers weren't shocked by his story when he finally tells them about stealing Deenie's money. That, of course, would be underwhelming to anybody. What I wonder is why he left out the REAL reason behind his guilt: that he later discovered that Deenie had ODed and her son brutally murdered just a short time later when he could've called child services. THAT would've had the AAers put down their pizza and offer Dan some much-needed comfort. I'm curious as to why SK felt the need to omit that. Dan could've told the whole story without involving his shining ability.
 

not_nadine

Comfortably Roont
Nov 19, 2011
29,655
139,785
Behind you
Dan is stunned to see that his fellow AAers weren't shocked by his story when he finally tells them about stealing Deenie's money. That, of course, would be underwhelming to anybody. What I wonder is why he left out the REAL reason behind his guilt: that he later discovered that Deenie had ODed and her son brutally murdered just a short time later when he could've called child services. THAT would've had the AAers put down their pizza and offer Dan some much-needed comfort. I'm curious as to why SK felt the need to omit that. Dan could've told the whole story without involving his shining ability.



I could be wrong, but I don't think he knew that for a fact, another Shining moment. Could be true, could not be.
 

ThomasWinter

Member
Jun 2, 2017
15
49
44
...Hiya & Welcome!.....it has been a minute since I read the novel, but I got the notion that he didn't share because of how ashamed he was it had happened-and what a POS others would think he was....

That was his fear throughout the book, but at the end when he reached 15 years of sobriety he decided to finally get it off his chest. He teared up and everything as he was about to tell the story, but then he completely left out them later dying (the baby at the hands of the abusive brother, and the mother by suicide due to that).

I’m confused as to why he omitted that they later died when he could have stopped it. I thought that is what was haunting him more than the $70 he stole. He made it appear as if all he was haunted by was that he took the money. There was no inner monologue about him not being ready to tell them about the deaths.
 
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Dec 27, 2017
13
73
West Coast Canada
That guilt that haunted Dan and the burden of shame he carried and then released at the AA meeting was true to my understanding of trauma and shame. Dan didn't feel the same guilt about the child's death or the Mothers suicide because he wasn't part of that, while he did steal the money and leave the child.

As someone who has professional experience with child protection services, I can tell you one call might not of saved the child.