Pam is a resident of Pelican Town in Stardew Valley and a regular at the saloon. She has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, which causes a rift between her and her daughter, Penny. Though the player can do a few things to help the family, there are still some glaring issues that Pam needs to work through herself.

In Stardew Valley, Pam is one of the few residents in Pelican Town that go to the saloon to drink alcohol nearly every night. And though she’s generally pleasant to talk to, her dialogue lines reveal her regrets. Meanwhile, one of Penny’s Heart Events showcases the two’s rocky relationship.

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Pam, Alcohol, and Her Relationships in Stardew Valley

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Pam has one of the most straightforward NPC schedules in Stardew Valley. She leaves her trailer to go to work — whether it’s at Joja Mart or the bus stop — then heads to the saloon to drink until midnight. The only deviation to this occurs on Spring 25, when she goes to the clinic for her annual checkup. After that, she heads straight to the saloon, as usual.

Pam drinks so often, in fact, that it’s affecting Gus’ business. If the Stardew Valley player befriends Gus, he will admit in his Four-Heart event that the saloon is struggling financially. This is mostly because Pam isn’t paying for her drinks, but Gus is too afraid to confront her because he sees her as a friend. Luckily, the player can get Pam to pay her tab by choosing the right dialogue option during the event.

This reliance on alcohol has a negative effect on Pam’s relationship with her daughter. The player can experience this firsthand in Penny’s Four-Heart Event. Should the player enter the trailer while Penny is there, she’ll apologize for the mess and explain that she’s about to clean up. The player will then offer to help her, to which, Penny happily accepts.

In the middle of cleaning, Pam will enter the trailer and explode at Penny, telling her that she already had everything the way she liked it. The situation then escalates to a full-blown argument where Penny notices that Pam has been drinking again and accuses her of being selfish. Pam then retorts that Penny is being ungrateful because it was her who put a roof over Penny’s head. The two then stop, realizing that the player is still in the trailer with them. Pam sends them on their way before telling Penny not to let others clean up her house because it’s embarrassing.

Pam’s Internal Struggle

left: player giving pam a gift; right: Pam's smiling portrait

Despite her usual nonchalance, Pam isn’t happy with how things are. She looks down on herself as evidenced by her dialogue lines, such as, “I had hopes and dreams like you, once... But look at me now.” It suggests that Pam thinks it’s too late for her to improve her life, though this isn’t the case as Stardew Valley allows the player to get Pam her job as a bus driver to Calico Desert back. The game even allows them to build her a new house to replace the old trailer.

It's also clear that Pam does care about Penny. She has lines where she tells the player to treat Penny kindly because she’s the only one Pam has left, especially after the player marries Penny. She also comments that she’s happy Penny is smarter than her and that she wishes Penny to have a good life. While this doesn’t excuse her treatment of her daughter, it does show that Pam’s heart is in the right place. It’s just that her actions don’t translate.

With all that said, the only way for Pam to turn things around is if she confronts her issues head-on, instead of burying them in alcohol. The player can only make Pam and Penny’s lives easier through material wealth, but Pam needs to make a conscious effort to change if she wants to better her relationship with her daughter. Whether that will ever happen is the big question.

Stardew Valley is available on Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

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