Ordinary People

In her novel, Ordinary People, Judith Guest writes about the Jarretts who try to cope with the loss of a well loved family member. The story is set a year after the death of Jordan Jarrett in Lake Forest, Illinois during the 1970s. Conrad, having tried to commit suicide the year before, tries to pick up the pieces of his life and return to a semblance of normalcy. Beth, a woman who likes to remain in control, believes burying the grief of the past and moving on is the best solution. On the other hand, Calvin wants to address the situation with his family and heal the scars by first trying to understand the pain of others. When Conrad returns from the hospital, Beth and Calvin attempt to help their son recover for different reasons, but the only person who can truly heal Conrad is Conrad himself.

When Calvin displays that he cares about the welfare of his son, his mode of expression gives everyone the impression that he is smothering Conrad. For example, when Conrad and Calvin go out to look for Christmas trees, Calvin is "weightless with joy as he watches while his son assumes the burden of this small decision" (Guest 106). Calvin beams when he notices that Conrad takes the initiative to decide which tree to pick, and he shows signs of independence that are natural in teenage boys. However, it is apparent that the only way Calvin will allow Conrad to recover is in small steps because Calvin fears Conrad overdoing himself. Also, when Calvin is denied the happy go lucky attitude he expects from Conrad after giving him a car for Christmas, he grows depressed and Beth points out, "He's not your little boy. He'll be eighteen years old next month. For some reason, you want to think he needs your constant concern and protection" (128). Calvin wants to hold onto the young boy Conrad used to be instead of letting him grow up. He wants to watch Conrad's every move because he distrusts Conrad's capability of surviving in the real world. Calvin wants to be important to Conrad because once Conrad grows up, he will no longer need to rely on Calvin. Finally, after Beth leaves, the abandonment breaks the ice between father and son, and Calvin says that Conrad was "the one I never worried about" and "that was the problem" but he "wasn't even listening" (257). Calvin admits that he is guilty about neglecting Conrad when he was a child and not looking beyond Conrad's facade of haleness. At last, Calvin reveals that the origin of his desire is to protect his only son. Instead of trying to help Conrad by showing an overwhelming amount of love towards his son, Calvin learns that the best way is by becoming the support Conrad can rely on.

Beth wants to help herself and her family to move on with their lives by forgetting the pain of the past, but inwardly, she believes Conrad is the source of the burden she bears. For example, on their way home from a party, Beth shows her disapproval with Calvin, who discloses to a friend that her son sees a psychiatrist every week: "She pumped you, and you let her do it. You let her drag that stuff out of you, and in front of someone who doesn't even know us" (69). Beth feels that Calvin does not comprehend the gravity of what he has done. Conrad seeing a psychiatrist reveals a flaw in Beth's perfect family, and she is frustrated because her husband allowed strangers to peek into the private matters of her family. Also, Beth recently finds out from a friend that her son has quit the swim team, and she furiously accuses Conrad that his withdrawal from the swim team was aimed at her while also adding, "I wish I knew, Conrad, why it is still so important for you to try to hurt me!" (110). Beth feels a state of paranoia when it comes to what Conrad does. She acts as if she is the only victim, and she interprets Conrad's acts as some indirect method of stabbing her in the back. Lastly, after the end of Calvin's golf tournament, he and Beth again begin arguing about Conrad, and Beth shouts that "mothers don't hate their sons" and that she does not hate him despite the fact that he "makes demands" and "tries to blackmail" her (238). Here, Beth displays the traits of a hypocrite. It is slightly paradoxical that Beth, as a mother, does not hate Conrad who supposedly attempts to exploit