Ordinary people 2

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In Ordinary people, Judith Guest writes about the happenings of the Jarrett family and Conrad there younger son. The death of the elder son and the attempted suicide of Conrad show the struggles that ordinary families go through, and the themes of family and friendship are universal in all societies. Death and depression present a dilemma for the family, as the members are unable to cope with these two events. The circumstances of the events also lead to conflict as the Jarrett’s later divorce because the mother views Calvin as being overly sensitive to Conrad and also neglecting her. Similarly, the death of Buck triggers depressive emotions in Conrad who is unable to cope with the loss of the brother, to the extent of quitting the sport of swimming. This is paper explores the use of change and contrast in the novel’s plot, it also focuses on anxiety.
In the development of the plot Guest uses contrast to lay emphasis. The Jarrets live in a nice neighborhood where Conrad is a successful tax attorney, and the mother engages in golf. In these circumstances it is expected that the family were happy, but in reality there were hidden tensions in the family. The family backgrounds of the characters expose their fears as the death of Buck triggers tension in the family. Even though, the family appeared to live a blissful life they had different outlooks in life. This contrasts to the notion that achieving the American Dream also comes with happiness. Beth the mother appears to have great affection for Buck, but she ignores Conrad’s worries. On the other hand, Calvin undertook steps to help Conrad to get over his psychological problems and had no preference for any of his sons.
Throughout the novel the characters change there behaviors following the two tragic events. Though, Conrad appears not to be outgoing like his brother, he becomes more withdrawn to the extent of cutting his wrists. These interrelated events also cause changes as the mother becomes distant from both her husband and son. On the contrary, the relationship between Conrad and Calvin blossoms as Conrad begins to confront his fears. Additionally, Conrad must restore relationships with his peers and parents after his suicide attempt to avoid further miscommunication. “His old self. That is the image that must be dispelled. Another piece of advice from the all powerful Dr. Crawford, Keeper of the Gate. “Don’t expect him to be the same person he was before,” (Guest 12).
Anxiety haunts Conrad the protagonist of the story who has anxious moments from the moment that his brother died in a boating accident. His negative thoughts lead to suicidal tendencies as he continually questions the value of life. To Conrad, th...