I wrote about the novel Ordinary people by Judith Guest. In this paper, I will try to explain how can tragic events impact others lifes and their stability. We will talk about that in two aspects: What happened? and What followed?. Our main character in this book is 17 years old Conrad Keith Jarrett. Book begins in the moment, when he wakes up on the first school day after his return home.
The main event happened approximately a year before the beginning of the book. Conrads older brother Jordan Buck Jarrett drowned in lake during sailing with his brother. Later in the book, Con has flashbacks to his dark moments. One of them is the moment of his brother drowning: Unforgivable. It is unforgivable. They wrestle with the boat together, the sails snapping like a rifle cracks in the wind Get it down! Get the goddamn sail down! (pg. 217) Storm tipped over their boat and although Jordan was the better swimmer, he drowned. Conrad blames himself for his death and that is the moment when he encounters his first big instability or problem.
He mires into depressions and he tries to commit suicide by cutting himself. His attempt is unsuccessful and he goes to a hospital. He is in a hospital for several months (specifically eight). He meets a few new people there, but there is one girl more important than the others. Karen Aldrich. She tried to off herself as well. She leaves the hospital three months before Conrad. He sees her as a role for his own successful recovery so he is really shocked when he reads about her suicide in the newspaper: Girl Take Own Life. Oh, god. He skips the middle of it. carbon monoxide poisoning nineteen-year-old Skokie girl dead in her car. He goes back to the beginning of the article. Karen Susan Aldrich of 3133 Celeste, Skokie, Illinois dead on arrival of Skokie General Hospital. (pg. 210).
The second major problem for Con is everybody else. And that is from one simple reason everybody treats him very carefully and prudently. Teachers offer him assignment extensions, or easier courses. His English teacher, Miss Mellon, said to him: I dont want you to feel pressured about this report she says Do you want an extension? No. Youre sure? Theres no need to push yourself. Wrong. There is a need. To regain his spot on the swim team, to get back into choir again, there are no choices at all, just endless motion. (pg. 18-19) Or they lost interest of him. On page 19 we can read what he thinks about the other teachers: Mr. Raymond doesnt like him anymore. Why? They hardly knew each other before. And Mr. Simmons, his college algebra/trig teacher, is embarrassed; wont look at him at all. Well, though. So what? They can all go to hell, he doesnt care. (pg.19)
In overall, I would say that it is really bad to have tragedy, like your older brother dying, in the family. But we can still overcome that and be happy again. Conrad is a perfect example. He loses, he falls into depressions, he recovers, he loves and then, after all that bad things that happened, he is happy again. And after all, his relationship with Dad greatly improves, but his Mom leaves them and she moves away.
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