Ordinary People is a novel which tells the story of the Jarrett family, who are having a difficult time coping with the death of their oldest son Buck the year before. Their other son, Conrad, is severely depressed and having trouble relating to his parents. When both Conrad and his father Calvin begin seeing a psychiatrist, they are able to resolve their issues with themselves and with each other. Conrad's mother Beth is ultimately unable to do the same, and leaves the family.
Loss and the different ways people deal with it are a major theme of Ordinary People . Conrad loses not only his brother but a good portion of his then-self when Buck dies. His father finds himself re-examining his life and seeing it more the result of random chance and accident than any ability on his part. Beth tries to control it like everything else in her life. She and Conrad were, Calvin notes, the only people not to cry at Buck's funeral.
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