Judith Guest's The Ordinary People

Today, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It can be assumed that the reason for suicide would be depression or a mental illness, although it will never be clearly understood when the victim takes the answers with him. However, the individuals who attempt suicide and survive say that dying is a better option then suffering through the pain of living. The novel, The Ordinary People, by Judith Guest is a story that explains the healing process of a teenage boy after a suicide attempt in result of a guilty conscience. The author utilizes the elements of theme, character relationships, and symbols to convey her message. The characteristics of guilt, doubt, and coping are important pieces to the novel, leading the theme of the story to be the process of healing after an unfortunate event. Conrad is not only dealing with the death of his brother that he blames himself for, but his attempt to …show more content…
The author uses colors to symbolize a character’s emotional statues. The two colors of blue and gray are recognized throughout the novel. The color blue is to represent anxiety. The water that Conrad swims in is blue, as well as the water that his brother drowned in. Conrad also sees a girl in the school parking lot that he seems to be interested in, and he introduces her as “A small, neat-looking redhead in a blue skirt…” (16) The first time that Conrad encounters the girl, Jeannie Pratt, in choir class, he is so nervous that he cannot speak. The color gray is to represent depression or failure. When Calvin returns home from the hospital, he is having trouble easing into his daily routine. “Conrad eyes the gray slacks, black turtleneck, gray plaid sports coat.” (56) This helps represent where Conrad is at in his life emotionally, and how he feels about returning home after his suicide