While at first glance the characters, settings, and difficulties faced in Judith Guest’s Ordinary People seem mundane and commonplace, the novel’s subtext, about a psychological battle against the self, transforms this “ordinary” WASP family into an extraordinary family in despair. Conrad, the protagonist, and son of Beth and Calvin, returns from the hospital and prepares for his first day of school since his suicide attempt, which was fueled by his immense guilt over the death of his brother, Buck. While preparing breakfast for everyone, Beth comments on Conrad's clothes, stating to Calvin, “Decency is out, chaos is in”. This quote illustrates the terribile relationship between Beth and Conrad, while additionally foreshadowing Conrad’s
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Before his sessions with Berger, Conrad was “polite and well mannered”; however, in an argument with Beth, Conrad allows a look of “utter fury” to come over him as he yells and curses at his mother. Similarly, after a swim meet, Conrad gets into an argument with his former friend and teammate, Stillman. However, unlike before, he repeatedly punches Stillman allowing “a sweet rush of endless ecstasy” to wash over his superego. While it may appear that Conrad is losing control in these instances, this is in fact when he is the most freed from his superego. Conrad’s ultimate triumph over his superego comes when he discovered that his friend from the hospital, Karen, has committed suicide. In the ensuing hours upon the discovery, Conrad’s “body feels nothing” and he is “numb with pain”. This is the closest time he has gotten to attempting suicide since he left the hospital. It is with the immediate help of Berger, and Conrad’s acknowledgment that he should not feel guilty for Buck’s death, that he is able to survive the punishments of the superego, and gain control over his life. Ultimately, this quote allows the reader to see further into the relationship between Beth and Conrad, and to understand the difficulty of Conrad’s struggle in letting his id and ego take control over his superego and his
Before his sessions with Berger, Conrad was “polite and well mannered”; however, in an argument with Beth, Conrad allows a look of “utter fury” to come over him as he yells and curses at his mother. Similarly, after a swim meet, Conrad gets into an argument with his former friend and teammate, Stillman. However, unlike before, he repeatedly punches Stillman allowing “a sweet rush of endless ecstasy” to wash over his superego. While it may appear that Conrad is losing control in these instances, this is in fact when he is the most freed from his superego. Conrad’s ultimate triumph over his superego comes when he discovered that his friend from the hospital, Karen, has committed suicide. In the ensuing hours upon the discovery, Conrad’s “body feels nothing” and he is “numb with pain”. This is the closest time he has gotten to attempting suicide since he left the hospital. It is with the immediate help of Berger, and Conrad’s acknowledgment that he should not feel guilty for Buck’s death, that he is able to survive the punishments of the superego, and gain control over his life. Ultimately, this quote allows the reader to see further into the relationship between Beth and Conrad, and to understand the difficulty of Conrad’s struggle in letting his id and ego take control over his superego and his