Ordinary People Character Analysis Essay

has been almost three decades since the release of Ordinary people and it still remains one of the most well-written movies not only from an entertaining but also from a psychological perspective. Ordinary People is a 1980 American drama film that marked the directorial debut of actor Robert Redford. The movie won several Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay), Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor (Timothy Hutton). The film has also attracted much critical acclaim. Ordinary People is the story of an upper middle-class family living in Illinois dealing with the loss of their oldest son, Buck. The movie is adapted from the novel of the same name by Judith Guest. It realistically depicts family dynamics, posttraumatic

Conrad, the leading character in the drama Ordinary People, suffers from emotional crisis caused by the death of his older brother in a boat accident. Conrad believes that he is somehow responsible for this accident, and lives under the burden of guilt and depression. As a result, Conard often sees himself as unstable, outcast, and lost. As he recognizes it during one of his conversations with his doctor, he notices that other people see him as “a dangerous character”, and so he wants become more incontrol. Given his emotional disorders which were extreme enough for him to attempt suicide, his self-concept of ‘unstable’ is understandable.

The novel Ordinary People, by Judith Guest is a touching and admirable story told from two similar however slightly different characters. The story is so touching due to all the emotions and everyday struggles on one seemingly ordinary family. The Jarret family, Conrad, Calvin and Beth, face anxiety, deep depression and growth as a unit throughout the book while different events in each character’s life that affects them differently. By telling the story from two different perspectives, a reader may conclude that Calvin and Beth both withhold many similarities, although they come off as completely opposite characters. Calvin can not help but feel guilt for the death of their oldest son’s death while Beth copes differently and shows no emotion.

First, Conrad lost his brother to a boating accident and then Conrad felt as if he needed to replace his brother’s role in life. “The justice, obviously, is for the not-so-perfect kid to become that other, perfect kid. For everybody. For his parents and his grandparents, his friends, and, most of all, himself. Only, that is one hell of a burden, see?

Since Buck, Conrad’s brother, is dead, Conrad is feeling depressed seeing that the house is more empty now that Buck is gone. Conrad also shows deep depression in school when his teacher questions him asking, “Why are you writing all this about violence and war? Aren’t there other things you’d like to say, Conrad? This doesn’t sound like you.” (Guest 19).

He becomes very lost. He even tries to take his own life because of this feeling. He later goes to attend a mental institution for eight months. He later leaves and in there it made him realize that he has become a different person. The old meaning of normality no longer applies to him.

This 1980 film portrays the accidental death of the older son of an affluent family, that deeply strains the relationships between a bitter mother, good-natured father, and the guilt ridden younger son (IMDb, 1990). It is crucial to acknowledge the behaviors within the family after this traumatic event occurs. The younger son, Conrad, shows his progress throughout the therapeutic process, while his mother copes by deeply burying her feelings. Conrad lives under a cloud of guilt after his brother drowns, and cannot shake the belief that he should have died instead of his brother (Rotten Tomatoes). This film demonstrates multiple DSM-5 diagnoses in Conrad as well.

In contrast, Ordinary People setting and story are similar to everyday life. Conrad’s rebellion is more understanding and can be reached on an emotional level for most

The movie ordinary people is describing a family who is having trouble trying to function with each other normally after losing their son and brother Buck to a boat accident. Buck was the reason that the family was sticking together and were functioning more normally than ever. They would be more connected by talking a lot with each other, doing family activities together, laughing and smiling all the time with each other. Then after that it changed them completely which left them being bitter, depressed, and even having lots of flashbacks of their pasts. Like how Conrad tried to commit suicide because of the lost, which he was lucky enough to survive from that. And also that his parents split up afterwards, because they couldn’t communicate

Beth suppresses the thought that her family has problems, and just wants to think of her family as a normal family. Calvin wants to be the positive character, when in reality, is being silent about his feelings of the incident. First of all, the film shows Conrad expressing examples of silence and violence towards the incident involving his brothers death. As shown in the film, in the past, Conrad had previously tried to commit suicide, because he felt guilty

In the beginning, Conrad is hesitant to call Dr. Berger and when he finally does, he does not want to leave the doctor his number. This is a way of avoiding his problems. Another example is when he goes to see the doctor and Conrad will not tell him anything about what is wrong. Again he is avoiding talking about his feelings and emotions. One example of Conrad showing “violence” is when he barked at his mother to avoid the

She was reading angry at her brother because he destroys the family making the parent suffer emotional and mental. She explains how the brother addiction turns her house outside down with this attitude. However, the brother addiction makes the parents to never give up on him even though his negative behavior toward them. Parents love him unconditional because it was their son. Even though he was not on the best path, they still support him and be on his side because they believe that he can change.

Mark Smith the author of “The Road to Winter” displays that affliction brings out the very finest and least in people. The story is centred the main character Finn. He survived a deadly virus that wiped out his entire town and he has to adapt to a life by himself. Finn lost his family and friends and had to survive on his own. He learnt to kill animals, defend himself and a whole lot more. Suddenly a mystery girl shows up with a secret that changed Finns world. Smith explores the idea that in times of affliction people can become different in the following ways. People ransacking the general store, The villagers not allowing Finn to leave for selfish reasons, Willow being in the care of Kas and Finn and Ramage taking Hope after the death of Rose.

In enduring these complex emotions, this section was the most remarkable part. One of the first apparent emotions the boy experiences with the death of his father is loneliness to make this section memorable. The boy expresses this sentiment when he stays with his father described as, “When he came back he knelt beside his father and held his cold hand and said his name over and over again,” (McCarthy 281). The definition of loneliness is, “sadness because one has no friends or company.”

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” demonstrates the personal growth of the dynamic protagonist Louise Mallard, after hearing news of her husband’s death. The third-person narrator telling the story uses deep insight into Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts and emotions as she sorts through her feelings after her sister informs her of her husband’s death. During a Character analysis of Louise Mallard, a reader will understand that the delicate Mrs. Mallard transforms her grief into excitement over her newly discovered freedom that leads to her death. As Mrs. Mallard sorts through her grief she realizes the importance of this freedom and the strength that she will be able to do it alone.