Free College Essays - Hardships in Ordinary People

Ordinary People - Hardships

The theme of Ordinary People can be said best in the words of Honi Werner, " Some things cannot be foreseen or understood or blamed on anyone- they can just be endured. Love, openly shared, is the only thing one can count on to give them strength for that endurance.” Ordinary People gives a wonderful example of real life and addresses many internal conflicts. This story about a boy's recovery after his brother's death is extremely engrossing and captivating. Throughout the entire book the reader is gradually and constantly exposed to aspects of each character's personality.

The characters are extremely well developed and very enthralling. Conrad is the most complex character. Guest did a wonderful job revealing that complexity clearly. I also enjoyed the various internal conflicts that were faced. Conrad was faced with many conflicts including; dealing with his parents and friends, forgiving himself as well as others for his brother's death, and allowing himself to express emotion. These conflicts made me look carefully at some of my own problems. This book is definitely made to make people think and not simply to entertain though it accomplishes both successfully. There were few aspects of the story that I disliked. At first I was not pleased with the ending because I felt that it had no resolution. Later, I realized that Ordinary People had quite a powerful ending. I do, however, think that Guest could have given a little more background on the family and written in a way that would make it easier to understand who was speaking. This book would not be liked and appreciated by all. Most people, however, would enjoy it because it is realistic and relative to most people's lives. This book was definitely written for a mature audience that enjoys reading about real-life circumstances. This novel makes a wonderful movie that is both powerful and sorrowful. Timothy Hutton won an Oscar for his portrayal of Conrad Jarrett. I would certainly read this book again. There are so many hidden meanings and themes that I think one would discover new insights each reading. Ordinary People is humorous, entertaining, well written and very moving. Conrad is an accurate depiction of a teenager of that time. This story makes the reader appreciate life and realize that no matter how much he wants to escape his problems and feelings, he can not run away from himself.