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Life In Judith Guest's Ordinary People

622 Words3 Pages

It is believed that the course of life is determined by the choices that are made throughout it. Life is put into the perspective that it is made up of two paths. The paths are chosen based on the decisions you make. In the book Ordinary People by Judith Guest, an average high school boy, Conrad Jarrett, life changes after a boating accident. Conrad and his brother, Buck, were out at sea boating when a storm hit. The ocean waves grew bigger and were crashing left and right resulting in the boat flipping. The two boys held on for their lives but Buck unfortunately drowned and died. Conrad survived after the tragic boating accident, but it left him wishing he never did. Conrad belonged to the school of thought where his life was determined by free will through his choices. Conrad and Buck were on boat where they were trapped at sea in a storm. Conrad and his brother spent the night fighting for their lives while holding onto the bloat to keep them afloat. Conrad decision to hold onto the boat all night saved his life but unfortunately Bucks was lost. Buck was weak from holding on and did not have hope that they would survive. This thought caused him to let go of the boat and drown. Conrad had more strength and determination which saved his life. But Conrad's after his …show more content…

Conrad would relive the night of the accident in his dreams, which also consists of imaginary conversations with Buck. Conrad felt responsible and guilty for the death of his brother which led to his suicide attempt. After being saved and admitted into a hospital for four months, Conrad was released and sent home. Conrad choose to not kill himself again and continually told himself, “Keep moving, keep busy, everything will fall into place, it always does (Page 3).” Fortunately for Conrad after a few months of meeting with his therapist, Dr. Berger, things did get better for

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He isn’t terribly upset that she’s gone, but he had just wished she said goodbye to him. Conrad realizes when he is waiting for Lazenby that he and Beth will never be the same nor will they ever have a relationship. He will see her when she comes home, maybe drive over to his grandmother’s house some morning, and say hello. Just hello, nothing important.

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Conrad’s statement is extremely important because here he realizes that it didn’t matter how amazing of a person he was, he had no control over what happened on the lake and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He accepts that he wasn’t responsible for his brother’s death, fate was. In contrast, the themes are presented differently because, in Hamlet, hamlet had faith in his fate right from the beginning and he was willing to follow his fate. When he says, “My fate cries out, / And makes each petty artery in this body / As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve.” (Shakespeare, I, IV, 81-83), the audience can see that hamlet does indeed believe that his fate will assist him in his endeavours and he sees it as the flashlight to his darkness.

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