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Ordinary People Conrad Jarrett Character Analysis

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Crisis is a normal thing we humans go through within our lives. It is something we cannot control, or expect. When there is a crisis in a person’s life, for the most part they act out in different ways. Everyone has a different response to what is happening in their life and this shows through their actions. Conrad Jarrett, Calvin Jarrett, and Beth Jarrett all go through the same crisis in the novel “Ordinary People”. It shows how everyone has handled the death of Jordan and the attempted suicide of Conrad. Conrad’s reaction was a result of crisis. Losing your biological brother that you grew up and shared moments with is tough. It is even tougher when you witnessed his death and feel that you have caused it. This caused Conrad to fall into depression and attempt suicide. Now with another crisis of having to come back to a not so normal life, he finds it to be a task to live. “To have a reason to get up in the morning, it is necessary to possess a guiding principle” (Guest, p.1). He felt the need to act like everything was well and that he was progressing so deceive people. Now, Conrad is attempting to go day by day and get …show more content…

He had some guilt in himself for not attending to Conrad as much as he needed to. This brought a lot of thinking for Calvin which was something he did not like to do. He began to reflect on life, and who he was as a man and what he stood for. He had an identity crisis. He showed some sign of knowing himself saying “I’m a man who believes in safety”(Guest,pg.173). He reflects on his life and his upbringing to find his values in life. He is not too lost but cannot find the complete answer to his question. When having a conversation with Ray he expresses his feelings asking “Okay Howard, who am I then” (Guest, p.159). He is lost and does not know but no one knows but him. This of course affects his relationship with his partner,

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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).

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