
Full Answer
Who are the characters in ordinary people?
Ordinary People Characters. Conrad is the protagonist of the novel. He is the youngest son of Calvin and Beth Jarrett; his older brother, Buck, dies in a sailing accident before the novel's plot begins.
Who is Conrad in ordinary people?
Conrad is the protagonist of the novel. He is the youngest son of Calvin and Beth Jarrett; his older brother, Buck, dies in a sailing accident before the novel's plot begins. Ordinary People … read analysis of Conrad Jarrett Calvin, who is called Cal throughout the novel, is father to Conrad and Buck and husband to Beth Jarrett.
Who is Joe Lazenby in ordinary people?
Lazenby is one of Conrad's oldest friends; the two have known each other since early childhood, and both are members of their school's swim team. Besides Cal, he is the character who is most proactive… read analysis of (Joe) Lazenby Get the entire Ordinary People LitChart as a printable PDF.
Who is the producer of ordinary people?
Ordinary People Edited by Jeff Kanew Music by Marvin Hamlisch Production companies Wildwood Enterprises, Inc Distributed by Paramount Pictures 14 more rows ...

What causes Conrad to begin to heal?
Towards the end of the novel, Conrad comes to accept what happened to him and to his brother, beginning his journey of healing. While he was far fr...
Why does Conrad find getting up difficult
Conrad finds it difficult to get up because there are too many thoughts racing about in his head.... he is anxious..... unsettled.
What is your reaction after you finish chapter 1 of conrad jarret ?
This question calls for your opinion, there is no right or wrong answer. You might find yourself sympathetic to Conrad's grief and depression. You...
Who is Buck in Conrad?
Buck was Conrad’s big brother, someone Conrad loved and even worshiped. Buck was someone who had many talents and who was a skilled swimmer, many comparing Conrad to his brother. Buck loved Conrad and he was willing to do everything to keep him safe. He probably tried to save Conrad during the sailing accident in which he died and because of that Conrad blamed himself for his brother’s death.
Who is Cal's legal partner?
Ray is Cal’s college and legal partner. The two often talk and Cal reveals sometimes information about himself and his family to Ray who then tries to offer him advice on how to solve his problems.
Who is Arnold Bacon?
Arnold Bacon is another man who never appears in the novel. He used to be Cal’s mentor, the person who paid for his education. When Cal got married to Beth, Bacon refused to pay for Cal education, claiming that a wife will stop Cal from reaching his true potential.
Is Beth a cold character?
Beth is a complex character that is not completely revealed in the novel. she is mysterious and cold and the reason why she is cold is not entirely revealed. However, she does love her children in her own way and Conrad realizes that she is loved by Beth even though she decides in the end to leave her family behind.
Who is Conrad's love interest?
A relatively new student at Conrad's school, Jeannine is Conrad's love interest. She sings in the school choir with him, and she is treated as an angelic figure for much of the novel. However, her troubled past enables her to help Conrad work through his own.
Who is Calvin in the book?
Calvin, who is called Cal throughout the novel, is father to Conrad and Buck and husband to Beth Jarrett. A childhood spent in an orphanage fuels Cal's deep desire to care and provide… read analysis of Calvin (Cal) Jarrett
Who is Conrad's oldest friend?
Lazenby is one of Conrad's oldest friends; the two have known each other since early childhood, and both are members of their school's swim team. Besides Cal, he is the character who is most proactive… read analysis of (Joe) Lazenby
Who is Conrad's counselor?
Conrad's main counselor during his time in the mental hospital. Like Buck, Crawford himself never appears in the novel. But his care sets a precedent to which Conrad, his family, Karen, and Berger react in their journey to recovery.
Who played Hutton's love interest in Ordinary People?
Hirsch was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, losing out to co-star Hutton. Additionally, Ordinary People launched the career of Elizabeth McGovern who played Hutton's character's love interest, and who received special permission to film while attending Juilliard . Ordinary People received critical acclaim.
When was Ordinary People released?
Ordinary People was theatrically released on September 19, 1980 by Paramount Pictures to critical and commercial success.
How much did Ordinary People make?
English. Budget. $6.2 million. Box office. $90 million. Ordinary People is a 1980 American family drama film directed by Robert Redford (in his directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Alvin Sargent based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest.
How many Oscars did Ordinary People win?
Ordinary People garnered four Oscars for 1980, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. The picture, Robert Redford's debut at directing, won him the Academy Award for Best Director. Alvin Sargent won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Where do Calvin and Beth go to see Beth's brother?
Beth and Calvin take a trip to see Beth's brother in Houston, where Calvin confronts Beth, calling her out on her attitude. Conrad suffers a setback when he learns that Karen, a friend of his from the psychiatric hospital, has committed suicide.
Who is Conrad's father?
Conrad's father, Calvin, tries to connect with his surviving son and understand his wife. Conrad's mother, Beth, denies her loss, hoping to maintain her composure and restore her family to what it once was. She appears to have loved her older son more, and because of the suicide attempt, has grown cold toward Conrad.
What is the theme of Ordinary People?
Loss and the different ways people deal with it are a major theme of Ordinary People. Conrad loses not only his brother but a good portion of his then-self when Buck dies. His father finds himself re-examining his life and seeing it more the result of random chance and accident than any ability on his part. Beth tries to control it like everything else in her life. She and Conrad were, Calvin notes, the only people not to cry at Buck's funeral.
What is the book Ordinary People by Diana Evans about?
Ordinary People is Judith Guest 's first novel. Published in 1976, it tells the story of a year in the life of the Jarretts, an affluent suburban family trying to cope with the aftermath of two traumatic events.
What is Conrad reading in the beginning of Jude the Obscure?
At the beginning of the novel, Conrad is reading Jude the Obscure in English class. Later, he reads an exam question that mentions Lord Jim and Of Human Bondage as other works he might have read. Calvin recalls having enjoyed The Three Musketeers as a young man. Karen's drama club is doing A Thousand Clowns.
Who is Buck in Conrad and Calvin?
Jordan "Buck" Jarrett, the son who died in the sailing accident. Conrad and Calvin's memories depict Buck as a daredevil but also something of a natural leader, and a son any family would have liked to have. Dr. Leo Crawford, Conrad's psychiatrist at the mental institution.
When was Ordinary People by Judith Guest published?
Ordinary People is Judith Guest 's first novel. Published in 1976, it tells the story of a year in the life of the Jarretts, an affluent suburban family trying to cope with the aftermath of two traumatic events.
Who is Carole Lazenby?
Carole Lazenby, Joe Lazenby's mother, and a friend of Beth Jarrett. Ray Hanley, Calvin's law partner and longtime friend. Calvin had consoled Ray seven years earlier during a time when his wife Nancy had left him over an extramarital affair he was having; now Ray returns the favor.
Where is the setting of Ordinary People?
Ordinary People is set in Lake Forest, Illinois, during the 1970s. The action focuses on the Jarrett family--Calvin and Beth and their son Conrad. Before the action of the book begins, there was a second Jarrett son--Buck--who was killed in a boating accident over a year before the novel begins. After the death of Buck, Conrad became deeply troubled, blaming himself. He tried to commit suicide by slashing his wrists; his attempt failed when Calvin found him, before he died, in the bathtub. After the attempt, Conrad was hospitalized. He went through therapy and befriended Karen, a girl his age who had also tried to kill herself.
Who is Conrad's father?
The story of Conrad is told opposite the story of his father, Calvin, who spends most of his time in the novel worrying about Conrad. Calvin is a tax attorney who runs a small firm with his partner, Ray Hanley. Most of the chapters devoted to Calvin depict him by himself, thinking about the past and his son and wife.
What does Conrad say about Buck?
In Berger's office, Conrad has a breakdown and admits that he blames himself for the death of Buck. Berger tells him to stop blaming himself and to stop trying to fill Buck's shoes; Conrad needs to allow himself to feel more even when he feels bad, and he needs to be himself for a change.
How old was Hutton in Ordinary People?
So “Ordinary People"'s distributor, Paramount, did the smart thing. It pushed the 19-year-old Hutton, clearly the lead actor in the film, for Best Supporting Actor. There was nothing supporting about the performance, but at least he won (as did De Niro). “Ordinary People” also won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Is Beth a terrible person?
As written, Beth is a terrible human being, unwilling to set Conrad free from his guilt (hell, she won’t even pose in a photograph with him). As acted by Moore, however, cast against type from her ebullient TV persona, Beth becomes a tragic figure.
