Judith Guest's "Ordinary People": Summary
Beginning of paper
Ordinary People by Judith Guest is the story of a dysfunctional family
who relate to one another through a series of extensive defense mechanisms, i.e.
an unconscious process whereby reality is distorted to reduce or prevent
anxiety. The book opens with seventeen year old Conrad, son of upper mi ....
Middle of paper
.... around Conrad,
and, according to his wife, drinks too many martinis.
Conrad seems consumed with despair. A return to normalcy, school and
home-life, appear to be more than Conrad can handle. Chalk-faced, hair-hacked
Conrad seems bent on perpetuating the family myth that all is well in the world.
His family, after all, "are people of good taste. They do not discuss a
problem in the face of the problem. And, besides, there is no problem." Yet,
there is not one problem in this family but ....
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Word count: 1474
Page count: 6 (approximately 250 words per page)
