Bibliography
Course Hero. "Ordinary People Study Guide." Course Hero. 18 Jan. 2018. Web. 26 Sep. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ordinary-People/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2018, January 18). Ordinary People Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved September 26, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ordinary-People/
In text
(Course Hero, 2018)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Ordinary People Study Guide." January 18, 2018. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ordinary-People/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "Ordinary People Study Guide," January 18, 2018, accessed September 26, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ordinary-People/.
Conrad marks one month since coming home from the hospital after an attempted suicide.
Chapter 1Though Beth wants to go away for Christmas as usual, Calvin wants to stay home for Conrad's sake.
Chapter 4Beth discovers Conrad quit and lashes out at him for hurting her on purpose.
Chapter 13Beth and Calvin go to Texas to visit her brother and for Calvin to play in a golf tournament.
Chapter 24At his grandparents' house Conrad has a crisis when he reads about Karen's suicide.
Chapter 26Beth angrily tells Calvin she can't forgive Conrad because his suicide attempt was meant to hurt her.
Chapter 28Now living in Evanston, Conrad visits Joe Lazenby, finally at peace with his past.
Epilogue| Chapter | Summary |
|---|---|
| Epigraph | The epigraph is taken from Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Sonnet CLXXI" in which the speaker praises people's extraordinary ... Read More |
| Chapters 1–2 | Conrad Jarrett, 17 years old, lives with his parents in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois, in the mi... Read More |
| Chapters 3–4 | Conrad's friend Joe Lazenby picks him up for school, with his swim team buddies Dick Van Buren and Kevin Stillman alre... Read More |
| Chapters 5–6 | Conrad goes to his appointment with Dr. Berger, whose office in Evanston looks as though it has just been burgled—and ... Read More |
| Chapters 7–8 | Conrad meets Karen for a drink—coffee for her, a Coke for him. They were good friends at the hospital, but Karen seems... Read More |
| Chapters 9–10 | Conrad has a surprise quiz in math, but he wills himself to stay calm and finishes it. When he offers to help his clas... Read More |
| Chapters 11–12 | On his lunch break Calvin runs into Carole Lazenby, and they eat together at the University Sandwich Shop. They have a... Read More |
| Chapters 13–14 | Conrad goes with Calvin to pick out a Christmas tree. Conrad insists on a giant blue spruce, which they put up in the ... Read More |
| Chapters 15–16 | Beth's parents, Howard and Ellen, come to spend Christmas with the Jarretts. Conrad dresses nicely, "a concession to h... Read More |
| Chapters 17–18 | On Conrad's birthday Calvin has him help clean the garage, and Calvin notices Conrad seems in a good mood. Calvin asks... Read More |
| Chapters 19–20 | At work Ray tells Calvin he's not acting like himself and not to worry so much about Conrad, who soon will be an adult... Read More |
| Chapters 21–22 | Calvin and Beth make plans to visit her brother Ward and his wife in Texas. Calvin recalls their trip to Europe while ... Read More |
| Chapters 23–24 | On his drive home from work, Calvin thinks about communication. When he sees a religious sign that asks "are you on th... Read More |
| Chapters 25–26 | Calvin does well on his first day of the golf tournament in Texas. Audrey asks Calvin about Conrad, and they end up di... Read More |
| Chapters 27–28 | At Dr. Berger's office Conrad pleads for something to get him "off the hook": Conrad feels responsible for Buck's deat... Read More |
| Chapters 29–30 | On the plane home, Beth sits "untouchable beside him." Calvin leaves her alone, realizing he is "not in control, so le... Read More |
| Chapter 31 and Epilogue | Beth packs her things to leave Calvin and Conrad. She claims she is leaving because she can't stand the way Calvin loo... Read More |
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