Anthony Robbins once said “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” This statement relates well to the characters in the novel Ordinary People. Beth and Calvin Jarret, parents of their son Conrad, continuously maintained poor levels of communication throughout the novel as they were unable to realize their own different views of the world. One of the themes of focus of the novel suggests that the family is dealing with a loss of their loved son, Jordan. Dying as a result of a sailing accident one year before, Conrad attempted to take his own life in his own home, however, his parents found him just in …show more content…
Everyone is entitled to different life values as you see the world through different lenses than the person who stands beside you. Beth, for example, comes across as self-serving by participating in those activities that would appear to benefit her. Spending time at the golf course and gossiping with those who she plans events with would suggest that her focus is on herself. She appears to neglect the other aspects which make life valuable; family, feeling and emotion. This inability or lack of attempts to understand the world through different lenses would ultimately result in the division of the family and a metaphorical loss of a second child.
On the other hand, Calvin has a different set of life values than that of Beth. Working in a law office as a tax attorney, working in relative isolation at a desk job provides him a different lenses on the world than Beth’s. Contrary to Beth, Calvin rarely spends time with friends and opts out of dinner party attendance. He would prefer to spend his time promoting open lines of communication lines with his family to assist in the grievance process of their son. This clearly opposes the bottled-up approach practiced by Beth. Calvin is a caring human being and very compassionate.
The relationships between mother and son are different than father and son. Beth believes that her relationship with Conrad is best served by being distant. She feels that by giving him space he will be able to make better life choices and be
Throughout the duration of this conversation it is evident by her short responses that Beth is not genuinely listening to what Conrad is saying and her body language shows her clear disinterest and anxiousness to exit the conversation. The lack of adequate communication between these two characters results in a shattered and distant relationship that leaves both Beth and Conrad in separate worlds of unspoken guilt and resentment toward one another that only grows stronger as time progresses. It is unclear if reason for Beth's resentment towards Conrad has stemmed from Buck's death or from the recent suicide attempt (or both), but her behavior towards her son shows her obvious distaste for him.
Throughout the novel Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, relationships between characters are emphasized and evolved.. Two characters with a changing relationship are Beth and Calvin. Both parents to a now deceased child and a child with severe depression; they grieve in different ways that do not appear to work for the family they are trying to hold together. The differences shown in Beth and Calvin’s grieving process has led them to a downfall within their family.
Beth Jarrett shows major distance towards Conrad in many situations: she didn’t visit him at the hospital, she refused to take a picture with just the two of them, anytime they have a conversation it’s always small talk and she “withdraws” as soon as Buck is mentioned. She provides examples of avoidance and withdrawal. If Beth could’ve met the need of love and belonging with Conrad, the distance and tension would not be there. She shows violent behavior when yelling at Conrad about the swim team, which she could’ve brought up calmly and not have been making accusations towards Conrad, which threatens safety and respect in the
The family consists of the mother Beth, father Calvin, and their son Conrad who are living in the aftermath of the death of the oldest son Buck. Conrad, who has attempted suicide and hospitalized because he inability to overcome grief and misplaced guilt, and therapy as way to feel more in control. Beth on the other hand always favored Buck and does not connect with Conrad. Whereas, the father Calvin is trapped in trying to hold the family together, but those pressures are building and he is coming to realizations of his own.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize feelings and judge which feelings are appropriate for a given situation.
Calvin miserably thought about the situation at home. He and his several siblings were almost never at home during the day. He thought about how things used to be back at home. Happy and carefree.
Beth tries to connect with her son, as they both reminisce over the memory of a pigeon. Conrad then mentions that they had never had a pet and brings up how his brother, Buck, wanted a dog. After he said his brother’s name, Beth becomes uncomfortable and tries to change the subject, and the connection between the two is lost. They both begin to speak over each other until Conrad starts to bark. He barks because he sees how disconnected his mother is to him. Frustration overwhelms him, and he barks like a dog (the dog they never had) because he wants to be heard, and he wants to bring her back to the conversation (reality).
What would you do if you were in a relationship that was like Jake and Beth's marriage? It is easy to say what you would do if you were in Beth's position, but for some, they are trapped in this situation and are afraid to put an end to it. When it comes to critiquing this film, the creators reached their goal by spreading their message about abuse, child neglect, and poverty. This film creates a picture and presents what it is like to live in the conditions of those living in poor or abusive environments. The message of the film is about how one must never stop fighting for themselves and their loved ones to defeat the evil that is in their path.
Calvin is a 49 year old man who has a dope problem. For Calvin to get clean he is living with his sister and going to school. Calvin is also working and trying to find a job, but it is slightly difficult for him to do so. Then later in the film Calvin’s sister then gets ill and he stops his job and schooling to take care of her. His sister then passes away and he states that he did do dope one more time, but decided to not do it again and stay clean. At the end of the film Calvin was doing okay.
Beth is every superficial worries about what people thinks of her. Calvin every caring and concern for his son
Lastly, her family betrayed her by not listening to her side of the story after her sister told lies about her, and they betrayed her when they acted as if they did not care if she moved out of the house. In all of these actions, the family itself and certain members of the family are portrayed as uncaring, unsupportive, disrespectful, conniving, deceitful, and hateful to Sister. Through every action of the family, Sister is treated harshly, and she tries to not let this bother her. Yet, anger and bitterness build up inside of her until she cannot take it anymore. Consequently, it built up so much inside of her that it severely affected Sister so profoundly that she moved away from her home to get away from her family.
Laurence, feels his late granddaughter’s presence through Beth. When Beth finds out about how “fond Mr. Laurence used to be of the child who died”, she feels special (73). Even more special when she receives a piano that belongs to the granddaughter Beth reminds him of. Beth is unique, she is selfless, and because of it she becomes very sick and even withholds it from her family.
In society today, we encounter various types of interpersonal communication. We all must understand the balance and the outcomes communication provides, nonetheless, helps us improve in our own relationships. In David Russell's’ film, “ Silver Linings Playbook” the main character, Pat, is trying to rebuild his life and his marriage, all while having a mental disorder. By using the film and my own daily interactions in my life, I will be using terms and concepts to be able to analyze communication styles that are effective and ineffective.
Chalk-faced, hair-hacked Conrad seems hell bent on continuing the family myth that all is well in the world. Their initial sessions together frustrate Dr. Berger because of Conrad's inability to express his feelings.
She lives in denial, ironically insulting her son about his reading choices, when she is just as capable of making immoral decisions. She constantly forces her daughter into a role that she is extremely uncomfortable with, thereby making herself hypocritical and delusional. Because of her desperate situation, she clings to her memories of her years with many, wealthy gentleman callers for comfort and validation. Her ideals are misguided, as she attempts to live by her disillusioned standards where she has an model family, when in reality her daughter is disabled and her son resents her