DQ's Ordinary People, Chapters 1-4

ORDINARY PEOPLE - DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 1

1. The novel begins with the line, “To have a reason to get up in the morning, it is necessary to posses a guiding principle.” What kinds of examples does the author give of “guiding principles”?

• He says a guiding principle is a belief of some kind. He gives examples such as bumper sticker slogans, such as "Honk if you love Jesus", or "Boycott Grapes."

2. What does Conrad’s room look like when he gets back from the hospital?

• It is completely bare (except for a bed), and the walls are painted pale blue.

3. What is ironic about the fact that Conrad’s bumper sticker posters are all gone?

• Conrad relates to bumper stickers as guiding principles; as a reason to get up in the morning. It is ironic because Conrad doesn’t have any bumper stickers, which symbolizes that he has no reason to get up in the morning.

4. What did Dr. Crawford do to prepare for his return to school and life? What was his advice?

• He told Conrad that it was alright to feel anxious. He told him to “allow himself a few bad days now and then.”

5. What is Con’s physical appearance like? What does he notice in the mirror?

• Conrad’s face is chalk white, and his hair is very incongruent, due to the fact that he cut it himself. He notices that he has developed a weird, unidentified facial rash.


6. What does Calvin require that Conrad do today? Why?

• Calvin requires Conrad to call Dr. Berger because he says that Dr. Crawford wants him to.

7. “They are people of good taste. They do not discuss a problem in the presence of the problem. And, besides, there is no problem.” Give the context of this quote and explain what it means.

• The quote comes from Conrad while he is listening to his parents talk. It basically means that his parents won’t talk about problems in front of him, and they act like nothing is wrong when he is around.

8. What is “Target Day”? Explain.

• It is the one month anniversary of Conrad coming home from the hospital.

9. How do the “May flies” related to Conrad?

• They relate to Conrad because neither he or the May Flies ever have to “ask the question.”

10. How did Conrad define “faith” after his experience in the hospital?

• He defines faith in the quote: “Get the motions right, the motives will follow.”

CHAPTER 2

1. Describe Beth. What’s she like? What seems to be important to her?

• Beth is very beautiful, and looks very young. She is a golfer, and other people’s opinions seem to be important to her.

2. What does Beth think about Conrad’s clothes?

• She thinks that he looks like a “bum”, and says that he has much better clothes than what he wears.

3. Why is it important to Beth that Conrad stops by the Lazenby’s after school on his first day back to school?

• She thinks that it would be the courteous thing to do.

4. What is Calvin Jarrett’s background? Why is it challenging for him to “be a father”? What does he think being a good father means?

• Calvin Jarrett was orphaned at age eleven, and lived in an evangelical home for a while. It is challenging for him because he never had a father figure to learn from. He thinks that being a good father means to notice “signs” when he needs to.

5. What are the “signs” that good father’s were supposed to look for according to Calvin?

• Loss of appetite, sleeplessness, poor school performance.

6. What other ways does Calvin talk about what it means to be a father? What was the vision that he had of his two sons?

• He says it’s “more than trusting to luck”. He envisions his two sons listening to music, or playing basketball in the driveway.

7. How does Calvin’s view of being the “kid from the Evangelical Home” color his view of fatherhood?

• It lets him know that he has done a good job of being successful, and being a good parent, considering where he came from.

8. What does the breakfast scene tell you about the family dynamics? Between Conrad and Beth? Between Conrad and Calvin? Beth and Calvin?

• The parent-child connection is very awkward. It seems like Calvin and Conrad are both trying to find the connection they once had, but it isn’t easy. It also seems as if Beth’s golfing is more important than her family at times.

9. What is the image of Conrad’s old self that everyone expects Conrad to be?

• Everyone expects Conrad to be the kid with longish, dark hair, with laugh lines around the mouth, and without a weary look about him.

10. What’s different about Conrad after the hospital? Whose opinions do we hear as the reader?

• He always looks tired and gaunt, and his eyes look different. He is also very quiet. We hear Calvin’s opinions as the reader.

CHAPTER 3

1. Why is Conrad stressed about Lazenby being late to pick him up?

• He doesn’t want for his mother to have to take him to school, because it would make her late for her golfing match, and it would be very awkward in the car on the way there.

2. What is the “gray disease”? Elaborate.

• The “gray disease” is worry. Conrad is worried about something, and when it becomes obvious, his dad starts to worry. It is very “contagious”.

3. What did Conrad’s grandmother eagerly remind him of? How did Conrad feel about it?

• She reminds him that his father went through a lot of emotional stress while he was in the hospital. Conrad did not like her telling him that, and he wished she wouldn’t.

4. What is the significance of “good taste” as it relates to the story, characters, and themes?


5. How does Stillman treat Conrad? Give examples. How does Conrad respond?

• Stillman is very rude to him; He makes very obnoxious remarks about Conrad liking Jeannine Pratt. Conrad gets very irritated, but plays it off like everything is alright.

6. Describe Lazenby and Stillman. What are they like? Personalities?

• Lazenby is a very likeable person. He is good in school, and in swimming. He has his priorities right. Stillman, on the other hand, is a very rude, ill-mannered, stuck up guy.

7. What is Conrad’s opinion of Stillman? Divers?

• Conrad feels as if Stillman has always had it easy, and is self-centered. He thinks that divers “tend to be crappy human beings.”

8. How does Miss Melon treat Conrad?

• She treats him like a little kid, and he thinks she is “holding his hand”, which he doesn’t like at all. He wants to be normal.

9. How does Conrad feel about making mistakes in the past? And now?

• Conrad feels like when he made mistakes in the past, they were easily forgiven, and forgotten. He feels like if he makes a mistake now, it is frowned upon, and hard to forget.

10. Why would Conrad prefer “indifference to concern”?

• Conrad would rather people not care, than act like they care at all.

11. Why does Con like chorus? What about chorus makes him feel secure?

• He likes chorus because he can let his guard down, and nothing is important except for singing, which he loves to do.

12. What happens with Conrad’s swim coach? How does he treat Conrad? What does he ask Con?

• Coach Salan catches Conrad yawning at practice. He basically treats him like he has no feelings; with no respect. He asks Con if he is on medication or tranquilizers.

13. What is Con’s interaction with his mother like when he gets home?

• The interaction is very short, and to the point.

CHAPTER 4

1. What is does Cal mean when he says, “he emphatically does not own her” in reference to Beth.

• He means that he has no control over her whatsoever.

2. What is the real issue for Calvin when they are talking about Dr. Brandt’s diagnosis of Conrad? (hint: “blaming” the doctor is not Calvin’s issue).

• Calvin feels as if it his fault that Conrad is depressed.

3. What does Ray say to Calvin about Conrad?

• He tells Calvin that he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to let Conrad swim.

4. What comparison does Cal make about his family and Ray’s?

• He says that Ray’s family is great, with only a seven year daughter old to look after, and another daughter away at college. Calvin, on the other hand, is dealing with a boy that just got out of a mental hospital, and another child deceased.

5. What does Cal mean when he says, “…no one knows what he believes – until it happens.”

• He means that nobody knows what their opinion is on something, until they have an experience that brings out the true beliefs that they hold.