The Ordinary Man Analysis

Ordinary People by Judith Guest is a book thats being told by 2 different perspectives, the protagonist Conrad Jarrett and the antagonist Calvin Jarrett, who also is Conrad's father. The point of view of each side is in every other chapter. Conrad is a character dynamic in the story, who will change his perspective in seeing things. Calvin is a character static, who’s constantly worrying about his son Conrad. The setting of the book takes place in Lake Forest, Illinois. The story surrounded the Jarrett family and how they interacted with one another along with the people around them. Calvin is a 41 years old tax attorney, a husband, and a father of 2 kids. Conrad is his second son, who is a Junior in High School. About more than a year, before

In the film Ordinary People, we see the main protagonist, Conrad, suffer from major depressive disorder. Throughout the film, he shows symptoms of depression through challenges regulating sleep, depressed mood, thoughts of death and suicide, along with multiple other symptoms. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or the DSM-V, lists the symptoms of depression as: depressed mood most of the time, reduced interest or enjoyment in most activities, challenges regulating appetite and weight, challenges regulating sleep, physical agitation or lethargy, having much less energy, unwarranted guilt, problems thinking, concentrating, or making decisions, and thinking of death and suicide (Meyers, 629).

The arguments that Christopher Browning emphasizes in Ordinary Men are based on his beliefs about the Holocaust. His argument touches base on the idea that regular citizens of Germany could commit such horrible acts without being coerced into doing so. He examines the side of the Reserve Police Battalion 101 and tries to figure out just why these gentlemen participated in the mass shootings and deportations of the Holocaust. In fact should these "gentlemen" even be called gentlemen enlight of the acts they committed upon other men?

If one were to take anything from Christopher Browning’s Ordinary Men it is that even the most ordinary, normal men have the capacity to kill. The 101st Reserve Police Battalion executed at least 6,500 Jews at the Polish cities and villages of Jozefow, Lomazy, Serokomla, Lukow, Konskowola, Parczew, Radzyn, Kock, and Miedzyrzec and participated in the deportation of at least 42,000 Jews to the gas chambers in Treblinka (Browning, chapter 14, page 121). There were most likely even more killings that were never documented and much less remembered by the members of the 101st. These men had their first taste of death at Jozefow where they massacred 1,500 Polish Jews (Browning, chapter 8, page 74). It was a brutal and harrowing event where men,

The men of Reserve Police Battalion 101 were just ordinary men, from a variety of backgrounds, education, and age. It would appear that they were not selected by any force other than random chance. Their backgrounds and upbringing, however, did little to prepare these men for the horrors they were to witness and participate in.

Both Paul Rusesabagina’s An Ordinary Man and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail use appeals to pathos and ethos to instill their ideas of racial equality. Rusesabagina and King strengthen their works through use of emotion and integrity as a means of literary persuasion. “The central concern of rhetoric has always been method and manner: how to discover the most effective way to express a thought in a given situation, and how to alter its expression to suit different situations.” (McQuarrie and Mick 424) King’s letter discusses his approach in dealing with the racial segregation experienced by African Americans in the United States. Misplaced hatred and prejudice fuel King’s desire to rationally present his personal experiences, religious service, and logic arguments for desegregation. In contrast, Rusesabagina focuses on simplifying and clarifying his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Past experiences, desires to protect human lives, and ethics drove Rusesabagina to tell his account of the genocide. King and Rusesabagina’s choice to confront racial adversary through their words and actions undoubtedly introduced change to the lives of many oppressed people.

Victor has to go to Phoenix to get Arnolds ashes. Thomas offers money to help him get there, but there is one catch, Thomas has to go with him. Victor automatically says no, but after a little while he accepts the offer, having a little change of heart. From here on, Victor's personality changes slowly but surely. As they are on their way to get his father’s ashes, two 'cowboys' sit in their seats, but they won’t let them have their seats back, because the boys are Native Americans. This only makes Victor mad, and Thomas confused. When they get to Phoenix, they meet Suzy Song, who is the woman who lived next to Arnold. She tells Victor about how much Arnold talked about him, and how much he wished he could see him. She also told him about how the fire on July 4th was accidently caused by Arnold, because he was drinking. All these years Victor thought his father didn’t want him anymore, but he just didn't want to hurt his son anymore.

Bob wanted to help them, but they decided it was a job that shouldn't involve him. Lucas was passing boxes to his mother from the attic when he came across an old tape that read, “Violet park”. He planned to watch it as soon as he got back from the dump. He ended up getting into a argument with his mother at the dump and for whatever reason, decided to go to Bobs house. Bob was furious with lucas for upsetting his mother, but Lucas didn't care, because Bob wasn't his father so he left.

Sometimes in tragedy we find our lives purpose. Jimmy dean once said, “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” This relates to the novel Ordinary People very well as Conrad and Calvin Jarret both tried seeking help and tried to fix their problems instead of pretending they didn’t exist. Conrad went to see a psychiatrist in recommendation of his father and his doctor, His father Calvin went and spoke to Conrad’s psychiatrist. Conrad also tried to communicate with his family more and have a more open relationship with his friends and family. Beth on the other hand did not try to resolve any issues with her family and instead ignored and kept her distance from Conrad and Calvin. All

Racial hatred is prejudice and hostility targeting groups of color or ethnic backgrounds in various ways. “Night” by Elie Wiesel is a story about the author's experience during the Holocaust and how he survived through the harsh treatment of the concentration camps. Paul Rusesabagina’s “From An Ordinary Man” is about how the author saved many people from an ongoing tribe attack by putting them in his hotel. In Elie Wiesel’s “Night”and Paul Rusesabagina's “From An Ordinary Man”, both the author's use of overall purpose, theme, and use of rhetoric help tell the stories of survivors.

Meanwhile, Kendra and Vince go on a date to a karaoke bar. Kendra loves singing so Vince insist that she goes up and sings her heart out. As the night raps up Vince requests the bill but the waitress explains that their bill has already been taken care of. Vince takes a look at the bar and sees one of his mobster uncles, Uncle Pampers, and he’s walking out the bar. He tells Kendra not to worry, which leaves her questioning his lifestyle. Days later Kendra invites Vince over for dinner with her parents but he disapproves of the invitation and tells Kendra it’s too early and him knowing that her father is the FBI in charge of his father’s case, he rather not. Jimmy hasn’t come through and its Monday now. Vince is going through his own account, takes out $600 and hands it over to his dad. Ed partner of Jimmy also owes money and he tells Vince he’s about to pull the plug on his Aunt that’s on her dying bed just for her inheritance so he can pay back the

Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher R. Browning is an insightful book that provides information as to how ordinary people may be susceptible to committing heinous, evil acts. Browning explains this through analyzing judicial interrogations, which occurred in the 1960’s, of about 125 men of the Reserve Police Battalion 101 (Browning, pg. xviii). The Reserve Police Battalion 101 was a unit of the German Order Police formed in Hamburg, Germany, under the control of the SS which was under Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party (Browning, pg. xvi-xvii). They consisted of German police and sheriffs who were middle-aged men of working and lower middle class. The Reserve Police Battalion 101 was formed as the

The Jarrett's' have always believed themselves to be ordinary people, but after a their firstborn son, Jordan "Buck" Jarrett, drowns and their second born son, Conrad, attempts suicide their whole world is turned upside-down. When Conrad comes home from his mental institution he feels that things have changed. Conrad's relationship with his parents has changed. The relationship that Conrad has with his parents change throughout the novel and are shaky all the way to the last page.

Richard Wright’s “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” presents us with a character (Dave Saunders) who, like most teens, is dealing with emotional issues associated with a hormonal adolescent. This seems like a problem that most teens deal with. However, readers wanting to properly analyze this work should take the era, or setting, in to consideration. In the story Dave works on someone else’s land and seem to also stay on that same property. Also, the vernacular in the story, and further detailed descriptions of the setting make it apparent that it takes place during “Reconstruction” (Neumann). This greatly impacts the story, it’s characters, and the events that take place. Richard Wright makes it a point to make the races of the main

In Flannery O'Connors, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" the theme of moral superiority reigns above all other. Throughout the story O'Connor gives many examples of the grandmother's so-called moral superiority to other races and people. There is talk of a "negro" boy during the story we can conclude this story was written at the peak of racism just ten great before Martin Luther King Jr. givings his "I Have A Dream Speech" (O'Connor). O'Connor provides many examples of this theme through the grandmother's personality; the grandmother is manipulative, self-centered, and unwilling to admit the trouble she causes. The last hope for the grandmother to admit she is not superior is minutes before her death in her encounter with the Misfit. Many literary critics have studied the superiority of the grandmother and how her character develops throughout the story. By referencing these analyses it will further prove the idea superiority to all other races or humans throughout "A Good Man is Hard to Find".