Beth: Helping or Hindering

In Judith Guest’s Ordinary People we see a family suffering from a tragic death of one son and a suicide attempt by the other. The father Calvin is trying to have his son and his family grieve appropriately by postponing usually family events and trying to have his son, Conrad, to go to a psychologist. However Beth, the mother, tries to make things back to normal by insisting that the family go on there usual winter holiday trip and that Conrad resumes normal activities such as his Swimming. By not talking out her issues or letting the family grieve Beth further strains her relationship with both her husband and son. This is evident in a fight erupted between Beth and Conrad when she finds out he quit the swim team. Conrad feels that his mother doesn’t really care about him by first saying “I’m sure I would have told you…if I thought you gave a damn!”(Guest 109). Conrad further shows his discontent with his mother and his preserved lack of actually caring by yelling “Listen, don’t give me that, the only reason you care, the only reason you give a fuck about it is because someone else knew about it first!”(110) and that “…you just wanted me to leave you alone!”(110). It is clear here that Conrad has real doubts that his own mother truly loves him, and he sees her actions as selfish rather than caring, which one is true we do not know. The only thing we can tell is that Beth and Conrad’s relationship is straining and at this rate can only end in a catastrophe.