When one is recovering from a tragic or life changing event, he or she can find it difficult to get back into the swing of things. Some are guided by society, while others encounter obstacles on the road to recovery. In the novel, Ordinary People, Judith Guest portrays the struggles one can face in his or her everyday life, while trying to heal from a horrific event. After Conrad, the main character, loses his brother to a boating accident, his guilty conscience begins to overcome him. Blaming himself for the death of Jordan, Conrad attempts to commit suicide. He then spends the next four months in a hospital, meeting many people who he shares this similar experience with, like Karen. Although Conrad sees a doctor, Berger, and seems to be recovering,
