Identity Quotes in Ordinary People

There is a lot going on in these lines. For one thing, they show our main character's sadness: he's tossed out all his motivational statements. But they also say a lot about his identity. We're on the second paragraph of the book, and our main character doesn't yet have a name. Also, throwing stuff out shows us that he is changing from his old self, whoever that was, and is becoming someone else.

Conrad has an intense need to conform and feel "normal." Or you might say, "ordinary." Hmm, wonder who he got that pressure to conform from? Anyway, as this book shows us, the most so-called ordinary people are sometimes the unhappiest ones.

Calvin is told to not expect Conrad to be the same after his suicide attempt. What Calvin doesn't yet realize is that every member in the family will undergo an identity crisis because of the suicide attempt. None of them will be the same.