Identity Quotes in Ordinary People

Both father and son have the same "fake it till you make it" attitude. We guess Beth does, too, in a way—but she never actually makes it.

Carole Lazenby, a very minor character, shares the name of a course she's taking. It's a sly wink at this book's major theme of searching for identity. And because she is a mother, it shows us that the search for identity never stops, not even when you are an adult.

Conrad isn't alluding to homosexuality here; this line has real a "skeletons in the closet" kind of flavor. Conrad's in therapy to try to understand who he really is, even if he might not like what he finds out.