Analyze how Beth and Calvins own family backgrounds influence and Essay

Analyze how Beth and Calvins own family backgrounds influence and affect them within their family and their relationship with Conrad in Ordinary People - Essay Example Calvin Jarrett, father of Conrad Jarrett is working as a Tax Attorney. His family background is pathetic because he spent his childhood in an orphanage. So he is well aware of his status and responsibilities as a father. He tried his best to be a good father but consider himself as a failure in relationship with his wife and son. The words: â€Å"Responsibility. That is fatherhood.† (Guest 9) makes clear that Calvin consider fatherhood as a serious matter and responsibility towards his son. But his problem was that he did not have any role model to follow because he spent his childhood in an orphanage. But his life at the orphanage deeply influences his family relation. He was ready to give up his affair with Molly Davis for the well being of his family. Beth shows keen interest to keep a balanced relation with his son who is too close to him. But his good character and keen interest to maintain cordial relation with his family members does not help him to maintain his family in a proper manner. Eventually, his wife decided to leave him amidst of problems. So, one can see that Beth’s family background as an orphan influence him to maintain affectionate relation with his son but it badly affect his relation with his wife and his lover. At the same time, Beth Jarrett, mother of Conrad is from a different family background which forces her to keep herself away from real life situations. She is so obsessed with imaginary vacations and wishes to keep away herself from family matters. The words of the speaker in the novel make clear that: â€Å"Self-possessed is what she is; he emphatically does not own her, nor does not have control over her, nor can he understand or even predict with reliability her moods, her attitudes.† (Guest 25) Beth was self-possessed personality and her husband did not have any control over her