Ordinary People - Impact of Characters on Conrad In the novel Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, many people influence Conrad. Three people who have an effect on him are his father, his mother and the therapist. Conrad undergoes significant changes due to the way he was affected. At the beginning of the novel Con had just returned from hospital after attempting suicide. From the beginning Con finds it difficult to wake up in the morning because he is afraid that anxiety and failure await him. He tries to think of reasons to get out of bed. He then runs through the entire ritual in his head. Con was depressed. He would have been wisely treated very frail by his teachers. He was also a person full of doubts. When it came to his brother's death, he wished he had done something different. Con ran through the entire scene over and over in his head, pondering what he could have done well. He also feels isolated from his mother. Although he loves his mother, she could never love him back. Most of the time he felt obligated to stay away from her. Because Lazenby reminded Con of his brother, Con decided to break off their friendship. Throughout the novel one person who had an influence on Conrad was his father. From the beginning of the novel, Con's father understood this. From talking to spending time with Con, his father was there most of the time. When Conrad was confused or had a question, his father tried to help him and answer him to the best of his ability. Because his father was placed in a home, I think he was able to understand Con a lot more. In addition to understanding, he was also thoughtful. Whenever Con felt upset or happy, his father was there to share the experience. His father always made sure Con was okay. His father was so worried that he gave Con the number of a psychiatrist. Unlike his mother, his father would like to see Con return to normal. The mother had a negative effect on Conrad. After his brother's death and Con's suicide attempt, he would never be able to face Con. When his brother died, part of his ability to love also died.