English IIIR
Mrs. Dorety
Ordinary People
The intention of the following note-taking guide is to help you organize your thoughts
and ideas concerning this text.
Part One: Characters
Fill in the boxes below with an analysis for each character. Analysis means
that you provide a description of each character, as well as a discussion
about how each particular character influences the development of other
characters, advances a particular theme or the plot, or the symbolic meaning
of a character and his/her name.
MAIN
CHARACTERS
DESCRIPTION/ANALYSIS (WITH PAGE
NUMBERS)
Conrad
Calvin
Dr. Berger
Beth
Part Two: Quotations
Explain why 6 of the 12 of the following quotations are important. Does it foreshadow or
predict something or describe someone? If so, what or whom? Who (if anyone) said
each? What was the context? Do they illustrate a theme or motif? Which one?
*You may select 4 additional quotations to complete for extra points
1. “ ‘What people are entitled to is their illusions, and frankly, I preferred my
illusions about him’” (chapter11).
2. “‘Behind what? The Great Schedule in the Sky?’” (chapter 9).
3. “‘Sorry…I like things neat ’” (chapter 2).
4. “ ‘Everybody try their emotional and mental and physical damndest’” (chapter 2).
5. “He hangs on now, pressing his hand lightly against the wall, below the window,
waiting for the familiar arrow of pain” (chapter 11).
6. “They drive through Evanston, decked out in all its Christmas finery: fake
garlands of pine…It does not have the air of fantasy, of fairyland, that covers
Lake Forest” (chapter13).
7. “ ‘And you expect too much from all of us’” (chapter15).
8. “A scene of total disorder confronts him as he moves toward the door” (chapter5).
9. “Why did he let go then? Why didn’t he hand on to the boat?” (chapter 26).
10. “…you cannot change her anyway, you are not God,…you are not in control, so
let go” (chapter29).
11. “He had left off being a perfectionist then, when he discovered that
not…anything…cleared you through the terrifying office of chance; that it is
chance and not perfection that rules the world” (chapter11).
12. “ ‘She’s not a sharer, Calvin. It’s you who will end up doing all the sharing’”
(chapter 21).
Part III: Themes & Motifs
How do the following motifs support and develop the theme of illusion v reality or the
theme of finding personal identity? Which character(s) are associated with each motif?
How does it illustrate the difference between what the character (or item) is and what it
seems to be? List several examples of each motif. Please include page numbers. Select 3
of the 4 to complete.
*You may complete all for extra points
MOTIFS
Perfection
Order/Control
Chaos and Disorder
Guilt/Responsibility
EXAMPLES FROM THE TEXT WITH PAGE
NUMBERS
Part IV: Symbols
Each of the following has a literal and a symbolic meaning in the novel.
That means that they stand for something other than what they are literally. Interpret
each symbol below. Document the page number(s) where you found the example or
examples from the text that support your interpretation. Select 4 of the 9 listed.
*You may select two additional symbols for extra points.
SYMBOL
Bumper Stickers
Lake Forest
Evanston
Swimming
Conrad’s House
Christmas
Jude Fawley in
Jude the Obscure
Questions on
Conrad’s English
exam
Fagin
INTERPRETATION WITH PAGE NUMBER OF
SUPPORTING EXAMPLE
Part V: “Minor” Characters
Each of the minor characters in Ordinary People is important. What does each of the
following characters add to the story? What do they illustrate about the main characters?
Select 4 of the 9 to respond to.
*You may select an additional 2 for extra points.
MINOR
CHARACTERS
CHARACTERS NOT
MENTIONED ABOVE
Stillman
Karen
Arnold Bacon
Coach Salan
Cherry
Jeannine
Ray Hanley
Nancy Hanley
Ellen & Howard
DESCRIPTION/ANALYSIS (WITH PAGE
NUMBERS)