Jeopardy! – Questions and Answers
Characters 1
1. Nicknamed ‘Buck,’ his death is the principal conflict that propels
Ordinary People (Jordan Jarrett)
2. Sings soprano in the choir (Jeanine Pratt)
3. This character is known for his ‘piercing blue eyes’ and ‘ape-like’
appearance (Dr. Conrad Berger)
4. The last character to speak in the novel is…..(Lazenby)
5. This character rejects Conrad’s offer of help in math (Suzanne
Mosley)
Characters 2
1. Tells Conrad “actions have consequences” (Coach Salan)
2. Takes Cal under his wing and serves as a father figure for him (Arnold
Bacon)
3. Of Lazenby, Truan, Butler, Genthe, and Van Buren, the one who is NOT
a school friend of Conrad’s (Butler)
4. Cal’s business partner; claims “life if full of meaningless actions” (Ray
Hanley)
5. Conrad feels this character has a cliché for every occasion (Howard
Butler/Grandfather)
Miscellany
1. At the book opens, the length of time Conrad has been home from the
hospital (one month )
2. This longtime television actress received an Academy Award
nomination for her portrayal of Beth Jarrett (Mary Tyler Moore)
3. During what decade is the main action of Ordinary People set (1970s)
4. What expensive object does Cal get Conrad for Christmas in the book (a
new car / Le Mans)
5. What famous actor directed the film version of Ordinary People
(Robert Redford)
Toughest of the Tough (T.O.T.)
1. Identify and spell correctly Conrad’s choir director (Mr. Faughnan)
2. Name the school play Karen is involved in producing at school (A
Thousand Clowns)
3. What kind of books does Conrad read after quitting the swim team?
(Bird books)
4. This character once set himself on fire (Robbie Clay)
5. The full name of Calvin Jarrett’s boyhood home (Evangelical Home
for Orphans and Old People)
Vexing Vocabulary
1. Spell ‘raucous,’ which means ‘harsh’ or ‘noisy’
2. The word ‘emphatic’ most closely means arrogant, definite, or genuine
(definite)
3. Of colorful, cheerful, or careless, the word closest in meaning to
‘buoyant’ (cheerful)
4. Which of the following might also be a suitable title for our novel:
Irrevocable People, Sedate People, Trivial People (Trivial People)
5. Spell ‘wraith,’ meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘ghost’
Put ‘em in order
1. Beth Leaves cal –3, Buck dies-1, Karen commits suicide-2
2. Conrad quits swimming – 2, Conrad goes bowling with Jeanine – 3,
Conrad first visits Berger – 1
3. Con is complimented by a girl at the library – 1, Con fights Stillman – 2,
Con makes up with Lazenby – 3
4. Con tells Berger his mother hates him – 3, Con chooses the x-mas tree –
1, Con accused of lying to Beth – 2
5. Beth discusses vacationing in Europe with Cal – 1, Beth leaves Calvin –
3, Beth goes to Houston with Calvin – 2
Quotable quotes 1
1. “She pumped you. And you let her do it. You let her drag that stuff out
of you, and in front of someone who doesn’t even know us.” (Beth
Jarrett)
2. “Things were so different in the hospital. People were, you know,
turned on all the time. And you can’t live like that, with all that emotion
floating around.” (Karen Aldrich)
3. “It was a fight. Guys have been getting into fights since school was
invented. Think about it. Think about the last fight you were in.”
(Calvin Jarrett)
4. “I’m no doctor, but I don’t think I’d let them mess around with my
head.” (Coach Salan)
5. “I don’t think you properly appreciate your advantages, Conrad.
Being born into a good family. Having a head on your shoulders.”
(Helen Butler)
Quotable quotes 2
1. “Hate him? How can I hate him? Mother’s don’t hate their sons!” (Beth
Jarrett)
2. “Remember the rip-off man? They guy who messed up my office? I
heard from him too—he gave me a seven.” (Dr. Tyrone Berger)
3. “I started hanging around. You know, with kids my parents were afraid
of. They were wild, I guess. Only not really, they were just stupid. And
I was stupid. And I started doing a lot of stupid things with them.”
(Jeanine Pratt)
4. “The guy’s a nothing, a zero upstairs. What do you expect from
somebody whose class votes him least likely to grow up. You used to
know that about him, Connie.” (Lazenby)
5. “Look, I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. But, you worry too
much. You’ve been on the rack about him long enough. It’s a habit,
you know. You’ve got to let go sometime, buddy.” (Ray Hanley)
Miscellany
1. Texas family members and owners of an impressive swimming pool
(Ward & Audrey)
2. Jeannine’s younger brother—he’s impressed by Con’s guitar-playing
abilities (Mike)
3. Con’s current English reading—and a character with whom he shares
certain characteristics (Jude Fawley / Jude the Obscure)
4. The difference in duration between the length of Con’s hospital stay in
the book and in the movie (Four Months)
5. Cal’s former legal secretary and Ray’s former lover (Lynn Searles)
For the Symbol Minded
1. These objects are no longer on Con’s bedroom wall—he misses their
clear guidance (Bumper Sticker)
2. Both Jeannine and Berger share this physical feature (piercing blue eyes)
3. Cal claims that he feels like he is sitting on one and that his wife and son
are separated by this architectural structure (fence)
4. Given his intelligence and sensitivity, Berger’s initial comparison to
THIS creature is surprising (a monkey or gorilla)
5. During a frightening dream sequence, Conrad enters this
claustrophobic space (a tomb-like metal tunnel)