Grew Up... with his older brother Buck in suburban Chicago. Buck was a beloved member of the family and community, a star athlete and great sailor. Everyone looked up to Buck, and Conrad constantly felt overshadowed by him.
Living… back home after a long stay in a psychiatric hospital. Conrad recently attempted suicide, not long after his brother’s untimely death in a boating accident. Conrad was present during the accident, and survived as his brother disappeared under the boat. The guilt and depression that followed drove Conrad into the darkest places of his life, and he is only now beginning to find his way back out.
Profession… student. Conrad is in high school, but feels much older, emotionally speaking. He has already gone through a lot of heartbreak, and finds it difficult to return to a normal class schedule.
Interests… choir, Coca-Cola, and his friends from the psychiatric hospital. Conrad even admits that he misses the hospital, much to his friend Karen’s shock.
Relationship Status… single. Conrad takes interest in a young classmate, Jeannine. She is hopeful and cheerful and helps him take his mind off his depression. But she might not be quite sensitive enough for his needs.
Challenge… re-assimilating into normal society. To achieve this, he must first get back his footing at home with his family relationships. He has a lot of wounds that need soothing, especially in respect to his mother, Beth. He laments that his mother never visited him in the hospital, saying, “You would’ve visited Buck in the hospital.” She doesn’t seem to listen to Conrad, or really even care about his personal life, to the point that Conrad at one point feels the urge to bark at her like a dog to get her attention.
Personality… quiet, forlorn, and suicidal. Conrad is an extremely sensitive soul, weathered and wounded. Even his psychiatrist can’t seem to get a real emotional reaction out of him, but he sure is trying. If Conrad can actually get angry – actually scream – he might have a chance at ultimate catharsis.
FAQs
Jeannine Pratt, a new student at Lake Forest who eventually becomes Conrad's girlfriend. Like him, she has a dark episode in her recent past. Joe Lazenby, one of Conrad's friends, who drives him to school.
Who is Conrad's best friend in Ordinary People? ›
Joe Lazenby
A friend of Conrad's and member of the swimming team. He drives Conrad to school each day. He and Conrad have a falling out during the course of the novel, but they manage to mend their relationship.
Who does Conrad fight in Ordinary People? ›
Suddenly, Conrad snaps and attacks Stillman with all his might. After pounding Stillman, he is pulled back by Lazenby. He goes back to his car, where Lazenby joins him to talk. Lazenby talks about Stillman briefly before telling Conrad that he too misses Buck.
Does Conrad have PTSD in Ordinary People? ›
The research findings conclude that Conrad's character suffers from trauma exhibiting most of the symptoms listed in the diagnostic manual. These symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, isolation, irritability etc.
Who is Conrad's new girlfriend? ›
The Resident has kept viewers in the dark for months about the identity of Conrad's new romantic partner, so let's get right to the headline of Tuesday's premiere: Conrad is officially dating Cade Sullivan, the ER doc with whom sparks began to fly at the end of Season 5.
Who is Conrad's ex fiance? ›
Conrad's Ex-Fiance Was Introduced In Season 1
Surprisingly, Conrad and Billie formed a romance later in The Resident. However, it was also established in The Resident that there was someone that Dr. Hawkins loved earlier in his life with the revelation that Catherine Loy was his ex-fiance.
Who is Conrad's girlfriend in real life? ›
Christopher Briney is stealing hearts with his role in The Summer I Turned Pretty, but in real life, he's happily taken. The actor, who plays Conrad on the hit Amazon Prime series, has been dating girlfriend Isabel Machado since 2021.
What is Conrad suffering from in Ordinary People? ›
He is the youngest son of Calvin and Beth Jarrett; his older brother, Buck, dies in a sailing accident before the novel's plot begins. Ordinary People traces Conrad's recovery from a severe bout of depression and attempted suicide brought on by his brother's death, for which he feels responsible.
What is the relationship between Beth and Conrad? ›
At one point Beth desperately notes, "Mothers don't hate their sons!", as if her relationship to Conrad consisted not of love, but obligation and blame. Further, Cal notices that Beth's seemingly mysterious, untamable nature is what keeps her from showing love to her son ("emotion is her enemy").
Who ends up with Conrad? ›
Courtesy of Prime Video. Who does Belly end up with in The Summer I Turned Pretty books between Conrad and Jeremiah? The answer is Conrad. In Jenny Han's third Summer I Turned Pretty book, We'll Always Have Summer , Belly ends up with Conrad after she breaks up with Jeremy and reconnects with Conrad as an adult.
Conrad idolizes his father. As a result, he is particularly hard hit by the news that his parents are separating. Conrad obviously wants his parents to stay together, but he also struggles with the realization that his father, who has always been his hero, has not taken care of his mother during her illness.
Why does Jeremiah hate Conrad? ›
Jeremiah initially let Conrad have Belly first, but grew sick of seeing him emotionally mistreat her and burying his own feelings.
Is Beth a narcissist in Ordinary People? ›
In Robert Redford's film Ordinary People the narcissist in chief Beth (Mary-Tyler-Moore) keeps the house looking lovely, but is unable to to grieve for the child she has lost or relate to her remaining son.
What disorder does Conrad have? ›
In the film Ordinary People, we see the main protagonist, Conrad, suffer from major depressive disorder.
Why does Beth leave in Ordinary People? ›
Beth packs her things. She decides to leave Cal because she resents his pity for her. He wants to talk to her about the situation, but she refuses to let him worry about her the same way he worries about Conrad.
Who does Conrad Hawkins end up with? ›
The series concluded on January 16 with the 107th episode of the series titled, “All Hands On Deck.” It was wrapped up with Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry) finally getting his happy ending by declaring his love for Billie Sutton (Jessica Lucas).
Who is the girlfriend in Ordinary People? ›
Conrad works with Dr. Berger and begins to learn how to deal with his emotions rather than control them. He starts dating a fellow student, Jeannine, who helps him regain a sense of optimism.
What is Belly and Conrad's relationship? ›
He has been Belly's crush since early childhood, a fact well known by everyone. While Conrad has always cared for her in a brotherly sense, he strictly saw her as "his best friend's little sister". However, it appears that Conrad now suddenly sees her as a girl, not a little sister figure as before.
