Ordinary People Sparknotes

Helping 1,268 people survive is not easy especially when it is during a brutal genocide. The streets, a pool of blood and corpses,were your normal scenery when driving through the country of Rwanda. An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina is about the Rwanda War between Hutus and Tutsis and the mass genocide that broke out, and how Paul, just an ordinary man with a hotel, saved many people's lives who did not even fathom they would live to tell about the war. Paul Rusesabagina had many past upbringing and experiences that helped him ensure his survival and the survival of others that were in his life, such as how Paul's dad was Hutu and his mom was Tutsi, managing the Hotel Mille Collines,

If one were to take anything from Christopher Browning’s Ordinary Men it is that even the most ordinary, normal men have the capacity to kill. The 101st Reserve Police Battalion executed at least 6,500 Jews at the Polish cities and villages of Jozefow, Lomazy, Serokomla, Lukow, Konskowola, Parczew, Radzyn, Kock, and Miedzyrzec and participated in the deportation of at least 42,000 Jews to the gas chambers in Treblinka (Browning, chapter 14, page 121). There were most likely even more killings that were never documented and much less remembered by the members of the 101st. These men had their first taste of death at Jozefow where they massacred 1,500 Polish Jews (Browning, chapter 8, page 74). It was a brutal and harrowing event where men,

Christopher Browning describes how the Reserve Police Battalion 101, like the rest of German society, was immersed in a flood of racist and anti-Semitic propaganda. Browning describes how the Order Police provided indoctrination both in basic training and as an ongoing practice within each unit. Many of the members were not prepared for the killing of Jews. The author examines the reasons some of the police members did not shoot. The physiological effect of isolation, rejection, and ostracism is examined in the context of being assigned to a foreign land with a hostile population. The contradictions imposed by the demands of conscience on the one hand and the norms of the battalion on the other are discussed. Ordinary Men

The stages of grief are demonstrated in Conrad’s relationships with his family and friends. Conrad has experienced depression and a suicide attempt in response to his brother’s death. At the beginning of the book, Conrad is going through the first stage of grief, which is shock and denial. Conrad’s father, Cal, worries about Conrad’s mental health and gives him the name of a therapist. However, Conrad does not call him. Cal believes that Conrad, “ ought to stick with the plan --’” (13) However, Conrad “can’t [because he] is swimming every night…[He doesn’t] need to see anybody. [He] feels fine’ (13). Conrad is uncomfortable talking about the death, and seeing a therapist would require him to talk. Conrad is afraid to feel his emotions. He thinks if he just avoids thinking about his brother’s death, he will be okay. The second

In the beginning of the novel Conrad is picked up by Lazenby to go to school along with Van Buren and Stillman, all of whom have grown apart from Conrad since he’s been away in the mental ward. It’s obvious that Lazenby wants to make honest conversation during the car ride, however the constant bombardment of questions to Conrad from Stillman prevents him. Stillman pokes fun at Conrad looking at the new girl as she walks to school and Lazenby does nothing to stop him. Later that day when Lazenby drives them home and Stillman questions Conrad on what he thinks of two sophomores on the swim team who have constantly been beating Conrad. Lazenby, trying to defend Conrad when he stays silent, says, “They’re not that good, Kev”(Guest 23). Lazenby is trying to help Conrad at this point but Conrad is not being receptive of Lazenby which appears to make him uncomfortable.

As I previously mentioned, Dahl wouldn’t agree with the fact that the ordinary man can’t better himself or make change, which is the bases of Mill’s quote. “---A has power over B--- is not interesting, informative, or even accurate“ (Dahl, 1957, Pg. 80.) To state the obvious there are certainly authority figures within our lives that have the responsibility to over see us and make sure we do right, yet there is no one group that controls our thoughts or poses a threat to better ourselves as individuals. Dahl gives the example of the president, and how he is the base and we are the response. If the president is making poor decisions for this country we reserve the right to vote another candidate into the white house, or as Dahl mentioned the

He set Conrad up with Dr. Berger for therapy, and constantly checked up on him. He knew that Beth was not giving Conrad the attention he may have needed after the incident, as she simply couldn’t forgive him for what he did. The way Calvin saw it, Conrad was his child and needed help. Calvin felt he was doing the right thing, but he couldn’t help but feel sadness every time he checked on Conrad, only to receive short answers. Many parents in the world feel a similar feeling as Calvin when this happens to them. However, it is important to consider Conrad’s side. If Calvin was constantly asking him if he was okay, and he wasn’t, he naturally would feel like he was not doing well enough for his father. Conrad was now not only struggling with a loss, but he now suffered from depression, which is a full package of doubt, anxiety, and apathy. The last thing Conrad needed if he wanted to improve was someone making him feel like he wasn’t accomplishing anything.

Think back to time where a family member or friend did something that was regrettable or could cause guilt in the future. In the two novels, Ordinary People by Judith Guest and, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a character either wants to embrace their past or wants to move on and forget it. The first story, Ordinary People by Judith Guest, the character, Conrad wants to forget the past and move on because of the guilt that carries with every memory. In the other novel, The Book Thief, the character of Leisel wants to go back to her past and bring it back. Both characters have a different view of their past, which affect their feelings towards it. The theme of the story is developed through these feelings and attitude. The two main examples are, Conrad’s opening feelings in the beginning of Ordinary People, and Liesel's determination to go back to the past. In Conrad's shoes he wants to forget the past, while Liesel wants it back

Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning focuses on the true nature of the Nazi police officers during World War II and how they became infamous for their actions against the Jewish population. This piece adequately address the social context in which normal every day Germans could turn into killing machines with a sole purpose of wiping out an entire demographic of people. Browning outlines his research in his thesis which explains that “the insidious effects of constant propaganda indoctrination...made it all easier for the majority of the policemen to conform to the norms of their immediate community.” In this novel, Browning lays his arguments in a clear and concise manor that make his audience a broader reach for all those interested in a history of the Holocaust.

As a result of his visitations with Dr. Berger, Conrad learns to seek for forgiveness not only in his family but especially in himself. Essentially, in his life he struggles to understand the concept of a guiding principle, “A belief of some kind. A bumper sticker, if you will” (pg. 1). A guiding principle in Conrad’s life that really helped him to forgive others was Dr. Berger, he consistently pushes Conrad to look at things from different perspectives and to release all the anger and guilt he feels inside. Notably, Berger was there the night Conrad needed help, “I need to see you, he whispers” (pg. 219), in a moment of disparity, Berger evaluates Conrad and concludes that he still feels at fault for practically everything that happened in his life. At his lowest moments, any time that Conrad spends with Berger he begins to realize that he will only find growth in himself once he stops putting the blame on anyone

John Legend is a vocalist, lyricist, and artist who has been married to the model Chrissy Teigen for a long time. He composed and delivered a song called Ordinary People to let the world realize that he relates the impediments that accompany connections. In the song, Ordinary People by John Legend, it recounts the battle people confront with regards to connections. It is about the hurricane of feeling individuals encounter when they are infatuated. It reveals insight into the hardships of responsibility and the decisions that influence it. John Legend splendidly utilizes the three claims as a part of the piece of the tune to adequately clarify the excursion of duty.

"Can we go get my books and things now, Dumbledore?" Thia asked Professor Dumbledore. To her delight he said yes. It had been about a week after Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, adopted Aelitheria Pyremance from the Hodgekin Orphanage.

The Higher Circle in the Society are the Ordinary men. Such men hold moderately a variety of theories about their own responsibility in the event and decision. The domination posts thought in terms of their member acquire, they have an enormous share to the people and experiences to the most highly valued. They also visualize as a top of a member in social section, as groups of member and know one another in socially, business decision making and take one

A small clip from the movie Network provides a glimpse of a currency-dependent society in America when CCA chairman Arthur Jensen explains to Mr. Beale through means of effective persuasion the importance of currency. In the novel Ordinary People, a simple family that appears to be perfect and complete on the surface, divides after the death of their son. Both texts reflect the desire to rely on money and the materials of the world - and as a result replacing love, family and morality.

Ordinary. That is how August felt, ordinary, but people did not see August that way every time he went somewhere he was stared or laughed at. I wouldn’t be like that if I were August. It seems as if August has a hard time at school and everywhere he goes. If I were him I would feel terrible, cool, and awkward.