Cultural Diversity and Other Issues in "Ordinary People"

Now the only child in the family, Conrad is positi angiotensin converting enzymed as an interloper in his house because Beth, who cannot await to do enough to recall family memories in terms of Bucky and not in terms of both boys or the family as a whole, is so detached as to seem on the sceptre of open hostility toward him. She is too cool toward her husband Calvin, as if the only one in the family she ever truly love was Bucky. Then there is the social embarrassment attaching to Conrad's attempted suicide, which Everybody Knows well-nigh and which is hampering his ability to fit in at school. It is inescapably obvious--though not, initially, to Beth--that Bucky was so much her favorite that Conrad, who survived the accident, is someone she has al paths rather tolerated than loved. more(prenominal) disinterestedly concerned well-nigh Conrad is Calvin, who calls him "Connie" and who encourages him to see a psychiatrist, one Dr. Berger. But Calvin cannot unambiguously articulate even his most too-generous emotions, to either Conrad or Beth.

One can be forgiven for thought process that, with three disturbed people in the family suffering, they send Conrad to the psychiatrist, as if Berger will fix what is wrong and everything will magically determine back to normal. Berger is presented as a perfectly competent counselor, having an daily yet perceptive style, and in drawing Conrad out, he also elicits information that enables him to accurately infer the truth of Conrad's ablaze status. The methods Berger uses b

Okun's list of accommodative counselor sort (33) is very much consistent with the film's presentation of Berger. In the sessions with Conrad, Berger consistently uses "verbal reinforcers" such as "I see" or "Mm-hm." The effect is to encourage Conrad to keep talking his way toward self-discovery. For Berger, veteran(a) professional that he is, understands from the moment Conrad says he is interested in taking more control of his life that this is a recruit phrase for having a need to peel back the emotional veneer and confront his feelings. Berger's calm and self-possession in the slope of Conrad's tortured emotional state implies that he possesses the theoretical make out about human behavior and dysfunctional family systems.

Now Berger does warn Conrad that control is not easy to regain, which is consistent with Okun's note that helpful counselor behavior includes giving appropriate information on one hand (33) and being honest on the other (45). Further, Berger does not "correct" Conrad's desire for more control, i.e., is not faultfinding(prenominal) about but is respectful of lymph node statements (33). At the comparable time, he suggests that Conrad can go about the hard clientele of asserting control in gradual steps, talking about his actions and letting the feelings come in when they will (Sargent). This strategy is also consistent with Okun's statement of the need for counselor self-awareness and having "personal experience of the process of human development . . . and to know firsthand the furbish up of societal, cultural, and familial influences on behavior" (Okun 43). To put it another way: The shrink has seen it all before and knows that it is best for a client to achieve insight and awareness in his own favourable time.

The entire scope of therapy as presented with Berger and Conrad is a gradual arouse of insight, guided (though not dictated) by Berger's ability to draw Conrad close-set(prenominal) to a more accurate perception of the feelings surrounding him. Berger helps Conrad shake up to the point of ackn
Ordercustompaper.com is a professional essay writing service at which you can buy essays on any topics and disciplines! All custom essays are written by professional writers!