Has anyone read Ordinary People?

Question

what is the theme of this story??

Answer 1

In my opinion the basic theme of the book is family dysfunction. Beth has difficulty in expressing her emotions and this damages her relationship with both her husband Cal and her one remaining son Conrad. Cal and Con accept this for a long time as just being Beth's way, instead of trying to draw her out or perhaps confront her about her seeming lack of emotion the way a functional family might. When a confrontation finally happens the results are harsh. The family pretends to be normal on the outside, to the eyes of other people but inside they're hurting. They repress their feelings most of the time and this leads to a dysfunctional way of living.