Ordinary People: The Importance Of Communication

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Ordinary People: The Importance of Communication The novel, Ordinary People, extends deep into the emotional conflicts a family faces when recovering from the death of a loved one and the suicide attempt of another. Such intense sentiments are not always relatable to the reader and therefore a clear understanding and description of the difficulties is necessary for there to be a lucid understanding of the story. Ordinary People accomplishes this by making it clear that in order to heal, real communication needs to take place. What teenagers now a days do not fully realize is that communication is not only verbal, its emotional as well and this novel reminds the reader that the only way to overcome one’s individual conflict relating to death or an event that is just as somber, is by connecting with the people you have true communication with. Sooner or later everyone will have to face the tragic loss of a family member, although usually it is not expected and comes as a drastic shock. Preparing teenagers in advance will aid them in the future to understand the emotional stress they will feel and the significance of communication that will be their main source of coping with the death. Having this novel as part of the curriculum in English is necessary not only to help the students expand their reading knowledge but their comprehension of the difficulties in life as well. School should not only teach students their normal education but also how to cope with situations socially and emotionally therefore, the novel Ordinary People is a necessary contribution to any English class. Because it contains different point of views of the people who are most affected with the death of their loved one, this story shows more insight through not only the plot but the descriptions of abstract feelings each character felt toward the other. In conclusion, a lesson in
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