Coming of Age Quotes in Ordinary People

Conrad, Calvin's son, has one out of four. We'd say one of four ain't bad, but it is. His mother is emotionally distant, so cross her off the list. He doesn't believe in God. And his brother drowned while he watched. That's the opposite of good fortune. Things aren't gonna be easy for this kid.

Many teenagers feel overscheduled, and Conrad is no different. He feels like being overscheduled is the norm, and if he takes a break, he will be below average.

As a growing young man, Conrad often turns to sexual pleasures to cope. However, like many things in life, Conrad the loner also does sex by himself. At least at this point in the book.