The three core principles, meaning, language, and thought, of George Herbert Mead's theory of symbolic interactionism, will be used explain the creation of Conrad's "self" and his socialization into the larger community within Ordinary People.
             Conrad has locked himself into a horrible self-fulfilling prophecy, a prophecy in which he is an unlovable, worthless member of his community. This prophecy was developed from his concept of the "me" part of his "self", that of a rotten kid, whom needs to be punished all time. The "me" was developed from his self-image, or his looking-glass self, which derived from his thoughts used to make meaning out of the language used by the other people he viewed himself through. Conrad was always hard on him-self; therefore he always interpreted other peoples' language towards him as being as equally hard, or harder. As his dad said, "You didn't need it. You were always so hard on yourself, I never had the heart," when talking about disciplining him when he was a child. (pg. 257) To keep control over the rottenness which he saw within him-self, Conrad always denied the "I" part of his "self". He feared the unpredictability that came with indulging the primal "I". By denying the "I" he never truly allowed his "self", the merging of the "I" and the "me", to develop. Internalizing all the raw feelings associated with the "I" became so painful that he eventually attempted suicide. Conrad finally healed as he acknowledged his "I" and let it merge with a redeveloped "me" that became a "self" in which he was content and could continue on living with.
             Conrad's generalized other was based mostly on the way he saw himself through his mother, Beth's eyes. He craved the affection that she gave his role-model, Jorda...