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Ordinary People Chapter 7 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Conrad meets a girl named Karen for lunch.
  • Conrad and Karen were best buds in the hospital, which is like making friends at summer camp, just with more electroshock.
  • Conrad is upset that Karen now seems distant.
  • Karen is afraid to be too close to Conrad because "it's contagious" (7.50). Either she thinks depression spreads by air, or she thinks that Conrad has SARS.
  • Karen and Conrad catch up a bit, but she soon excuses herself, and Conrad doubts he'll see her again.