Comparing Crow Lake and Ordinary People.
In the novels Crow Lake and Ordinary People two comparable characters are established: Kate Morrisson and Conrad Jarrett. Despite the dissimilar settings, both characters share a related image of their older brothers: Matt Morrisson and Jordan (Buck) Jarrett. Kate and Conrad both describe their brothers as two amazing individuals whose positive qualities surpass those of anyone whom they know. When Kate and Conrad succeed at something that their brothers failed at, they cannot enjoy their success. This is because Kate and Conrad cannot accept their brothers" failures.
In the novel, Crow Lake, the narrator, Kate Morrisson speaks of her relationship with her older brother, Matt Morrisson. Kate depicts Matt as an object of perfection. He is her teacher. When Kate chooses her profession as an invertebrate ecologist it is a direct result of Matt's passion for the ponds that he shared with her as a child (Page 190). Kate speaks of what a genius Matt was and how hard he always worked. In one passage Kate comments on Matt's skills, saying, .
I don't think anyone doubted that Matt would win a scholarship, but I don't think even his teachers realized quite how well he would do. He wiped the board. He won everything going (Page 227). .
Not only did his skills amaze her, but also he, as a person astonished her. During one passage Kate recalls that, "I loved watching him. I"d sit beside him sometimes drawing pictures on the back of his study notes and watching the movements of his pencil" (Page 224). Kate idolizes Matt and deems him perfect. For her, Matt defines success.
In Ordinary People, Conrad Jarrett idolizes his older brother, Buck Jarrett, in the same way that Kate idolizes her older brother, Matt. In one passage T. C. Berger, Conrad's psychologist, is speaking to Conrad. Berger summarizes what happened between Conrad and Buck.
"Kiddo, let me tell you a story," Berger says, "A very simple story.
To compare, in Poland there are 360 species, and in Masovia 300. ... The Hooded Crow 4. ... The Hooded Crow The Hooded Crow belongs to species called crow-like. ... It lives in stagnant or slow-flowing water especially in places with well developed coastal flora - quiet lakes, ponds, oxbow lakes. ... The Black-headed Gulls usually nest on islets on lakes and rivers. ...