Beth/Conrad
...esponds “Mothers don’t hate there children”. This response (though subtle) is an escape route. She’s saying “Mothers” she’s not saying herself. Conrad doesn’t suffer from as much as a character disorder as his mother but his self-sabotage strife’s their relationship even more. Conrad blames himself for everything wrong in his life; his brother’s death, suicide, and especially his relationship with his mother. He is very hard on himself and believes it is his fault that his mother doesn’t love him as much as he wants her to. Though unlike Beth Conrad comes to grip with this fact and forgives her at the end of the film through the hug. Conrad is able to accept his mother for what she is. Conrad takes a risk in the film by seeing Dr. Berger. It’s not a risk that’s going to hurt him in anyway its more of a fear he has of seeing a psychiatrist (the usual fear of being crazy or weird because your going to a psychiatrist). But Dr. Berger is a huge help to Conrad. Berger helps Conrad with accepting Bucks (5 stages of death and rebirth.) death and the relationship with his mother. I think a major component of Conrad and Beth’s relationship is the term discussed in class T.E.A.R. Conrad is able to use this term and ultimately come to grip with situations however Beth isn’t. T- to accept reality of the loss. Connie accepts the reality of the loss of Buck (though it takes awhile) while Beth isn’t able too. E- experience pain of the loss, Conrad experiences the pain of Bucks loss to the maximum, Beth does to but the two never console each other or try to help each other with Bucks death. A- adjust to the new environment without the lost object, Beth I don’t think ev...