A Small Good Thing

A detailed Summary of A Small Good Thing

Many small and good things bring joy to our lives everyday. Some small, good things include anything from experiences, objects, and people. In A Small, Good Thing by Raymond Carver he re-introduces us to several small, good things worth cherishing in this sad story of a young couple dealing with the tragic, slow death of their young son. He explores the human mistake of taking people for granted, loved ones and strangers alike. Passing over others as though they were nothing special, generalizing their feelings while never noticing the mistake being made. It allows us to see the damage of assumptions and the miracle of change.

The techniques Carver uses to show the arrogance of the characters are subtle to say the least. The first instances where this occurs are in the opening paragraphs. The mother is inside a small bakery ordering a birthday cake for her son. She thought to herself of how the baker was not a jolly man, and how he seemed uncomfortable. Then she makes the worst assumption of the entire story. As written in the book, she thinks, "everyone, especially someone the baker's age- a man old enough to be her father- must have children who'd gone through this special time of cakes and birthday parties." The baker r

The baker is perhaps the saddest but most important character of the story. We find out that he has been lonely all his life; he had never heard the giggles from his own children. He is a recluse in his bakery, where he works 16 long hours a day. Although the baker doesn't necessarily make any harsh assumptions towards the other characters, he does take them for granted. He treats the family like any other family that is delinquent in picking up their order, he does not realize that something damaging has occurred in this family. He assumes that the family is just lazy and horrible for cheating an old man of his money and time. Without thinking of the repercussions, he makes repeated phone calls, late at night, to a family who has lost their child. The reader sees him as inconsiderate and uncaring in his actions. We ask ourselves why this baker is so harsh, so cruel. We, as a reader forget what it is to see the situation through his point of view. Although we know there is no way for him to have known about the death, it is made to seem that he is partly responsible for it because he initially fuels some of the parents' grief.

ealizes she is probably thinking what all of his customers assume, he i

Some common words found in the essay are:
Raymond Carver, , birthday cake, baker realizes, son's name, cake son,

Approximate Word count = 817
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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A Small Good Thing

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