Raymond Carver Stories : A Small Good Thing

A detailed Summary of Raymond Carver Stories : A Small Good Thing


In the Raymond Carver story, "A Small Good Thing", there are two very different views on life and these views are seen through two entirely different types of people. Scotty's parents and the baker have different lifestyles that set them apart from each other but also have different ways of viewing life and death.

Scotty's parents, Howard and Ann, seem to live in a dream world where nothing can happen to them. They are a middle to upper class family, with Howard's job as a cardiologist supporting the family. Through reading the story, it appears that they live in a bubble where nothing can happen to their well functioning family. The greatest example of this would be the fact that they can not make themselves believe that Scotty is in a coma and is likely to die. During this time they continue to believe the hospital workers that everything is going to be alright and that he is "sleeping" or needs his sleep. They can not seem to either see or accept that their son is in a coma and dying. No one even seems to show interest or care for when they find that Scotty is in the hospital and they do not visit him or call the family at any time. The only person that seems to have a grip on reality and compassion for what they have


Meanwhile, the baker has the most grasp on reality, especially with the accident and Scotty's death. In the beginning, it appears that the only thing that the baker worries about is the cake that Ann got for Scotty and the fact that they did not pick up their cake when they said they would. In fact when Ann and Howard confront the baker, he is still worried about the cake saying that he doesn't understand why they would want to pick up a stale and old cake. Only after Ann and Howard tell about what has happened to them, the baker shows some compassion. At no time did the baker ask why they had not showed up to pick up their cake or asked why they were so upset over the phone. In contrast, the baker speaks for himself stating that he has no children and that he spends sixteen hours a day at the bakery. While this is no excuse, it shows that the baker has lost his heart and with no one to ever shares his feelings or sentiments with, he has become a hermit. The baker has never had any chance to realize what he has been putting himself through and his life has become nothing but being a shrewd, miserable man.

gone through is the baker. Another example of the lack of reality in the family is when Scotty is initially hit and he goes home. Instead of Ann call

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 858
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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