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A Small, Good Thing. The short story ... century. On the surface, the story of
A Small, Good Thing is simple and universal. Thirty-three ...
A Small Good Thing. “A Small Good Thing’s” Character Development: Tragedy
or Anger Driven? Raymond Carver’s story “A Small ...
A SMALL GOOD THING. In the fictional short story entitled “A Small, Good Thing”
by Raymond Carver is one that emotionally ties the reader to the story. ...
... In the short stories, “A Small, Good Thing” by John Updike and “The Rich Brother”
by Tobias Wolff, self-discoveries took place with Ann and Peter. ...
... Another good thing is that everyone knows who everyone else is and
it'sa very small community with only a few hundred people. ...
Submitted by wyndchymz on June 4, 2007
Category: Book Reports
Words: 1976 | Pages: 8
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The short story A Small, Good Thing by Raymond Carver tells of two American parents dealing with their son’s hospitalisation and death as the result of a hit-and-run car accident. The insensitive actions of their local baker add to their anger and confusion, yet by the end of the story, leave them with a sense of optimism and strength. With such content, Carver runs the risk of coming across as sentimental; however, this is not the case, and the anguish of the parents and their shock at the situation is expressed with dignity and understatement. It is a story with a broad appeal: the simple prose makes it accessible to a wide audience, while the complex themes and issues make it appealing to the educated reader. Written in Carver’s characteristically minimalist style, the story poignantly evokes not only the trauma of the death of a child, but also the breakdown of communication and empathy in society. The plain and direct narrative style suits the content, conveying the lack of communication that is central to the narrative - between the parents, between the hospital staff, and with the baker. Critically, it is generally considered one of Carver’s strongest short stories. It is a tale of isolation and of grief, but also of hope, and, with its fluid, pared-down style, clearly demonstrates why Carver is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of the late 20th century.
On the surface, the story of A Small, Good Thing is simple and universal. Thirty-three-year-old Ann Weiss orders a cake for her son’s Scotty’s eighth birthday and is a little put off by the baker’s cold attitude - “(he) was not jolly. There were no pleasantries between them, just the minimum exchange of words, the necessary information.” However, she soon forgets all about both the baker and the cake when her son is hit by a car on the way to school and, though he initially seems fine, later collapses and is hospitalised. Although the doctors and hospital staff continue to...
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