A Small Good Thing by Raymond Carver (The Title)

 

A Small Good Thing

by Raymond Carver

(The Title) 

In this story Carver reminds us that there are many good, small things in our lives which we ignore or take for granted. They range from objects, experiences to people. If we could only take a conscious note of them and cherish them, there would be so much more joy in our lives. What we do however, is neglect people, whether loved ones or strangers, do not treat them with the respect and care that they deserve and make them feel small in many ways. This is the general human tendency and we are not even aware of the error of our ways.

In the story, little things take on importance and have a far-reaching effect on the lives of their characters. Scotty is walking to school with a friend on his birthday when he steps off the curb without looking and is knocked down by a car. He gets up and it appears as though he is unhurt. What appears to be a minor accident soon develops into something far more serious. Similarly, the baker’s call to remind them of the cake that had been ordered takes on menacing overtones as the story progresses and it appears that the couple is being hounded by a diabolic pervert. Scotty’s ‘harmless’ sleep that the doctors explain as a protective measure of the body to heal itself finally leads to death.

The characters are all ordinary people one would meet in the course of the everyday routine and none of them stands out for any particular quality. They are ‘small’ people who play a large role during the course of the story. The food that is offered by the baker as an act of penitence and comfort, is a small thing but it nourishes not only the bodies of the bereaved parents but also their heart and spirit. It thus plays an important albeit small role in the story, in keeping with the title.