A Small, Good Thing

The two men are opposites not only in terms of appearance, but also when it comes to their demeanors. This is most clear in their interactions with Scotty’s parents, Howard and Ann. The baker is a man of few words, and his abrupt communication style makes Ann uncomfortable. He speaks with so little detail that his phone calls are cryptic and unnerving to Howard and Ann—it takes the couple a long time to figure out who is calling them and why.

Dr. Francis, meanwhile, is effusive and reassuring. In his conversations with Howard and Ann, he often repeats and elaborates upon what he’s just said: “Nothing to shout about, he could be better, I think. But he’s all right. Still, I wish he’d wake up. He should wake up pretty soon,” he says of Scotty’s condition. If the baker says too little to be clearly understood, the doctor says too much; while vaguely comforting, his dialogue is sometimes so convoluted that it obscures the reality of Scotty’s situation.

Still, the contrast between Dr. Francis and the baker creates an expectation that the former will be of greater help to Howard and Ann than the latter. This expectation is subverted in the story’s final scene. Through the simple work of baking and sharing bread, the baker is able to offer more material comfort to the grieving couple than the doctor. After Scotty’s death, Dr. Francis ushers Howard and Ann, along with their sorrow, out of the hospital, while the baker invites them to sit and eat with him, and “they [do] not think of leaving.”