A Small, Good Thing Summary & Analysis

Scotty’s accident is especially disturbing because it happens on Monday, which the reader knows is his eighth birthday. The innocence of two children walking to school, discussing what Scotty’s friend is giving him for his birthday, is contrasted with the senselessness and cruelty of the hit-and-run. This speaks to the idea that life is unpredictable, peppered with both joyous events (like Scotty’s birthday) and tragedy (like the accident). Although Scotty is able to get up and didn’t sustain any superficial injuries, he may have suffered a concussion (or more serious brain damage) when his head hit the gutter.

When Scotty gets home, he seems fine to Ann at first, which makes his sudden lapse into unconsciousness even more surprising than it would otherwise be. This further points to life’s unpredictability, as tragedy can strike in an instant. That Ann calls her husband instead of immediately calling an ambulance shows that she’s in a state of shock and confusion, as she’s not yet treating this as an emergency.

Notably, the detail that Scotty’s birthday party has been cancelled is mentioned before Scotty’s condition. This suggests that (at this stage) his parents and doctor consider the accident a minor disruption in an otherwise happy time for Scotty and his family, rather than a tragedy worthy of more attention. But while Howard is still able to focus on practical concerns like bathing and changing his clothes, Ann is entirely focused on Scotty—perhaps to the point that she’s unconcerned with how Howard is feeling. Readers know from Ann’s previous conversation with the baker that motherhood is extremely important to her, so much so that she couldn’t understand why a stranger wouldn’t be interested in hearing about her son’s birthday. Thus, even though it’s unclear how serious Scotty’s condition is at this point, Ann’s worry speaks to the idea that family is a crucial source of fulfillment and comfort in her life—one that would be traumatizing to lose.

Howard’s thoughts on the drive home foreshadow a tragedy awaiting him. He thinks about how “lucky” he has been not to have experienced any real suffering in his life. Although he’s never experienced the kind of suffering that he thinks of, he dreads even the idea of hardships that can “cripple or bring down a man.” Howard is aware of how painful suffering can be, and how it could utterly change his life, which has so far been mainly a joyful experience. He reminds himself that Scotty will be fine, but his uncharacteristically reckless driving and trembling show that he’s afraid.

The phone call Howard receives about the cake is disorienting for him because it’s about something so mundane. After his son is hit by a car, Scotty’s birthday cake is the furthest thing from Howard’s mind; it doesn’t occur to him why someone might be calling about cake, even though he was likely thinking about Scotty’s birthday party earlier in the day. Howard’s stress in this moment creates a a gap in understanding between him and the caller (presumably the baker Ann spoke to earlier in the story), as neither of them are able to connect or empathize with what the other is saying.

Howard is very concerned about his son’s condition, calling the hospital to check on Scotty even though it’s unlikely that anything changed in the short time since Howard left his bedside. The continual tension and miscommunication between Howard and the person who keeps calling the house speaks to how alienated and disconnected Howard likely feels in this moment. Rather than family or friends calling him to ask about Scotty, the only person contacting him is a stranger who has no idea about what’s going on. The calls also represent a huge gap between what the Weiss family’s concerns were this morning (the cake that the caller is asking about) and what they are now: namely, whether their son will survive. This again shows how unpredictable life can be, as the entire tone of the Weiss’s day (and, perhaps, the rest of their lives) has rapidly changed.

Howard arrives back at the hospital to find his son looking sicker than before. The glucose bottle running to Scotty’s arm is a sign that something is very wrong, as he’s unable to eat or drink on his own. Nevertheless, Howard reassures his wife that Scotty will be alright, because they’re both eager to believe Dr. Francis’ assertion that Scotty will be fine. This situation has completely disrupted the couple’s formerly happy, easygoing life, and they want to cling onto whatever semblance of normalcy they can.

Despite her husband’s efforts, Ann isn’t as able to believe that Scotty will be fine. She’s more outwardly concerned than Howard is, and seems less trusting of Dr. Francis. Meanwhile, Howard tells her that the person calling the house is a “creep,” which makes Ann suspicious of the caller before she’s even heard his voice. She doesn’t realize that the caller is likely the same baker she spoke to the other day, which adds another layer to the miscommunication Howard has already had with the caller. 

Here, both Howard and Ann are struggling to accept that they can’t change what’s going on—just as they couldn’t predict or prevent Scotty’s accident, nothing they can say or do will make Scotty wake up. The couple has different ways of coping with this lack of control: while Howard tries to stay positive and reassure his wife, Ann openly expresses her worries. Clearly, though, both parents are distraught at the idea that something is seriously wrong with their son. Whereas their bond with him was once something comforting and fulfilling in their lives, now it's a source of pain.

The description of Dr. Francis’s suit and handsome looks characterize him as professional and even charming. His appearance would suggest that he’s a trustworthy authority figure in the hospital, someone whom the Weisses can believe in and rely on for comfort during this traumatic time. His reassurances, however, are gradually becoming less clear. His sentences contradict one another: Scotty is fine and “should wake up pretty soon,” but he also has a concussion and fractured skull. As a result, Dr. Francis’s medical advice is more confusing and stressful than it is reassuring. Ann and Howard want certainty about their son’s condition one way or the other, but Dr. Francis is unable to give this to them.

Dr. Francis continues his attempts to reassure Ann and Howard, but his words become more confused. He says he’s “certain” Scotty will wake up soon, but he immediately walks this back by saying that he’s “betting” Scotty will wake. He’s also reluctant to diagnose Scotty’s condition as a coma, yet he doesn’t give the Weisses any alternative explanation for why their son has been asleep for so long. As a doctor, Dr. Francis can’t have full certainty about or control over anything that happens to his patients, any more than Scotty or his parents had control over the accident. However, Dr. Francis fails to fully empathize with Ann and Howard about their fears or to comfort them, perhaps because he’s trying to conceal his own uncertainty about Scotty’s condition.

Ann’s concern over how cool Scotty’s forehead is foreshadows a greater problem with his health—it’s almost as if the warmth and vitality of life has been drained out of him. This is a stark contrast to the way Scotty was before the accident: a healthy little boy walking to school and sharing a bag of potato chips with his friend. The rapid change in Scotty’s condition speaks to life’s unpredictable and chaotic nature. Meanwhile, Ann admits to herself that she hadn’t even considered Howard’s feelings before this moment, which perhaps hints at a gap in communication and understanding in the couple’s relationship. Rather than turning to each other for comfort, they’ve both felt isolated in their trauma and fear.

Here, the radiologist’s call for more in-depth tests contradicts with Dr. Francis’s continued assurances that Scotty is fine. Though the radiologist tells Ann that a brain scan is a “perfectly normal procedure in cases like this,” he doesn’t specify what “cases like this” means. In reality, Scotty’s case seems to be mystifying the doctors as well as his parents, and the radiologist’s words don’t comfort Ann and Howard any more than Dr. Francis’s have.

Ann and Howard’s interaction with the woman who comes to take Scotty’s blood is another example of their failure to connect with the hospital staff. Ann is becoming increasingly frustrated that no one they talk to has any answers for them about Scotty’s condition—either because they don’t know, or because, like Dr. Francis, they’re trying to draw conclusions about a situation that they don’t completely understand. Either way, the lack of clarity makes Ann and Howard feel powerless, confused, and isolated.

Ann’s wish to be the woman getting into the car in the parking lot shows her desire to escape her situation—but it’s also another failure to empathize with other people’s lives. Given that this woman was also at the hospital, it’s possible that she’s struggling with something just as traumatic as Scotty’s accident. Meanwhile, Howard and Ann are able to nonverbally connect and understand each other for the first time in the story. Their shared worry over Scotty has caused them to become “transparent” with each other—and in this way, tragedy has actually brought them closer together.

This time, when Dr. Francis returns, he seems much less authoritative than before. He’s still wearing a suit, but this is no longer enough to project a façade of competence and trustworthiness. He can’t tell Ann and Howard that their son is going to be alright as confidently as he once did, yet he still doesn’t give the Weisses any straight answers about Scotty’s condition. In fact, Ann is the one to declare that her son is in a coma—Dr. Francis merely agrees to call it that, rather than giving his own formal diagnosis. He can’t offer comfort or clarity to Ann and Howard, so he tries to offer them practical help instead, assigning a nurse to Scotty’s room so that they can get something to eat. In addition, his word choice of “over the hill” is a bit unsettling in this context: although he likely means that Scotty will already have overcome the worst of his injuries when he wakes up from coma, the term “over the hill” is often used to describe someone who is elderly and past their prime. In this way, Dr. Francis’s words subtly (and perhaps unintentionally) hint that Scotty is no longer the same little boy he used to be, and that he’ll never be the same.

Ann doesn’t want to leave Scotty to go home and feed the dog, but she finally agrees because she knows that Howard needs to be alone. This is another sign that her connection with Howard has been strengthened since the beginning of this ordeal: she’s gone from not considering how this situation affects Howard at all, to understanding him better and realizing when he needs space.

When Ann sees the family in the waiting room, they immediately press her for answers about Franklin’s condition, which mirrors Ann’s desperation for answers about Scotty’s health. She feels bad that she’s interrupted them and shares her own struggle with the family, as if trying to comfort them by letting them know that they aren’t alone. She downplays her concerns about Scotty, saying that there “might be some kind of coma,” despite her concerns in the hospital room earlier, showing her need to believe Dr. Francis’ reassurances. It could even be the case that she’s minimizing Scotty’s injuries to make the family feel better about Franklin, as though her own feigned calmness will make them feel calm as well. Notably, the language that the story uses to describe Franklin’s family (a “Negro family”) indicates that this story is set in a past era, as “negro” is now considered an outdated and offensive term for a Black person. Ann and Howard, meanwhile, are implied to be white (their surname, Weiss, means “white” in German). Thus, given the implied historical context of the story, the divide between Ann and this family is magnified by racial differences.

Ann recognizes that she and Franklin’s family are “in the same kind of waiting”—that is, they’re both stuck in a kind of limbo where they’re fearing for their sons’ lives and unsure of what the future holds. Her desire to connect with these strangers in the hospital is much more intense than her need for small talk with the baker was—her desire to talk with them is informed by her understanding of their mutual struggles, rather than by politeness.

Here, Ann performs everyday tasks like feeding the dog and making tea—yet going about her routine doesn’t seem to give her any sense of stability or normalcy. She is immediately on-edge and incredulous when the caller mentions her son, assuming that there’s been a development in Scotty’s condition. Readers can infer that this caller is the same one who Howard spoke to earlier, meaning that this is the baker calling to remind the Weisses about Scotty’s birthday cake. But the immense stress that Ann is under creates a gap in communication between her and the baker, as she’s lost the ability to process information that isn’t related to Scotty’s accident. In this way, the accident forced Ann to completely disconnect from her old life in a matter of days, again reflecting the lack of control that people have over their circumstances.

The miscommunication between the caller and the couple has escalated to the point that Howard now thinks the caller must be a psychopath—the Weisses have progressed from being frustrated with the caller to being furious and even afraid. Ann is even trying to figure out details about the caller by deciphering noises in the background of the call. Rather than communicating openly with each other, the two parties misunderstand each other (the Weisses are too distracted to remember the birthday cake, and the baker has no idea that Scotty was in an accident). As a result, they’re unable to connect or empathize with one another.

When Ann learns that Franklin has died, it foreshadows a tragedy to come for her. It’s unsettling for her to see that the family, whose pain reminded her of her own struggles, has left the hospital with bad news. Furthermore, Ann’s thought about telling Franklin’s teenaged sister not to have children shows how disillusioned and cynical she’s become over the course of the story. Mere days ago, she seemed to assume that everyone has a family whom they value, the same way she values hers. But now, she is frightened by the idea of a young woman having kids, because she is beginning to associate family with loss rather than togetherness and fulfillment.

Howard’s uncertain words about whether the doctors will operate (he switches from saying that the doctors think they’re going to operate to saying “they are going to operate”) reflect Dr. Francis’s lack of clarity in explaining Scotty’s case to the Weisses. Even now that they’ve decided to operate, the doctors aren’t sure what’s wrong with Scotty, so Ann and Howard have no more certainty than they did before. They are left in confusion and are totally out of control of the situation—a state that would’ve been unthinkable to them in the easy life that they lived before Monday morning.

The moment of Scotty’s death is sudden and shocking, just as the rest of the events of the story have been for Ann and Howard. Although they’ve been in limbo in the hospital for quite some time now, Dr. Francis and the rest of the hospital staff have failed to inform them of the seriousness of Scotty’s condition—indeed, they may not have known themselves. And now, as a result, the Weisses are likely blindsided by Scotty’s unexpected death. There’s no way for them to control the situation or even understand what’s happening until their son has taken his last breath.

Only after Scotty’s death is Dr. Francis able to really connect with Ann and Howard and sympathize with them. After being uncommunicative and overly optimistic with the couple during Scotty’s coma, Dr. Francis finally apologizes and is able to provide a small amount of comfort for the couple. Indeed, Dr. Francis is visibly shaken by what’s just happened, suggesting that losing a young patient was traumatic for him as well. When Dr. Francis takes the couple into the lounge, the other doctor wearing delivery room scrubs is a reminder that births are occurring in the hospital at the same time as Scotty’s death. This underscores the fact that Scotty was killed on his birthday, and it’s also a reminder of the cycle of life—and the delicate balance of joy and tragedy—that Scotty’s birth and death were a part of.

Ann’s reaction to leaving the hospital without Scotty is one of total shock and horror. But in this moment, rather than thinking of herself, she thinks of Franklin’s mother’s head falling to her shoulder. Despite the fact that Franklin’s mother is a total stranger, Ann feels connected to her now that she, too, has experienced the tragedy of losing a child. In this way, even vaguely knowing of someone else who’s gone through the same hardship is comforting for Ann, as it makes her feel less alone. Howard is initially more composed, but he breaks down when Dr. Francis brings up an autopsy. Howard’s horror at the idea of this causes him to say that he doesn’t understand what’s happening—it’s difficult for him to even process this kind of tragedy, as losing his young son probably seemed impossible to him before the accident.

Ann tells Howard that they’ll have to get used to “being alone” now that Scotty has died—they must now adjust their identities and lifestyles to reflect the fact that they went from being parents to being childless in a matter of days. Meanwhile, Ann’s conversations with her family members are short, and they don’t seem to afford her the kind of comfort she’s looking for amid her grief—nor does it solve her problem of “being alone.” In the meantime, seeing Scotty’s possessions seems to make his death feel more real for Howard, as though being reminded of the very different life they led only days earlier makes the tragedy of losing Scotty all the more poignant.

Ann’s rage at the baker is a way for her to express her rage at the situation in general—prior to the accident, when life was going smoothly, she would have never forgotten to pick up her son’s birthday cake. She forgot because her son was dying, and the shock of the accident removed everything else from her mind. Now that she realizes who the caller is, she wants to confront him for making their past days even more stressful with his cryptic messages. She hasn’t been able to control anything about Scotty’s death, but she feels as though she can do something about the baker’s hostility.

When Ann and Howard arrive at the bakery, they have trouble getting in because it’s the middle of the night and the doors are locked, obstacles that underscore how out-of-the-ordinary Ann’s behavior is. When Ann introduces herself as Scotty’s mother, she’s making a statement about still being a mother even after her son’s death, as she seemingly wants to hold onto the sense of meaning and identity that being a parent gave her. But this isn’t a statement that the baker can understand, as the miscommunication and subsequent gap in understanding between the couple and the baker prevents him from empathizing with what they’re going through.

Initially, the encounter between Ann and the baker is hostile. The baker is angry because he assumes that Ann’s failure to pick up the cake was due to sheer carelessness, and making the cake cost him time and money. At the same time, Ann is angry because the phone calls the baker made to her and Howard brought them even more stress and uncertainty in a moment of crisis. Their hostility toward each other results from them being unable to connect, because both the couple and the baker have made assumptions and misunderstood each other’s perspectives.

Ann and Howard seem to view the baker as a hostile outsider, so they don’t feel guilty taking their anger out on him. The couple’s vulnerability in the face of their tragedy may allow the baker to understand and empathize with them better, as the circumstance behind Ann’s failure to pick up the cake is a piece of information that he didn’t have before.

Now that Ann and Howard have explained their tragedy, the baker is able to connect with them over his own struggles. His decision to share his personal challenges with them, instead of just listening to theirs, helps Ann and Howard understand why the baker was calling them the way he did—he wasn’t a psychopath, but a lonely, angry man. The baker, like the Weisses, is childless, so he can understand their newfound loneliness perhaps better than anyone else in their lives can. In this way, even though the baker is a relative stranger to Ann and Howard, his small gesture of kindness in relating to them goes a long way.

The baker tells Ann and Howard about the difficulty of growing older without children and constantly baking for other people’s birthday parties and weddings without experiencing these milestones himself. He’s watched the cycle of life for many other people through his career as a baker, yet he’s never been able to experience marriage or parenthood for himself. Given Ann’s initial negative judgement of him, the baker is an unlikely figure to comfort Ann and Howard, but he gives them the greatest compassion they’ve received in the story by feeding them and talking with them through the night. The baker suggestion that “a small, good thing”—whether a comforting sentiment from a stranger or a warm meal—can become exceptionally meaningful during a trying time seems to prove true for the Weisses. And even though Ann and Howard’s tragedy has plunged them into despair and loneliness, the story ends on an optimistic note. The couple’s connection with the baker suggests that tragedy doesn’t have to tear people apart—it can just as easily bring them together.