Joy and Tragedy
“A Small, Good Thing” is a story that focuses on the joy of birth and the tragedy of death: Ann and Howard’s son, Scotty, is hit by a car on his eighth birthday, and he dies suddenly after a period of unconsciousness. Ann had ordered a birthday cake for her son the day before, and throughout the story the parents receive calls from the baker about picking up the cake—painful and constant reminders…
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Family, Isolation, and Loss
In Raymond Carver’s “A Small, Good Thing,” Ann and Howard Weiss’s son, Scotty, slips into a coma after being hit by a car on his birthday and dies soon after. When Ann goes to pick up what was supposed to be Scotty’s birthday cake and tells the baker about her son’s tragic death, he tells her about the loneliness of baking cakes for birthdays and weddings without having children of his own. In…
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Connection, Understanding, and Adversity
Before the start of “A Small, Good Thing,” Ann and Howard Weiss and their son, Scotty, lived a fairly idyllic life. But on his eighth birthday, Scotty is hit by a car and eventually dies after being comatose in the hospital for days. During and after their time waiting in the hospital, Ann and Howard connect with strangers who are also experiencing hardship or uncertainty. Scotty’s death causes Ann and Howard to connect with…
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Compassion and Comfort
In their deep grief, Ann and Howard search for comfort and compassion after their son, Scotty, dies on his eighth birthday after being hit by a car while walking to school. As they grapple with this loss, Ann and Howard don’t glean much comfort from the people they initially reach out to, like their families, Scotty’s friendly doctor, or even each other. Instead, they find comfort from unlikely strangers and experiences—most notably, sharing hot…
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