A Small, Good Thing

“She was a mother and thirty-three years old, and it seemed to her that everyone, especially someone the baker’s age—a man old enough to be her father—must have children who’d gone through this special time of cakes and birthday parties.”

Here, Carver gives some direct characterization of Ann but also sets up one of the story’s conflicts. Ann is at odds with the baker, whom she cannot understand. However, Carver leaves open the question of how legitimate her perplexity is—Ann may simply be classist and castigating the baker for failing to live up to her expectations.

“Without looking, the birthday boy stepped off the curb at an intersection and was immediately knocked down by a car.”

Fate intervenes in the Weiss family’s harmonious lives. A hit-and-run driver knocks Scotty over and then drives off upon seeing the boy come to. However, the narrator also emphasizes Scotty’s lack of attention. Certainly, young children are prone to underestimating the dangers of the roads. However, this clause could also signal the Weisses’ privilege that Carver may be lampooning in his story.

“Until now, his life had gone smoothly and to his satisfaction—college, marriage, another year of college for the advanced degree in business, a junior partnership in an investment firm. Fatherhood. He was happy and, so far, lucky—he knew that.”

Here, Howard reflects more explicitly on his and his family’s good fortune. This important characterizing moment says a lot about Howard’s social class and perhaps the accompanying expectations—or sense of entitlement.