A Small Good Thing Analysis Essay

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Meal Analysis Essay Food is one of the underlying factors of our everyday lives. Every animal needs nourishment to survive, but for us humans it can be so much more. FoodIt can connect people on many different levels from broad and professional to intimate and personal. Eating releases endorphins in the brain making food a pleasurable and comforting experiencething. In many cultures, food is also celebratory. In the United States, one is almost guaranteed to see some sort of food at any event. From birthdays to funerals to weddings—food is almost always used as a way to celebrate. In Raymond Carver’s “A Small, Good Thing” Carver uses food throughout the story to reveal the significance it has in everyday life. Carver’s story, along with Caitlin…show more content…
The story starts out with a mother going to a bakery to order a birthday cake for her son’s upcoming birthday. Instead of having a birthday party after school that day, Scotty, the son, is rushed to the hospital after he becomes unconscious from being knocked down by a car. The parents, Ann and Howard, are told over and over again that Scotty will be just fine. Throughout the few days that they are waiting for Scotty’s recovery, they strengthen their bond together over this tragic event. All the while, the birthday cake was never picked up. The baker is frustrated that he wasted his time baking this cake, so he repeatedly calls the house. Ann and Howard don’t realize who this mysterious caller is until the end of the story, after being blindsided by Scotty’s sudden untimely death. The couple goes to confront the baker late at night and instead they end up making a connection with him while eating the decadent food the baker provides for…show more content…
In the end of Carver’s story, Ann is finally able to connect with the baker. He offers her and her husband an array of delicious baked goods and they talk all night long. The baker, who was previously seen as almost rude now opens up to the family “revealing his palms” (Carver) and explaining his sympathy. The personal connections made through food can also be seen in both Nicole and Caitlin’s essays. Nicole talks about her family’s lasagna as “a meal that brings everyone together.” She wrote that she enjoys watching her mother cook along with her siblings then “sit down and enjoy a meal together.” Caitlin also expresses similar feelings in her essay. She says that beef stew “brings her family together” and they “laugh, smile, and love”

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