The Baker's Dilemma: Status in "A Small, Good Thing" Anonymous 11th Grade

In Raymond Carver's short story "A Small, Good Thing," the Baker’s helplessness is caused by his apparent class status and by an unknown financial stability, which results in a sense of isolation and loneliness. The baker resolves his sense of helplessness when he realizes that all classes experience the unknown through his connection with Ann and Howard. Through auditory imagery, the text illustrates the monotonous and depressing routine in the Baker’s daily life as a result of his class status that requires him to constantly work to maintain his financial stability.

When Ann first surveys the bakery, she notes that “a radio was playing country-Western music” (60). The auditory imagery of the radio creates an atmosphere of loneliness and emptiness. The imagery suggests that the Baker is isolated from human contact and is instead reliant on technology to create company. This emphasizes the Baker’s loneliness as a result of his inability to separate himself from the bakery to form connections with those around him. The text reveals this through the repetition of the radio. Howard associates the radio with the Baker, saying “I think there was some radio music. Yes, there was a radio going” (84). The ever present radio reveals the...