Symbolism In Raymond Carver's 'A Small, Good Thing'

The caregivers are a crucial aspect in the patients last moments. The caregivers are there to help and support the dying, but many forget that they themselves need support in order to carry on. As death being something we can’t prepare for it becomes tougher when we know that for now there isn’t so much of a cure, just a few things to prolong it. Truschke in his letter strives to explain this matter when he writes; “No one is really prepared to deal with the nightmare of Alzheimer’s on their own” (110). His point is not only with dealing with Alzheimer’s disease itself, but can be looked at with all other causes of death and illnesses.

"For the first time, she felt they were together in it...she hadn 't let Howard into it though he was there and needed all along" (Carver, 1983, p. 4). When they realize they are shutting each other out and trying to deal with the pain and fear alone, they try to let each other in. For a short time, the couple supports each other in their suffering, until their precious son draws his final breath. His death leaves the couple dumbfounded and tense, causing them to revert back to their old ways of pushing each other away. A void is evident in their marriage much like the void seen in "Cathedral 's " couple.

After Hassan had being raped by Assef and his friends, Amir had not seen him for weeks. He would do his chores and then go back to bed to sleep.Throughout time Amir couldn't look Hassan in the face without feeling guilty that he did not intervene. One day Hassan asked Amir if he would enjoy to take a hike up the hill, they did hike up the hill but Amir realized it had being a mistake and wanted to return home. Amir couldn't be around Hassan without getting headaches and feeling guilty. As Amir and Baba were in the garden Amir brought up a topic that Baba had never thought or wanted to, he asked “if he had ever thought about getting new servants?” Baba was in disgust when he heard those words come out of Amir’s mouth.

Ev is being very hypocritical when he says this, as he was never around during Catherine’s childhood because of his job. “What family did you ever raise? You were never home from one day to the next so who are you to talk to me about family?” (1160). After Ev tells Catherine that she should be raising a family, she states that he was never around for their family. She is now showing her struggle for power when she tries to win over their argument.

The story “A Small, Good Thing” had a theme of human disconnect. In a myriad instances throughout this story human disconnection was shown by the characters. In the beginning of the story when the baker “listened without saying anything when she told him the child would be eight years old next Monday.” Now a normal person would most likely answer in some sort of way like by saying congratulations or something of sorts, but this baker didn’t even acknowledge Ann. Then Scotty was walking with a friend and got hit by a car and the driver just drove away. Again, in a normal world people would expect whoever had hit Scotty to stop and make sure he was alright before they drove away.

His reasoning to keep this name even after the midwife has told him he shouldn’t do it is that he had asked God to save his wife and his prayers were not heard, so he is now looking at his daughter as the one that sentenced his wife to death. But there is more to her birth than this, another aspect of it that shows that Morrison was making Pilate into a Christ figure. Pilate’s birth is a magical event just like the birth of Jesus. Pilate’s mother died

Also, when Eli ran over Chas dog, Buckley, their father bought Chas, a Dalmatian. “I 'm sorry I let you all down. I 'm trying to make up for it” (Anderson). To point out, Royal was not only apologizing to Chas but was demonstrating to him by an action. Ultimately, Chas accepts the Dalmatian symbolized apology; thus, illustrating the individual action to amend errors.

Katherine Porter discusses, “So, my dear Lord, this is my death and I wasn’t even thinking about it. My children have come to see me die. But I can’t it’s not time” (Porter 71). Granny is not ready to be taken she does not want to leave her children behind. When it comes to death, no one will ever be ready because it is an awful feeling to know one will no longer be with loved ones.

He was in the National Guard, and left his girlfriend Rae behind to serve his country. He knew it was a hard decision, leaving her behind. Ronnie worse a watch at all times, and got the same watch for Rae that would beep at the same time as his, so she could always remember him. Being in the military many people do not realize that they experience terrific things that cause a lot of emotional, and physical damage. Due to Ronnie experiencing anxiety, it started to affect him psychologically that the National Guard ended up realizing him, because he was not able to think correctly delaying him from his

He showed this literary technique by reiterating situations relating to World War I; which he was injured in. Repetition of the word “never” denotes the strong belief the parent has; striving for their child to excel at life by not making the same mistakes they made. This adverb is symbolic of the child who is silenced by the emphatic parent. The overuse of this word should serve to engage and teach us, a generation in need of a reminder, that we can’t go through life living up to the expectations of those around us, because the repeated word ‘never’ will seem to become ‘never’-ending. The “never” is relevant and comprehensive, as Hemingway summarizes both the rich details of one person’s experience, yet a whole view on humanity and youth