The story “A Little Good Thing” contained a good number of themes. Specifically, I wanted to emphasize the idea of compassion, simply because it is an act that unites and defines human well-being. I think life can be very fickle, one moment you are having the best time of your life and the next, you lose everything. This was introduced early in the story when the author described the family’s life as happy and fulfilled.
Their lives suddenly changed when Scotty had an accident. The story featured 3 situations in which everyone had similar experiences: Ann and Howard, the black man, and Franklin and the baker. As the story progressed, you can see that the 3 groups stood in solidarity with each other because they were all going through difficult times. We looked to each other for comfort and it even strengthened our relationship as friends. I think it’s beautiful when compassion brings out true human feelings and protects any bad energies that inhibit our ability to reach out to other people.
This excerpt from the story, “Even though they were tired and distraught, they heard what the baker had to say,” would fit my situation well because it exemplifies how compassion brings people together. Sometimes in life we have to go through trials. In essence, it is these tests that make us stronger and having the comfort of another person strengthens the bonds between people. With this statement, I think it’s safe to say that compassion played a role.
