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Archivist's Choice
Small Great Things
Jodi Picoult (2016)
Genre
Literary Fiction
Reading Time
12 Minutes
Key Themes
See below
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A Black labor and delivery nurse's life falls apart when she's told not to care for a white supremacist couple's newborn, leading to a tragic event and a trial that makes everyone face deep-seated prejudices.
Synopsis
Ruth Jefferson, an experienced African American labor and delivery nurse, is prohibited by white supremacist parents from caring for their newborn. When the baby later goes into distress while Ruth is alone with him, she hesitates before performing CPR due to the order, leading to the baby's death and Ruth being charged with a serious crime. Her white public defender, Kennedy McQuarrie, advises against making race a central part of the defense, creating a deep conflict for Ruth.
The novel follows Ruth's legal battle and personal struggle as the case becomes a media spectacle, forcing her and Kennedy to confront their preconceived notions about race, justice, and each other. Through their evolving relationship and the unfolding trial, the book explores the complexities of prejudice, privilege, and the search for truth in a racially charged society, ultimately questioning what it means to do the 'right thing' when faced with deep-seated biases.
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Thought-provoking, emotionally charged, intense, reflective
Plot Summary
A Routine Shift Interrupted
Ruth Jefferson, an experienced African American labor and delivery nurse with over twenty years at Mercy-West Haven Hospital, starts a regular shift. She is called to the nursery to check on a newborn, Davis Bauer. Soon after she begins, a colleague tells her she has been reassigned. Turk and Brittany Bauer, the baby's white supremacist parents, specifically asked that no African American staff touch their child. The hospital, despite its anti-discrimination policies, temporarily agrees, moving Ruth to another patient. Ruth is deeply hurt and angry by this clear act of racism, but she tries to stay calm and professional, even though the incident clearly affects her.
A Life-or-Death Decision
The day after this incident, Ruth is alone in the nursery when baby Davis Bauer suddenly has severe heart trouble. She is under strict orders not to touch the child, a rule given because of the parents' racist demands. Ruth hesitates, facing a difficult choice: obey the hospital's temporary, racially motivated order, or help save a child's life, despite his parents' prejudices. After a moment of painful internal struggle, her professional duty and human care outweigh the discriminatory instruction. She performs CPR and tries to revive the baby, but it is too late. Davis Bauer dies, and Ruth is the only staff member present.
Charged with a Crime
After Davis Bauer's tragic death, an investigation begins. Even though Ruth tried to save the child, the fact that she was told not to touch him, along with the parents' immediate accusations, leads to her arrest. Ruth is charged with negligent homicide, a serious crime that could cost her career, her freedom, and her family's stability. The news shocks her, making her an outcast to many and a symbol of injustice to others. Her long, perfect career and reputation are suddenly at risk, and she faces a daunting legal battle.
Meeting Kennedy McQuarrie
Ruth is given a public defender, Kennedy McQuarrie, a white lawyer known for her sharp legal mind. In their first meetings, Kennedy immediately plans Ruth's defense. To Ruth's dismay and frustration, Kennedy strongly advises against making race a main point in court. Kennedy believes focusing on race would turn off the jury and that it would be better to focus on medical details and hospital rules. Ruth, who feels race is clearly central to the whole situation, struggles to accept Kennedy's practical legal advice while living with racial injustice.
The Bauers' Perspective
The story explores the past of Turk and Brittany Bauer, baby Davis's white supremacist parents. Their chapters show their deep-seated racist beliefs, their involvement in white power groups, and why they asked for no African American staff. Turk is especially a harsh racist, influenced by his upbringing and radicalized by online groups. Brittany, while at first seeming less extreme, supports Turk's views. Their perspective shows the deep prejudice Ruth is up against and how much their worldview dictates their actions and accusations against Ruth.
The Trial Begins
Ruth Jefferson's trial officially starts, drawing significant media attention because of its racial overtones and the tragic death of an infant. The courtroom becomes a place of medical facts, legal interpretations, and underlying racial tensions. Kennedy tries to present Ruth as a dedicated nurse who acted in an emergency, while the prosecution, representing the state and implicitly the Bauers, says Ruth was careless and disobeyed orders. Hospital staff, medical experts, and the Bauers themselves testify, each offering a different part of the story and showing the case's complexities.
Ruth's Family Struggles
As the trial continues and becomes a media event, Ruth's family life is severely affected. Her teenage son, Edison, a bright student, becomes a target of racial bullying and harassment at school. He struggles with the public scrutiny and the accusations against his mother, leading to emotional distress and lower grades. Ruth's sister, Adisa, and other family members offer support, but the stress on their lives is huge. Ruth tries to protect Edison from the worst of it, but the weight of the legal battle and its public fallout greatly harms their once stable and loving home.
Kennedy's Awakening
As Kennedy examines Ruth's case and talks with her, she begins a deep personal journey. At first focused only on legal strategy, Kennedy slowly starts to see how common racism is and her own unconscious biases and privilege as a white woman. Ruth's experiences, along with the clear racism from the Bauers, force Kennedy to face truths she had previously ignored or downplayed. This realization changes her view, helping her understand the deeper systemic issues and how important it is to acknowledge race, even if it makes her legal approach harder.
A Difficult Decision
Facing the huge pressure of the trial, the chance of a long prison sentence, and the toll it is taking on her family, Ruth is given a difficult choice: a plea bargain. This offer would let her avoid a long and uncertain trial, possibly leading to a shorter sentence, but it would require her to admit guilt for negligent homicide. Ruth struggles with this agonizing decision, torn between wanting to keep her innocence and protect her family from more suffering, and her lawyer's practical advice. The thought of admitting to something she didn't do is deeply offensive to her.
The Verdict
After intense talks, the jury gives its verdict in Ruth Jefferson's trial. The outcome is the result of weeks of testimony, legal arguments, and the emotional weight of the case. No matter the specific verdict, the end of the trial brings both a sense of closure and the continuation of the characters' individual journeys. The verdict is not just about Ruth's guilt or innocence, but also about the wider meaning for racial justice, accountability, and how complicated the legal system is in dealing with deep-seated prejudices. The decision's impact echoes through the lives of Ruth, Kennedy, and the Bauers.
Post-Trial Reflections
After the trial, Ruth, Kennedy, and even the Bauers, in their own ways, think about what happened. Ruth deals with the outcome and its lasting effects on her life and family, finding new strength or a new path. Kennedy, fundamentally changed by her experience, works for a deeper understanding of and fight against racial injustice, using her privilege more thoughtfully. The Bauers continue to hold their beliefs, but the trial may have had subtle or deep impacts on how they interact with the world. The story looks at the lasting results of the trial and the ongoing societal struggle against prejudice and for true justice.
Principal Figures
Ruth Jefferson
The Protagonist
Ruth transforms from a quietly resilient woman who navigates racism by keeping her head down to an outspoken advocate for justice, finding her voice and demanding to be seen and heard.
Kennedy McQuarrie
The Supporting
Kennedy evolves from a lawyer who dismisses the role of race in legal strategy to an ally who understands and actively fights against systemic racism, using her privilege as a tool for change.
Turk Bauer
The Antagonist
Turk remains largely static in his racist beliefs, serving as a representation of entrenched prejudice, though the trial may solidify his convictions or expose the hollowness of his ideology to some degree.
Brittany Bauer
The Supporting
Brittany's arc involves a subtle internal struggle, where she occasionally questions her husband's extremism but ultimately remains bound by her loyalty and shared worldview, representing the insidious nature of complicity.
Edison Jefferson
The Supporting
Edison's arc sees him grapple with the injustice his mother faces, forcing him to mature quickly and develop a deeper understanding of racial dynamics and the importance of standing up for what is right.
Adeline
The Supporting
Adeline's arc involves moving from a state of innocent ignorance about racial prejudice to a more informed and empathetic understanding, becoming a supportive ally to Edison and Ruth.
Adeline's Mother
The Supporting
Her arc, if any, is subtle, demonstrating the difficulty of changing deeply ingrained, often unconscious, biases, even when confronted with direct experience of injustice.
Judge
The Supporting
The judge's arc is less about personal change and more about representing the legal system's attempt (or failure) to impartially apply justice when deeply rooted societal prejudices are at play.
Adisa
The Supporting
Adisa remains a steadfast source of support, her arc reinforcing the power of familial love and shared understanding in confronting racial injustice.
Themes & Insights
Race and Racism
The novel directly addresses racism, both open and hidden. It shows how clear prejudice (Turk and Brittany) can cause direct harm, and it also reveals the subtle, often unconscious biases that shape institutions and individual interactions (Kennedy's early views, Adeline's mother). The story highlights how racism affects Black individuals more and how the legal system, despite claiming fairness, often fails to address racial injustice properly. It makes readers examine their own biases and the role race plays in society.
“It was one thing to be told not to touch a patient. It was another to be told not to touch a patient because of the color of your skin.”
Privilege and Allyship
The book explores white privilege through Kennedy McQuarrie's character. Kennedy, at first unaware of her own advantages, gradually sees how her race has protected her from certain realities and how her legal strategies reflect a privileged view. Her journey shows how to become an ally: moving past simply 'not being racist' to actively understanding and removing systems of oppression. The story emphasizes that true allyship requires self-reflection, learning, and a willingness to use one's privilege to support others.
“I had lived my entire life thinking that if I just worked hard enough, I could achieve anything. I never once considered that the playing field was level because I was white.”
Justice and the Legal System
The novel looks closely at the American legal system, questioning its ability to provide true justice, especially when race is involved. It shows how hidden biases within the system, from jury selection to legal strategy, can harm minority defendants. The conflict between Ruth's experience of racism and Kennedy's initial 'colorblind' legal advice highlights the tension between legal practicality and moral truth. The book suggests that justice is not just about facts and laws, but also about acknowledging the human element and the history of racial inequality.
“Justice, I realized, was not about right or wrong, but about who told the best story.”
Motherhood and Protection
Motherhood is a strong theme, shown through Ruth's fierce love for Edison and Brittany's grief over Davis. Ruth's main reason throughout the ordeal is to protect her son, even when it means making hard choices about her defense. Brittany's pain, despite her hateful ideas, also comes from being a mother. The theme highlights the universal instinct to protect one's child, but also contrasts how different mothers manage that instinct within their racial identities and social situations, showing how a mother's love can be both a source of strength and weakness.
“Every time I looked at Edison, I saw all the reasons I had to fight.”
Empathy and Understanding
The novel challenges readers to be more understanding by showing many viewpoints, even those of characters with terrible beliefs. Through alternating perspectives, the story aims to build understanding of the complex reasons and experiences that shape people. It shows how understanding can connect people, as seen in Ruth and Kennedy's changing relationship, and how its absence keeps cycles of hatred and misunderstanding going. Ultimately, the book supports the power of listening and trying to see the world through another's eyes as a way toward healing and social change.
“It was easy to hate someone you didn't know. It was much harder when you had to look them in the eye.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
Multiple Perspectives
The story is told through the alternating viewpoints of Ruth, Kennedy, and Turk.
Jodi Picoult employs multiple first-person narrators (Ruth, Kennedy, and Turk) to provide a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the events. This device allows the reader to delve into the minds of the protagonist, her lawyer, and even the antagonist, revealing their motivations, biases, and emotional landscapes. By presenting these diverse viewpoints, the novel challenges readers to confront their own preconceived notions and fosters a deeper empathy for characters, even those whose actions are reprehensible, thereby enriching the exploration of race, justice, and humanity.
Ethical Dilemma
Ruth's agonizing choice to obey discriminatory orders or save a child's life.
The central ethical dilemma is Ruth's moment of hesitation when baby Davis goes into cardiac distress. She is under explicit orders not to touch the child due to the parents' racist demands. This creates a profound moral conflict: obey discriminatory instructions or uphold her professional oath and human compassion to save a life. This device immediately establishes the core tension of the narrative, highlighting the insidious nature of racism and forcing Ruth to make an impossible choice that sets the entire plot in motion and drives the subsequent legal and emotional drama.
Legal Drama Structure
The narrative unfolds primarily as a courtroom procedural.
The novel utilizes a legal drama structure, with Ruth's trial serving as the central framework for the plot. This device allows for a systematic exploration of evidence, testimony, and legal strategies, which in turn illuminate the broader themes of justice, prejudice, and systemic inequality. The courtroom setting provides a natural arena for conflict and revelation, building suspense as the verdict approaches. It also allows for the detailed examination of how the legal system grapples with, or fails to grapple with, complex social issues like race and discrimination.
Foreshadowing/Flashbacks
Hints of past experiences and future outcomes are woven throughout the narrative.
The novel uses subtle foreshadowing, particularly through Ruth's internal monologues and Kennedy's legal analysis, to hint at the challenges and potential outcomes of the trial. Flashbacks, especially in Ruth's narrative, are used to reveal her past experiences with racism, her upbringing, and the advice her mother gave her, providing context for her reactions and decisions. This device deepens character understanding and builds suspense, showing how past traumas and experiences inform present actions and shape the characters' perceptions of justice and injustice.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
The central conflict revolves around Ruth Jefferson, an African American labor and delivery nurse, who is barred from treating a white supremacist couple's newborn. When the baby later experiences a medical emergency, Ruth's hesitation to intervene leads to a criminal charge, forcing her to confront issues of race, prejudice, and justice.
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