Small Great Things
Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things (2016) explores themes of race, privilege, and justice through the story of Ruth Jefferson, an African American labor and delivery nurse accused of causing the death of a white supremacist couple’s newborn. The novel alternates perspectives between Ruth, the infant’s father Turk Bauer, and Ruth’s public defender Kennedy McQuarrie, revealing systemic racism and personal biases. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote about doing “small things in a great way,” the narrative examines moral dilemmas and societal structures. The book has been praised for its thought-provoking examination of contemporary racial tensions and is being adapted into a film.
Stage One: Active Labor — Turk 1
byPicoult, Jodi
The chapter opens with Turk Bauer recounting a traumatic childhood event: the death of his older brother Tanner in a car accident caused by a Black man. The courtroom scene reveals Turk’s visceral racism, as he fixates on the defendant’s skin color and describes his mother’s outburst when the trial ends in a hung jury. This formative experience sets the stage for Turk’s entrenched prejudices, which are further shaped by his family’s disintegration after the tragedy—his father leaves, his mother turns to alcoholism, and he is left in the care of his grandfather.
Turk’s present-day narrative follows him and his pregnant wife, Brit, as they rush to the hospital during her labor. Their dialogue reveals their white supremacist ideology, with references to the “Movement” and their desire to raise a “warrior” for their race. Turk’s internal monologue oscillates between pride in Brit’s strength and fear that their child will be corrupted by the world. The couple’s banter about naming their child after comic book characters contrasts starkly with their extremist beliefs, highlighting their warped worldview.
The chapter then delves into Turk’s backstory, explaining how his grandfather took over his upbringing after his parents’ collapse. His grandfather, a Vietnam veteran, indoctrinates Turk with survivalist skills and racist war stories, framing the world as a hostile place. A pivotal moment occurs when his grandfather abandons him during a camping trip in freezing conditions, forcing Turk to fend for himself. This cruel “lesson” reinforces Turk’s distrust of others and his belief in self-reliance, further solidifying his extremist mindset.
The chapter concludes with Turk’s desperate attempt to survive in the wilderness after his grandfather’s abandonment. With minimal resources, he resorts to shoplifting gloves and a hat from a gas station, showcasing his resourcefulness but also his moral decay. This event serves as a metaphor for Turk’s life trajectory—abandoned by family, hardened by adversity, and left to navigate a world he views as inherently threatening. The chapter paints a chilling portrait of how trauma and indoctrination intertwine to shape a racist worldview.
FAQs
1. How does Turk’s childhood trauma shape his worldview and racial attitudes?
Answer:
Turk’s worldview is profoundly shaped by the death of his brother Tanner, which he associates with his first encounter with a Black man. The courtroom experience—where the defendant was acquitted—and his mother’s visceral reaction cemented his racial prejudice. This trauma is compounded by his family’s disintegration afterward, leaving him vulnerable to his grandfather’s extremist ideologies. The chapter shows how personal tragedy becomes racialized hatred, as Turk conflates his grief with racial animosity, illustrating how trauma can distort perceptions when left unprocessed (pages 22–23).2. Analyze the significance of Brit’s characterization in this chapter. How does she embody the ideals of the “Movement”?
Answer:
Brit is portrayed as a symbol of white supremacist ideals—both physically (“the prettiest girl”) and ideologically (“royalty in the Movement”). Her toughness during labor mirrors the Movement’s valorization of strength and purity. The reference to her violent reaction to a “beaner” (a slur for Latinos) underscores her ingrained racism. Her role as a mother-to-be also reflects the group’s focus on racial propagation, as Turk describes their child as a future “warrior.” Her character embodies the Movement’s intersection of traditional gender roles and racial extremism (pages 23–24).3. How does Turk’s grandfather contribute to his radicalization?
Answer:
Turk’s grandfather exploits his vulnerability after Tanner’s death to indoctrinate him. His “Basic Training” mixes survival skills with dehumanizing war stories about Vietnamese people (“gooks”), framing non-whites as threats. The cruel abandonment during the camping trip serves as a twisted test of resilience, reinforcing a worldview where trust is scarce and strength is paramount. This mentorship replaces familial stability with extremist ideology, showing how isolation and militaristic conditioning can foster radicalization (pages 24–25).4. What internal conflict does Turk experience regarding fatherhood, and why is it significant?
Answer:
Turk oscillates between pride (“equal parts triumph”) and fear that his child will be “tainted” by a world he views as corrupt. This reflects the Movement’s paradoxical goal of racial purity amid perceived societal decay. His anxiety reveals a rare moment of doubt—suggesting that even indoctrinated individuals grapple with the consequences of their beliefs when faced with real-life stakes (e.g., naming the child after comic heroes hints at a desire for normalcy). This tension humanizes Turk while underscoring the destructive nature of his ideology (page 23).5. How does the author use language to emphasize Turk’s extremist perspective?
Answer:
The narrative employs dehumanizing slurs (“nigger,” “beaner,” “gooks”) to reflect Turk’s lexicon. Violent imagery (spitting, knocking out teeth) reinforces his association of strength with aggression. Religious metaphors (“angels of this race war”) and militaristic terms (“warrior,” “soldiers”) sanctify his beliefs. The contrast between Britt’s “flame-blue eyes” (idealized whiteness) and the defendant’s “electric” teeth (othered Blackness) further underscores his racialized worldview. These linguistic choices immerse readers in Turk’s psyche, exposing the rhetoric of extremism (pages 22–24).
Quotes
1. “THE FIRST NIGGER I ever met killed my older brother… The jury couldn’t reach a verdict—hung, they called it—and so this man was free to go.”
This opening quote establishes Turk’s deep-seated racial trauma and the origin of his prejudice. The visceral language and unjust outcome frame his worldview, showing how a personal tragedy became racially charged.
2. “For years, I was taught that God needs soldiers… But now that Brit and I are here, in this moment, about to bring a baby into the world, I’m filled with equal parts triumph and terror.”
This reveals the central conflict in Turk’s ideology - his white supremacist indoctrination versus his paternal fears. The quote captures his cognitive dissonance about bringing a child into what he sees as a “tainted” world.
3. “Gramps was a vet who had never stopped fighting a war… It was sort of like Boy Scouts, except that my grandfather’s lessons were punctuated by stories of the gooks he fought in Vietnam.”
This quote demonstrates how Turk’s racist worldview was systematically cultivated by his grandfather’s militarized, dehumanizing “training.” The comparison to Boy Scouts highlights how extremist ideology was normalized through childhood experiences.
4. “He’d left with my backpack, my sleeping bag, and the tent… I waited until another customer pulled into the gas station and then, when the cashier was occupied, I shoplifted a pair of gloves.”
This pivotal moment shows Turk’s abandonment and initiation into survival mentality. The harsh “lesson” from his grandfather foreshadows his later extremist development, where perceived betrayal hardens into radicalization.