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: Transition — Ruth 1
byPicoult, Jodi
The chapter opens with Ruth being shackled in chains, a moment that evokes the painful history of racial oppression as she reflects on her ancestors’ suffering. Her humiliation is compounded by the presence of her son, whom she has always taught to rise above racial prejudice. The scene underscores her vulnerability as she endures degrading treatment, including public exposure in her nightgown and verbal abuse from Turk Bauer. Ruth’s internal conflict is palpable as she lies to her lawyer about touching a baby, unsure of how to navigate the legal system or trust the strangers representing her.
Ruth’s lawyer, Kennedy, secures bail, offering a fleeting moment of hope. However, Ruth’s relief is short-lived when she learns she must wait days in custody before release, despite the bail approval. The bureaucratic delay forces her into a holding cell, where she counts cinder blocks to pass time and grapples with fear and frustration. Kennedy’s reassurances about her son’s safety with her sister do little to comfort Ruth, who worries about the chaotic environment of her sister’s home and misses her son’s intellectual growth, symbolized by his text about Nabokov.
The chapter takes a darker turn as Ruth is informed she will be transferred to prison while awaiting bail processing, a revelation that shocks and terrifies her. Kennedy warns her not to discuss her charges with anyone, heightening Ruth’s sense of isolation and mistrust. As she is shackled again and loaded into a van, Ruth meets Liza, a transgender woman with a sharp wit and experience in the system. Their exchange reveals Ruth’s naivety about incarceration, while Liza’s humor masks her own struggles. The sheriff’s chilling interjection—revealing Ruth’s murder charge—shatters the brief camaraderie, leaving Ruth in stunned silence.
The chapter concludes with Ruth’s abrupt transition to prison, emphasizing the dehumanizing nature of the justice system. Her interactions with Liza and the sheriff highlight the stark realities of incarceration, where trust is scarce and vulnerability is exploited. Ruth’s journey from humiliation to despair underscores the systemic challenges faced by marginalized individuals, particularly Black women, in a system designed to oppress. The chapter leaves readers with a sense of foreboding as Ruth confronts the gravity of her charges and the uncertain road ahead.
FAQs
1. How does Ruth’s experience of being shackled connect to broader historical and racial themes in the chapter?
Answer:
Ruth’s experience of being shackled evokes powerful historical parallels to slavery and systemic racism in America. She explicitly references feeling “two hundred years of history running through my veins,” connecting her present humiliation to her ancestors’ experiences on auction blocks (page 170). This moment underscores how racial trauma persists across generations, even in modern institutional settings. The scene gains further poignancy as her son witnesses it, contradicting her lifelong teachings that he is “more than the color of your skin.” The chains symbolize how systemic racism reduces Black individuals to stereotypes despite their personal achievements or character.2. Analyze the significance of Ruth’s interactions with her lawyer, Kennedy, and the prosecutor. What do these dynamics reveal about systemic biases?
Answer:
Ruth’s interactions highlight complex power dynamics within the legal system. Kennedy, though helpful in securing bail, remains an impersonal “stranger” to Ruth—a contrast to Ruth’s desperate need for advocacy (page 170-171). More strikingly, the prosecutor of color avoids eye contact, suggesting either internalized bias (“contempt for an alleged criminal”) or professional survival tactics (“widening the canyon” between herself and Ruth to be “taken seriously”) (page 170). This reveals how systemic pressures force marginalized individuals to distance themselves from others in their community to navigate white-dominated institutions, perpetuating cycles of isolation and inequity.3. How does the van scene with Liza Lott deepen the reader’s understanding of Ruth’s psychological state and societal positioning?
Answer:
The van encounter serves as a stark juxtaposition between Ruth’s naivety and Liza’s hardened experience with the carceral system. Ruth’s admission “I’ve never done this before” (page 173) underscores her shock at being treated as a criminal, contrasting with Liza’s dark humor about “punch cards” for repeat arrests. This highlights Ruth’s previous privilege of avoiding systemic targeting despite being Black. The sheriff’s cruel revelation of Ruth’s murder charge (page 173) further isolates her, mirroring how the justice system reduces complex individuals to reductive labels. Liza’s transgender identity also subtly reinforces themes of societal marginalization.4. Evaluate the chapter’s portrayal of institutional dehumanization through specific details about Ruth’s processing experience.
Answer:
The chapter meticulously documents dehumanizing institutional rituals: shackling (page 170), urinating without privacy (page 170), delayed bail processing despite court approval (page 171-172), and transport in a prisoner van (page 172-173). These details collectively strip Ruth of dignity and agency. Notably, the cinder-block counting (page 171) symbolizes how time distorts under incarceration, while guards’ impersonal commands (“Coffee klatch is over”) reduce human interaction to transactional exchanges. The system’s bureaucratic indifference—like the “mortgage deeds and percentages” delaying her release—shows how institutions prioritize procedure over individual wellbeing, especially for marginalized defendants.5. How does the chapter use contrasts to emphasize Ruth’s internal conflict about identity and justice?
Answer:
Key contrasts heighten Ruth’s turmoil: her professional identity as a nurse (accustomed to caring for others) versus being treated as a threat; her son’s intellectual pursuits (texting about Nabokov) versus witnessing her criminalization; and her sister’s chaotic home (with “boys talk[ing] back”) versus the rigid control of incarceration. These juxtapositions underscore the dissonance between Ruth’s self-perception as an educated, nurturing Black woman and the system’s reduction of her to a dangerous stereotype. The final contrast—between Liza’s dark humor and the sheriff’s chilling murder accusation—forces Ruth to confront how little her personal narrative matters within the justice system.
Quotes
1. “THEY PUT ME IN CHAINS. Just like that, they shackle my hands in front of me, as if that doesn’t send two hundred years of history running through my veins like an electric current.”
This opening line powerfully captures Ruth’s visceral reaction to being handcuffed, connecting her personal humiliation to the broader historical trauma of systemic racism. It sets the tone for the chapter’s exploration of racial injustice and dehumanization.
2. “I listen to this lawyer—Kennedy something, I have already forgotten her last name—volley back and forth with another lawyer. The prosecutor, who’s a woman of color, does not even make eye contact with me.”
This quote reveals the complex dynamics of race in the legal system, where even a prosecutor of color distances herself from Ruth. It highlights the institutional pressures that can divide marginalized people against each other.
3. “Don’t talk about your charges. People are going to try to work a deal by prying information out of you. Don’t trust anyone.” […] Including you? I wonder.”
Kennedy’s warning and Ruth’s internal response demonstrate the fundamental lack of trust between client and public defender. This moment underscores the isolation and vulnerability of being caught in the justice system.
4. “I’m Liza,” she says. “Liza Lott.” […] “It better be, since I picked it. I like it so much better than…Bruce.””
This introduction of a transgender inmate serves as both comic relief and social commentary, showcasing how the prison system houses diverse marginalized populations while maintaining Ruth’s narrative perspective.
5. “In the rearview mirror, the sheriff’s eyes appear, sharp and blue. ‘She’s in for murder,’ he says, and none of us speak for the rest of the ride.”
This chilling revelation of Ruth’s charge creates a dramatic cliffhanger, emphasizing how quickly her life has spiraled out of control and foreshadowing the serious legal battle ahead.