Narrator and point of view

Raymond Carver’s short story “A Small, Good Thing” is narrated by a third-person narrator. The narrator seems to know only what some of the characters are thinking and feeling. For example, at the beginning of the story, we see how both Ann and the baker think and feel: “He let her take her time. He'd just come to work and he'd be there all night, baking, and he was in no real hurry.” (p. 1, ll. 12-13). On the other hand, Ann feels that her interaction with the baker is unpleasant (p. 1, ll. 18-19). Another example is when the narrator describes how Ann feels about her marriage:

For the first time, she felt they were together in it, this trouble. She realized with a start that, until now, it had only been happening to her and to Scotty. She hadn't let Howard into it, though he was there and needed all along. She felt glad to be his wife. (p. 6, ll. 8-11)

Howard’s perspective is also presented by the narrator, who describes what Howard is feeling and conveys his thoughts in a direct manner:

For the first time since the terrible minutes after Ann's telephone call to him at his office, he felt a genuine fear starting in his limbs. He began shaking ...