Short Fiction · Chapter
The Bit of Candy explained
A little girl deliberates over whether to share her last piece of candy with a poor girl, but gradually eats it all herself, rationalizing each step until nothing remains to give.
What happens
A little girl deliberates over whether to share her last piece of candy with a poor girl, but gradually eats it all herself, rationalizing each step until nothing remains to give.
Themes in this chapter
Innocence and Corruption
The little girl's initial generous impulse is gradually corrupted by self-interest, illustrating the erosion of innocence through small rationalizations.
Key passages
“At first there was much candy, but she ate it till there was only one lump left.”
She consumed most of the candy, leaving just a single piece.
Sets up the moral dilemma of sharing versus selfishness.
“I’ll give it to a poor girl, said she. But after a while she thought: Perhaps it would be better to divide the candy in half and share it.”
She first decides to give the candy away, then reconsiders and plans to split it.
Shows the beginning of her compromise with generosity.
“At last so little remained of the lump of candy that it wasn’t worth while giving it to the poor girl—so she ate up what was left.”
When only a tiny piece remained, she deemed it too small to share and finished it herself.
Highlights the self-justification that leads to complete selfishness.