I think the best example of "small story about something big" is N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth series. It's the story of a woman in different stages of her life and an excellent use of the second person to really send the message home, to personally identify with this character, because that character is you. But what it's really about is racism, slavery, and the subjugation of "the other" that humans just do wherever we go, that no amount of time will stop this unless something is done, something big, something impactful and memorable for all time, something that no one can simply hide away from prying eyes... Like cracking the planet in half. There's a reason all three books have not only earned a Hugo Award, but that each book won three years running, like each successive year, a different book was released and it won the award for best novel. Only author to ever do it, and for good reason. Outstanding writer.
I think the best example of "small story about something big" is N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth series. It's the story of a woman in different stages of her life and an excellent use of the second person to really send the message home, to personally identify with this character, because that character is you. But what it's really about is racism, slavery, and the subjugation of "the other" that humans just do wherever we go, that no amount of time will stop this unless something is done, something big, something impactful and memorable for all time, something that no one can simply hide away from prying eyes... Like cracking the planet in half.
There's a reason all three books have not only earned a Hugo Award, but that each book won three years running, like each successive year, a different book was released and it won the award for best novel. Only author to ever do it, and for good reason. Outstanding writer.