Discussion/Study/Homework Questions for Raymond Carter’s Cathedral 1. What is the significance of the title of Carter’s short story, “Cathedral”? What does it mean, what does it refer to, and why do you think he might have chosen this title, aside from the obvious reasons? 2. What, in your opinion, is a theme present in Carter’s short story, “Cathedral”? Can you think of any others? Explain your theory. 3. In ENG 121, you learned about/practiced writing from different perspectives, also known as “point-of-view,” i.e. first, second, third. In Carter’s short story, “Cathedral,” what perspective (person) is being used? Who is “telling the story”? How and why is this significant to the story? How would it be different if another perspective choice had been made? 4. Discuss the idea of compassion in this story. Are any of the characters compassionate? Why or why not? Some people feel that compassion can be “taught” (for example, by asking you to read stories such as these, some teachers feel/hope that people will learn to be more sensitive to the needs of others). From your personal experience, how do you think people learn compassion? Can it be taught? 5. One of the things that will always help if you are stuck finding a topic to discuss or write about literature is to try and identify the “conflicts.” What seems to be one of the main conflicts in Carter’s short story, “Cathedral”? What are some of the minor conflicts? How do these conflicts drive the plot or make it interesting? Are these conflicts realistic? Are any of them ever resolved? If so, how? If not, how might they be resolved? 6. First, read this quote: 'From all you've said about him, I can only conclude—' (1.5). That's Robert about to reveal his opinion of the narrator in the tape the woman plays. What do you think Robert might have concluded? On what do you base your answers? 7. Is 'Cathedral' funny? Offensive? Explain your answer. 8. Would the story be different if a kind of building other than a cathedral was featured? Why or why not? 9. Why are Robert and Beulah named, but not the narrator and his wife? Bigger Issues: 10. Is the narrator a sympathetic protagonist? Does our opinion of him change as the story progresses? Does the narrator develop or change or 'grow' over the course of the evening? 11. What are the primary emotions displayed by the narrator throughout, and how can we understand them in terms of the life he leads? What are some adjectives you would use to characterize him? What role does alcohol play in his life? 12. What is the narrator’s attitude toward his wife? Describe the narrator’s marriage. What kind of marriage do they have, and what evidence do you find to support your conclusion? Is the narrator’s jealousy of Robert irrational?
Discussion/Study/Homework Questions for Raymond Carter’s Cathedral 13. What is it about Robert that unsettles the narrator? What does Robert do to put the narrator at ease? 14. How does Robert shatter the narrator’s preconceived notions of blind people? How do his appearance and bearing resist every stereotypical image the narrator has about blind people, and why is this so upsetting? 15. What does the narrator learn from his encounter with Robert? Is the ending convincing? Do you believe that there will be a significant change in his outlook from this point on? 16. Contrast the author’s tone and the narrator’s mood at the opening of the story with the tone and mood at the end. How does the change in style reflect the change that has occurred in the narrator? 17. How or why is the cathedral an important image or symbol in the story? What is the significance of Carver’s choice of a cathedral as catalyst for the narrator’s learning experience? What added dimension does this symbol bring to our understanding of the story? Can you tie it to any previous detail? Smaller Issues: 18. What is important about the two flashbacks (the ones about the narrator's wife's past and Robert's past)? 19. Discuss the nickname “Bub.” 20. Why such a “feeding frenzy” at dinner? 21. Why the repeated references to Robert lifting his beard? 22. How does alcohol and marijuana play a role in the story? 23. Why is it important that the setting is the narrator’s house? 24. What is important about the references to the narrator's wife's poems and tapes? Ideas about Themes: 25. What does Robert “see” over the course of the evening? 26. In what ways is this story about “seeing” and/or learning? 27. Discuss “Cathedral” as a story about “the blind leading the blind.” 28. In what ways is this story about communication and connectedness? (Think about the poems, the tapes, the ham radio, etc.) 29. For Carver, salvation lies in human contact and connection. Comment critically.