Cathedral Group

Question:

lxhelili
lxhelili
Student
College - Freshman

"Downstairs, in the kitchen, I found a shopping bag  with onion skins in the bottom of the bag." Explain the significance.

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Posted by lxhelili on Tuesday October 28, 2008 at 6:13 PM and tagged with cathedral, character, symbols, themes.

Answers:


  1. gbeatty Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    This line is found near the end of the story. It is part of the unnamed narrator's transition from feeling distant and suspicious towards Robert, the blind man who is visiting, to making an intimate connection. However, the specificity of that line also tells us a lot about the life he and his wife live. He's looking for the paper to draw on, to draw a cathedral, but there isn't any writing paper, typing paper, etc. They don't have any element of art or even literacy in their daily lives. That's important because it tells us how far he's coming in reaching out to this blind man. I'd also add that the onion skins seem symbolic. Onions make people cry (and close their eyes) and you can peel layer after layer. By the end of the story, the narrator has peeled some layers of himself, and his eyes are closed.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/cathedral/themes

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    Posted by gbeatty on Friday October 31, 2008 at 5:47 PM