Cathedral

by Raymond Carver

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Cathedral Questions and Answers

What does the cathedral symbolize in Raymond Carver's story "Cathedral"?

What is the setting in the story "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver?

For what reason does the wife keep asking Robert if he’d like to go to bed in "Cathedral"? What effect does Robert’s reply have on the narrator?

What is a good thesis statement for the story "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver?

In "Cathedral," what makes the narrator start explaining what he is seeing on television?

What is the author's tone in "Cathedral" (the implied attitude of the author)?

Robert touches his beard and lets it fall several times in "Cathedral." What do you think is the importance of Robert's beard?

In Raymond Carver's "Cathedral," why did he choose a cathedral and not another object?

In Raymond Carver's "Cathedral," what figurative language does Carver employ? To what effect?

What are three compare and contrast points between the narrator and Robert in "Cathedral"?

How would you describe the narrator’s relationship with his wife in "Cathedral"?

Explain what the cathedral symbolizes to both the blind man and to the narrator in Raymond Carver's "Cathedral."

What does the narrator of "Cathedral" 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?

Describe narrator's epiphany at the end of "Cathedral."

What is the main theme of "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver?

What is Carver's minimalist style in "Cathedral"?

What details in “Cathedral” make clear the narrator’s initial attitude toward blind people?

The climax in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” could be said to be the moment in the end of the story when the protagonist has his eyes closed and keeps them that way because he doesn’t feel he’s “inside” anything. Q: What is the significance of this moment and in what way does it relate to the title of the story?  

Why is the title "Cathedral" relevant to the story?

How are the narrator's preconceived notations of blind people changed?

Toward the end of the story "Cathedral," the blind man asks the narrator to describe a cathedral. Why is the narrator unable to do so? What does his inability to do so reveal about himself?

How are liquor and marijuana used in "Cathedral"?

In Raymond Carver's "Cathedral," what is the story's dominate conflict, and in light of this, who or what would be considered the antagonist?

Would you describe the narrator in "Cathedral" as an antihero? What are some details early in the story that show the narrator's more sensitive side and thus help to make his development credible and persuasive?

In "Cathedral," is the single primary character round or flat? Is he static or dynamic? What about the secondary characters?

In Carver's "Cathedral," how does the point of view contribute to the effectiveness of the story?

What is the significance of Carver's choice of a cathedral as catalyst for the narrator's learning experience, and what dimension does it bring?

Do you like "Cathedral"? Why do you like it? Do you like "Cathedral"? Why do you like it?

How does the protagonist change in "Cathedral"?

What is the narrator's name in "Cathedral"?

What are three good thesis statements for “Cathedral”?   

Do you feel sympathetic towards the narrator in "Cathedral"?

What stereotypes does the narrator have of the blind in "Cathedral"?

In "Cathedral," what do the wife's reactions reveal about her in contrast to the narrator?

In "Cathedral," why does the narrator continually refer to Robert as the "blind man," rather than by name?

What would be a good thesis statement for "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver and "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin?

What is the significance of Robert having the narrator draw the cathedrals in "Cathedral"?

In "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, what is the significance of the narrator referring to Robert throughout the story as "the blind man"?

Where does the story, "Cathedral," take place?

How can I explain what is the irony in "Cathedral"?

Raymond Carver, "Cathedral." Who is the narrator? What do we know about him? Why does the impending visit by the blind man disturb him? Toward the end of the story, the blind man asks the narrator to describe a cathedral. Why is the narrator unable to do so? What does his inability to do so reveal about him? Why does the blind man tell the narrator to close his eyes while he is drawing? What does he hope to teach him? What is the narrator able to “see” with his eyes shut that he cannot see with them open? In paragraph 96, the blind man observes that the men who began work on a cathedral never lived to see it completed. In this way, he says, “they’re no different from the rest of us.” What does the cathedral symbolize to the blind man? What does it come to symbolize to the narrator?

In Raymond Carver's short story titled "Cathedral," how does descriptive language (specifically the use of adverbs and adjectives) develop the narrator's character?

Analyze the role that the wife plays in Carver's story "Cathedral."

What hints does the author give about the reason for the narrator's attitude in "Cathedral"?

What are some of the connecting themes in Raymond Carver's short stories "Cathedral," "Fever," and "Where I'm Calling From"?

Discuss "Cathedral" as a story with "the blind leading the blind."

Who is the antagonist in "Cathedral"?

In the the short story "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, how do the personality traits of the two men in the story create dramatic tension? Give at least three opposing traits.

What is the thematic meaning of blindness in Carver's story "Cathedral," and what are the methods of revealing character?

Early on in "Cathedral," the narrator reveals that he is not looking forward to his wife's friend's visit. Why not?