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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What artistic forms are addressed in “Cathedral”?

2. The narrator says that after the death of the blind man’s wife, he was left with half of what kind of coin?

3. How long ago does the narrator say his wife offered to let him listen to a tape from the blind man in the beginning of the story?

4. According to the narrator’s wife’s story, how did the blind man meet his wife?

5. Along what river does the narrator describe the train going on the route from his home to New York?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator describe the scene once his wife has gone upstairs after dinner?

2. How does the narrator describe his experience in the final lines of the story?

3. Why does the narrator say the blind man is coming to visit in the beginning of the story?

4. How does the narrator attempt to describe a cathedral to Robert?

5. How does the narrator characterize his usual evenings in the story? What does this indicate about his character?

6. How does the narrator begin his drawing? What does his wife ask at this time?

7. How does the narrator’s wife suggest the narrator act toward Robert when he visits?

8. When and where was “Cathedral” first published? What awards was it nominated for?

9. What does the narrator discuss with Robert after his arrival in the story?

10. How is the theme of creativity illustrated through the protagonist in the beginning of “Cathedral”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the character of Robert in “Cathedral.” How old does Robert appear to be? What does the narrator remark about his facial hair? How is Robert dressed? How does Robert differ from the narrator of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Raymond Carver’s role in the minimalist movement in literature during the 1980s. What influenced this movement? Who were Carver’s influences as a writer? How is minimalism illustrated in “Cathedral”?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the important expository elements established in the first two to three pages of “Cathedral.” Why is it important for the reader to understand the history of the narrator’s wife and her friendship with the blind man? How does this information serve the plot?

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