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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Of his knowledge of cathedrals, the blind man says that he knows from the television show that they took about how many years to build?
(a) 20-30
(b) 50-100
(c) 150-200
(d) 40-60

2. What are the supports called on a cathedral that are built to steady a structure by opposing its outward thrusts?
(a) Pillars
(b) Trusses
(c) Buttresses
(d) Crossbeams

3. How many short stories are included in the anthology Cathedral?
(a) 12
(b) 5
(c) 7
(d) 4

4. What does the narrator describe as “little statues carved to look like monsters”?
(a) Gargoyles
(b) Vampires
(c) Phantoms
(d) Trolls

5. What does the narrator say that he, his wife, and the blind man did after scarfing down their dinner in the story?
(a) After that we could not even look at the pie
(b) We all wondered if anyone would take another serving
(c) For a few moments, we sat as if stunned
(d) We wondered if each of us could keep it all down

Short Answer Questions

1. From what narrative perspective is the story of “Cathedral” relayed?

2. In what year was “Cathedral” chosen to appear in The Best American Short Stories?

3. What does the narrator see his wife doing as she parks the car when she returns with the blind man?

4. What does the protagonist in “Cathedral” gain by the end of the story?

5. The narrator says that his wife first contacted the blind man after how much time had passed since she’d worked for him?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the narrator’s perceptions of race illustrated in “Cathedral”?

2. How many drinks do the narrator, his wife, and Robert have before dinner? What do they discuss?

3. How does the narrator’s wife describe Robert’s marriage prior to his arrival in the story?

4. How does the narrator’s wife respond to the marijuana downstairs when she returns?

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

6. Where in the story does the protagonist undergo an “epiphany”?

7. How does the author describe his wife’s poetry in “Cathedral”?

8. Why does the narrator apologize to Robert during their discussion after his wife’s fallen asleep?

9. What takes place in the story as it builds to its climax?

10. What is the central imagery employed in the story? How is it employed?

(see the answer keys)

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