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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. At what point in the story does the protagonist reach his major epiphany?

2. The narrator says that the “was having a drink and” doing what when he “heard the car pull into the drive” with his wife and the blind man?

3. What does the blind man take from the backseat of the car when he and the narrator’s wife arrive at the narrator’s home?

4. When the television show about the Church pans across the countryside, the narrator describes men walking behind what?

5. What beverage does the blind man drink with his dinner in the story?

Short Essay Questions

1. What role does alcoholism play in “Cathedral”?

2. What are the narrator’s first impressions of Robert after his arrival? How is Robert dressed?

3. What happened to the narrator’s wife during the years that she did not see the blind man? How did she maintain contact with Robert?

4. How does the reader gain insight into the narrator’s prejudices against blindness in the story?

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

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

7. What does the blind man suggest when he feels the drawing is complete? How does the narrator respond?

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. How is the theme of alienation illustrated through the protagonist in the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the setting of “Cathedral.” Of what importance is the setting of the story? Could the story be set in a different time and place? How would this change the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the plot structure of “Cathedral.”How “traditional” do you find the plot structure of the story to be? What about the story’s style makes it more difficult to determine the elements of plot? What does the author employ in order to build suspense in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the marriage of the narrator and his wife and the marriage of Robert and Beulah as seen in the text. How are these relationships similar? How do they differ?

(see the answer keys)

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