View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. The narrator tells the blind man, “In those olden days, when they built cathedrals, men wanted to be” what?

2. The narrator surmises of the blind man’s wife that she could wear what color eye-shadow around one eye and it wouldn’t make a difference?

3. What is the narrator’s prayer before dinner in the story?

4. How is the narrator’s viewpoint of blind people characterized in the beginning of the story?

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. What do the narrator and Robert say in their discussion of religion in the story?

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

4. How did the narrator’s wife come to know the blind man? How is this information revealed in the story?

5. What is signified by the narrator’s final lines in the story?

6. What is Robert’s response when the narrator offers him marijuana after dinner? What is his experience with the drug?

7. How is the theme of creativity manifested through the protagonist at the end of the story?

8. How is the post-dinner conversation described by the narrator? What prompts him to turn on the television?

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

10. From what narrative perspective is the story told? How does this narrative style affect the reader?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine and discuss correlations between the biography of Raymond Carver and the narrative of “Cathedral.” In what ways do you think Carver resembles the narrator of the story? How is alcohol a theme in Carver’s life and in the story? How does the epiphany in the story relate to Carver?

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

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 952 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample