cath pt2

What is the effect of the first-person narrator of "Cathedral" on the story?

The first-person narrator gives a limited perspective. In this case, the narrator's lack of self-awareness and insight provide a very limited perspective, allowing the reader to experience first-hand the narrator's isolation and disaffection.

How do alcohol and drugs affect the narrator's life in "Cathedral"?

The narrator uses alcohol excessively, as a crutch in social situations. Throughout the story he drinks almost constantly. Clues indicate this is a long-term pattern of behavior.

In "Cathedral" which clues signal that the narrator's marriage is on the verge of collapse?

One clue signalling trouble in the narrator's marriage is that when his wife played him a tape from Robert a year ago, the narrator didn't want to listen to what Robert said about him. This avoidance indicates that the narrator suspects Robert doesn't have a good opinion of him, but he doesn't want to face that fact. His self-centered attitude is evident in his complaint that Robert is "coming to sleep in my house"—not "*our* house."

In "Cathedral" what does the wife's decision to tell the narrator about Robert and Beulah's marriage reveal about her character and motivations?

The narrator's wife recognizes that her husband's prejudice against blind people is partly because he's never known a blind person.

What does the narrator of "Cathedral" reveal about himself when he describes the story of Robert and Beulah's marriage as "pathetic"?

The narrator has previously revealed himself to have a cynical outlook on life.

What does the narrator's change of attitude toward Robert suggest about making judgments about people based on stereotypes?

The narrator initially bases his ideas about blind people on images he's seen in movies of sad, serious, and helpless people.

How does the saying "the blind leading the blind" express the situational irony of Robert's interaction with the narrator of "Cathedral"?

The usual interpretation of the expression "the blind leading the blind" is that a person who doesn't know anything about a subject is trying to lead, or inform, another person who doesn't know anything about the subject.

What do the narrator's remarks about his wife's history suggest about his character and values?

The narrator speaks disdainfully about his wife's first marriage. Instead of showing some respect for the feelings she had for her childhood sweetheart, the narrator refers to him as "this man who'd first enjoyed her favors."

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How does the setting of "Cathedral" contribute to its mood?

The lack of description of the setting reinforces the feeling that there is nothing particularly interesting going on in the lives of the people who live in this house. The setting conveys a closed-in, almost claustrophobic, mood of dullness, lack of energy, and boredom.

How do the themes of communication and loneliness relate to the narrator's inability to describe a cathedral to Robert?

The narrator's inability to describe a cathedral in a way Robert can understand is typical of his general inability to communicate with other people in a meaningful way. In his interactions with his wife and with Robert, the narrator seems to lack both the vocabulary and the empathy to communicate effectively with another person.

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Why is the narrator's wife annoyed with her husband, and why do his attempts at humor and other things he says trigger her irritation?

The narrator's wife is generally annoyed with her husband because he has fallen short of her expectations as a husband. He seems to have made no effort to understand or appreciate her sensitive side. Instead of trying to communicate with her on any deep level, he hides behind a barrier of cynical comments disguised as humor.

When Robert and the narrator are drawing, why does Robert keep offering encouragement to the narrator, and why does Robert urge him to add people to the drawing?

Robert wants to bolster the narrator's confidence by constantly telling him what a good job he's doing because the narrator has apologized and has repeated, more than once, that he knows he's not doing a good job of describing a cathedral.

What are the primary and secondary conflicts in the text and how does the author suggest the conflicts be resolved?

The primary conflict in "Cathedral" is the narrator's interior conflict over his feelings of loneliness, prejudice, and inferiority. The secondary conflict is between the narrator and his wife. Unable to establish a close relationship with her husband, she feels lonely in their marriage. The epiphany the narrator experiences while drawing a cathedral with Robert shows him that it's possible to achieve spiritual connection and understanding. This positive note that the author provides at the end of the story suggests that the conflicts will be resolved, or at least that they can be.

How is the theme of loneliness explored in the story?

Each of the characters in "Cathedral" deals with loneliness. The narrator's approach to dealing with his loneliness is the least effective. The narrator's wife tried to deal with the loneliness she felt in her first marriage by reaching out to Robert, but the long-distance audiotapes they exchanged didn't keep her from attempting suicide when her day-to-day loneliness became too much. Robert is the catalyst in the story in the sense that he has something to teach the narrator and his wife about how to cope with loneliness by making an effort to connect with others.

What does the narrator learn from Robert about sight?

The narrator's encounter with Robert forces him to face his prejudice against blind people. He'd always thought of blind people as sad, needy, or somehow lesser human beings, and Robert teaches him that his ideas about blind people have been totally mistaken.