1. Read Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" (pp. 32 - 42) and Sherman Alexie's "Flight Patterns" (pp. 54 - 67). 2. Briefly write the historical and cultural contexts of each story. When and where do they take place? What hints, references, or details do the authors give to let you know the time and place of each story, and/or the cultural background of the characters? Be as specific and concise as possible. The story “Cathedral” mainly takes place at the husband and wife’s home on a cold evening somewhere in the East Coast. We know this much because the author tells us that Robert took a long flight from the West Coast to Connecticut, where he then took a five hour train ride to their house. The story also says that the wife was holding the …show more content…
He treated and accepted others the way he wanted others to treat and accept him and his family. He wanted others to know exactly who and what he was. He desired for people to know that he was a Native American and therefore had many more reasons to terrorize the U.S but had instead chosen to become an American citizen. This led him to feel that “white folks” should celebrate his kindness and awesome ability to forgive, instead of classifying him as a terrorist. William first thought that Fekadu was a “black man with a violent history.” Fekadu was not what William had thought of him. He was an intelligent Ethiopian man who had defected and left his family behind. Fekadu had not seen nor heard of his family since then. Fekadu lives in pain not knowing if his family is still alive or if they were killed by Selassie. He sometimes sends them money, in hope that they will receive it and buy themselves gifts from
• What are their outstanding qualities? Does the author give any indication as to how or why the character developed these qualities?
NOW list the events in the SEQUENCE in which they are PRESENTED IN THE STORY (the orchestration of PLOT).
This story is about how the narrator is unable to see what life is really giving him and finds it through a blind man’s eyes, the friend of his wife. Cathedral is a touching story, in my opinion, as it reflects on what many of us, society, take for granted. It shows how important it is to give people a
Cathedral, the short story by Raymond Carver is told from a first person point of view through the eyes of the narrator who remains nameless throughout the story. The narrator, for most of the story acts selfish, feels jealousy, and does not want Robert, a blind man, to come to visit, but as the story progresses, the narrator gets to know and understand Robert and for the first time, he begins to see things with a completely different perspective. These changes make the narrator a dynamic character.
I enjoyed reading “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver. The story is realistic, relatable, and meaningful. The main protagonist, Bub, is arrogant and superficial. Because of Robert’s intimate relationship with his wife, he does not like the blind man. To cover up the fact that he is jealous, he states that he never had a blind man in his house before and that Robert does not have the characteristics he thought blind people have. Robert does not wear glasses, has a beard and etc. On page 90 he says, “I always thought dark glasses were a must for the blind.” This shows that even before he met Bub, he already had some preconceived picture of Bub that hinders him from really getting to know the real Bub. However, towards the end of the story he seems
Discuss how language is used to describe the settings in texts, and explore how the settings shape the events and influence the mood of the narrative
The ending of the “Cathedral” does not exactly show what happens after the events that unfolded. The “Cathedral” doesn’t show what the narrator has accomplished towards the ending, but does show a spark of change within him. As the narrator keeps his eyes closed even after Robert tells him to open them this further explains what the narrator is experiencing. The narrator’s meeting with Robert allowed him to listen for once and develop a sense of compassion for the blind and eliminate his bias. The narrator also loses his sense of jealousy for Robert, as he was jealous of Robert since he was so close to his wife. Since the narrator really didn’t know his wife he developed insecurities within himself and any situation that deals with her that can be seen when the narrator as he just categorizes Robert as another person apart of her past. When he leaves his eyes closed this allows the narrator to truly see as he was “blind” to compassion and what the world was really made of. It allowed him to
Cite textual evidence to support your theme statements. Give one example from your story (quote and page number) to support each of the themes you have listed.
The story follows the narrator and his wife who has invited her old friend to stay at their home because his wife has just passed away. The friend, Robert, is blind and the narrator’s wife worked for him as a reader ten years prior. They remained close and kept in touch by sending audiotapes to one another, recounting what was going on in their lives. Robert’s blindness makes the narrator uncomfortable and he does not look forward to his visit, even though it is quite important to his wife. The three spend a somewhat awkward evening together and the narrator become more comfortable with Robert as the night progresses and as his wife falls asleep. The narrator gains some compassion for Robert and attempts to describe what the cathedral on the
In “Cathedral” by Raymond Carter, the narrator has his vision, but he does not truly see the world. The blind man lacks sight, but sees deeper meanings to life.
Using allegories really helped me keep the story in context. It was very hard at first because I keep think about the fact
Topic [This semester my paper will be talking about Baroque Christopher Wren building “St. Paul’s Cathedral”]
Corresponding to how the Salisbury Cathedral is the epitome of English Gothic Architecture, the Amiens Cathedral is the essence of French Gothic Architecture, the difference however is that with the Amiens Cathedral it is rather uniform in its appearance compared to the contrast of conflicting architectural styles of the Salisbury Cathedral. Amiens Cathedral serves as a testament to the beauty and grace of the French Gothic movement in the 13th century. This stunning cathedral stands in the once thriving and bustling town of Amiens, France, located roughly 140 kilometers north of Paris. The Amiens Cathedral was commissioned by Bishop Evrard de Fouilloy to replace a smaller church dedicated to St. Mary and St. Firmin that had burned down in 1218. The destruction that the fire had wreaked over the city was so disastrous that nothing remained from any of the former churches. Construction of the nave began in 1220 and finished in 1288, a period of sixty eight years. The master of the work was named Robert de Luzarches. Master Thomas de Cormont came after him and eventually his son, Regnault, succeeded him. There were several additions made at the times, and repairs and restorations have been carried out from time to time; but Amiens and its main features stands accurately to that of a thirteenth-century French cathedral. In 1258, another fire broke out that threatened to undo the work that the architectures spent so many years working on. Luckily the building survived, but not
Okay. So here comes the first question. What is the setting of the stories and how essential is the setting to the story?
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Reims, northeast of Paris near Champagne was the coronation church of the kings of France and was an educational and cultural center. Also built of limestone, the architecture of the Reims Cathedral features Gothic style. It symbolizes an Early Gothic, Radiant Gothic and Flamboyant Gothic. The Reims Cathedral depicts a classic harmonic facade containing four levels. Its interior is defined by its towering heights and narrow proportions, and elaborate sculptural works. Because of the high quality of workmanship and materials used, Reims Cathedral features some of the most beautiful gothic art in existence. Five different cathedrals have been on the site on which Reims cathedral now sits since 401 CE. The current cathedral was built in 1211, after the previous cathedral had burned down. The new building was almost entirely finished by the end of the thirteenth century. 88 gargoyles were counted on the Reims Cathedral and are mainly used to drain off rainwater and are exceptional pieces of work, but do show the slight difference between Gothic and Romanesque styles. The stained glass windows are a beautiful part of Reims despite being damaged or ruined several times in the 18th century; the cathedral still has many 13th century stained glass windows, in the upper parts of the nave, choir and transept. On the opposite side of the great western portal, the Great Rose Window, dating from the end of the 13th century, represents “the Crowning