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75 pages 2 hours read

Raymond Carver

Cathedral

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 1983

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Introduction

Teacher Introduction

Cathedral 

  • Genre: Fiction; short stories; contemporary 
  • Originally Published: 1983 
  • Reading Level/Interest: Grades college/adult 
  • Structure/Length: Collection of 12 short stories; approximately 230 pages; audiobook duration approximately 7 hours and 16 minutes
  • Protagonist/Central Conflict: Each short story in Cathedral features different protagonists dealing with everyday life and complex human relationships. The title story, “Cathedral,” specifically focuses on a narrator's interaction with a blind man, challenging his preconceptions and leading to an epiphany about connection and understanding. 
  • Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of alcohol addiction; marital strife; racist language; isolation; everyday tragedies; subtle exploration of human flaws and redemption
  • This TG uses a first edition hardback copy (second printing) 0 1152 1688931 7

Raymond Carver, Author 

  • Bio: Born 1938; died 1988; renowned for his short stories; major figure in the revival of the American short story in literature in the 1980s; style characterized by minimalism and a focus on working-class life; writing often explores the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of everyday life 
  • Other Works: Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? (1976); What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981); Where I'm Calling From (1988); Short Cuts (1993) 

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

  • How Dysfunctional Families Trap Individuals
  • Working-Class Dissatisfaction
  • Disengagement and Loneliness

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

  • Gain an understanding of the economic and social contexts of the late 1970s-early 1980s that incite the conflicts in many of Carver’s stories. 
  • Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of How Dysfunctional Families Trap Individuals, Working-Class Dissatisfaction, and Disengagement and Loneliness.  
  • Write a piece of short fiction that demonstrates their understanding of Carver’s subject material and minimalist style, based on text details. 
  • Examine and appraise the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding Disengagement and Loneliness, alcohol abuse, and other topics.
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