Cathedral

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What type of writing do you think of when you hear the word “minimalism”? What makes a story “minimalist”? Can you think of any stories or authors that might fit this category?

Teaching Suggestion: (Note: This short answer directly links to the Activity.)  Raymond Carver’s distinctive prose style is often referred to in terms such as “minimalism,” “dirty realism,” or “Kmart realism.” It is characterized by short sentences, blunt observations, and emotional disengagement from its characters. Minimalism maintains a pared-down aesthetic, harkening back to the muscular prose of Ernest Hemingway. Rightly or wrongly, Carver is considered minimalism’s most famous practitioner. Other famous writers in this style include Cormac McCarthy, Amy Hempel, Frederick Barthelme, and Ann Beattie.  

• “Literary Minimalism: 3 Characteristics of Literary Minimalism” is a page from MasterClass that defines the style.
• This article from Forbes.com illustrates how writers express themselves through unique writing styles. The resource will also be helpful during the After Reading Activity.

Short Activity  

Raymond Carver published from 1976 until he died in 1988. Do some research to find out what the economy was like during that time. How did the Federal Reserve change interest rates to correct the economy? What was its effect on middle-class Americans?

Teaching Suggestion: Stagflation, or the combination of high inflation and a slowing economy, from 1973-1982 caused higher prices of consumer goods, housing, and fuel, while unemployment remained high. Many of the characters in Cathedral are underemployed, and some struggle to make enough money to pay for consumer goods such as refrigerators or affordable housing. Consequently, they suffer Working-Class Dissatisfaction and Disengagement and Loneliness.

• “Think Inflation is Bad Now? Let’s Take a Step Back to the 1970s” is an article from NPR that explains the economic climate of the time.  
• “What is Stagflation?” from USA Today explains in detail how this unusual phenomenon happened and how it affected America in the 1970s.

Differentiation Suggestion: Inflation can be a difficult concept to teach. For English learners and different learners, you may choose to provide models, charts, images, or graphs to demonstrate how the purchasing power of money can fluctuate. Another approach is to pre-load difficult vocabulary such as “interest” or “inflation.” Tactile learners may learn about inflation best with the use of paper dollars and candies that change prices unpredictably.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What happens when people share a meal? What happens to a group of people, even strangers, when they gather around food, swap stories, and get to know one another? Why are communal meals such important parts of cultural and religious ceremonies?

Teaching Suggestion: The climaxes of several of the stories in this collection take place around a communal meal (see “Feathers,” “A Small, Good Thing,” and “Cathedral”). Characters in these stories contend with Disengagement and Loneliness and How Dysfunctional Families Trap Individuals, but time and time again they experience profoundly moving experiences around a modest dinner (or baker’s) table with food and drink. Students may consider Thanksgiving, a backyard barbecue, the Eucharist, or any other appropriate examples.

• “How Eating with Others Nourishes Us in More Ways than One” analyzes the different ways people eat and the ways it affects us. (Note: to read this Washington Post article, students need to create a free account.)