Discussion Post Carver's "Cathedral"
In the 1980s, Raymond Carver was the most influential short story writer since Ernest Hemingway. Carver developed and popularized the writing technique called "minimalism." Like Hemingway, Carver wrote in a very sparse, highly controlled manner, in which every detail is important. However, while Hemingway tried to evoke the subtext he omitted through a variety of symbols and images, Carver's stories generally lack such subtext. Carver's characters are very flat; their lives are small and boring. Any event that grants his characters a new experience or new insight is itself very small, and the effect of such events upon the characters is usually minimal. Two men drawing a cathedral after watching a documentary is a typical Carver narrative climax.
"Cathedral" is the most famous of Carver's works, and there are many ways to interpret the story. For our purposes, we will highlight the postmodern aspects of the story. "Cathedral" demonstrates how the power of media influences the way we approach and interact with other people.
• Even though the narrator is telling the story, how does the narrator reveal that he lacks the ability to communicate or the ability to receive communication? (two passages)
• In what ways do the narrator's wife and Robert use media to facilitate communication? (one passage) How does media negatively affect the narrator's attitude toward Robert? (one passage)
• Robert and the narrator finally seem "to connect" at the end of the story. How is this connection predicated on a change in media as a method of communication? Why does the narrator keep his eyes closed at the end of the story? Use two passages from the story to support your answer.
The response must include a reference list. One-inch margins, double-space, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font and APA style of writing and citations.