What is the significance of Carver’s choice of a cathedral as catalyst for the narrator’s learning experience?

Pages 76-77 of our textbook give a good biographical background of Raymond Carver. In that background material, the editors of our textbook explain Carver’s writing style this way:

“The compression of language he learned as a poet may in part account for the lean quality of his prose, what has been termed ‘minimalist,’ a term Carver himself did not like, complaining that the term ‘smacks of smallness of vision and execution.”

We certainly see this “compression of language” in his story “Cathedral.” While his writing style may be terse and minimalistic, the themes of his stories are transcendent and meaningful.

After you have read Carver’s story “Cathedral,” please respond to the following:

Is the narrator a sympathetic protagonist? Does our opinion of him change as the story progresses?

What does the narrator learn from his encounter with Robert?

What is the significance of Carver’s choice of a cathedral as catalyst for the narrator’s learning experience? What added dimension does this symbol bring to our understanding of the story? Can you tie it to any previous detail in the story?
How does Carver’s minimalistic style contribute to the characterization of the narrator in the story? Use specific instances from the text to support your view.

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