Essay Questions

Compare and Contrast “Cathedral”, “ViewFinder” and “Kindling”.

The three stories delve into disability. In “Cathedral” the protagonist a blind man whereas “Viewfinder” has an armless photographer with chrome hooks that operate like hands. The blind man and the armless man are not limited by their disabilities though. In “Kindling”, Sol’s right arm is “withered”; nevertheless, he does his job of lumbering competently with the left hand.

What is the irony in “Cathedral”? How does it bolster the title’s appropriateness?

In “Cathedral”, Robert who is a blind man proposes that he and his host draw a cathedral together. Robert participates enthusiastically in the drawing process as if had eyes to trace the progress of drawing. Even though Robert is blind, he is the driving force of the entire exercise. Ordinarily, it would have been the narrator to superintend the process because he knows how the Cathedrals look like. What is more, the blind man buoys up the narrator to draw while closing his eyes which makes the narrator yearn that he draws things while his eyes are closed often. The drawing is the most noteworthy activity in the entire story which makes it pertinent for the story to be titled “Cathedral”. The drawing of the cathedral transforms the narrator’s outlook on blindness.

How relevant is the short story “Fat” (1971) in contemporary America?

The narrator says, “the fat man is the fattest person I have ever seen”. This declaration is applicable in the contemporary America as it makes reference to problem of obesity. Also, Harriet tells the narrator in “Fat”, “you got a fat man from the circus out there”. This assertion points to body-shaming whereby Harriet is showing disdain the man’s body size.

Another relatable contemporary concern in “Fat” is eating disorders. The fat man, eats various meals that include : ‘Caesar salad, ‘ a bowl of soup’, ‘bread and butter’, ‘lamb chops’ and ‘baked potato with sour cream.’ The fat man’s compulsive eating is analogous to Binge Eating Disorder which could be the cause of his gigantic body.