Poetry Survey.

Next week:

o Rebekah Ongstad, Holly Rust for Workshop

o Lorrie Moore and James Baldwin (we’ll eventually talk about most readings, even if we don’t get to them on the day they are assigned).

Pecker and Plot:

1) Note how, as movie is coming on, the scene is fully set: we follow him around and meet many people in his community and see just what he does and is. He’s someone whose art come from his everyday relationships, and his desire to embrace his life. Note that character establishes what this story is about. Equilibrium.

2) Trigger or narrative hook: Rory sees his stuff at the burger joint. Question: will P become famous? How will he deal with fame? How will his life change?

3) Complicating action: we meet the Whitney people on their way to P’s show or there. Big contrast to Baltimore and P’s family and friends.

4) Shelly starting to get annoyed.

5) Mother can’t take care of homeless in NY restaurant.

6) They’re burglarized.

7) Little Krissy is visited by social worker.

8) Matt can no longer steal.

9) People in the community are pissed off.

10) Vogue invades his mother’s thrift shop.

11) Shelly sees him kiss Rory = Climax? At this point we get max disequalibrium; the source of P’s art is now lost. The enemy or chief obstacle has been the world of high art and the threat of losing the source of his own art.

12) He makes radical choice. Climax when he throws down camera and says, “Cancel the Whitney”?

13) With the Baltimore show, he regains the source of his art and even wins over the “enemy.” Equilibrium.

Note how character issues drive the plot. We’re not waiting for the next heart-thumping sex scene or scary action, we’re waiting to see what will happen to the person of P.

Some Questions about Raymond Carver’s "Cathedral"

1)  How would you describe the narrator and central character of "Cathedral"?  What kind of guy is he?  What does he value?  What does he fear?  How educated is he?  What’s his fundamental problem?  Explain and support your answers.

2) How would you describe the narrator's wife? Be specific and provide examples.

3) How would you describe Robert? Quote some passages which reveal the kind of person/character he is.

4)  What questions, established early on in "Cathedral," create the story’s narrative suspense?   What is it you want to find out?

5) Describe the story's plot, keeping in mind our discussions and class work with plot and plot devices.

6)  Are the narrative questions in "Cathedral" answered in the end?  What do you make of the story’s final scene(s)?  What’s happening, really?

7)  How would you describe Carver’s style?  Consider his diction (word choices), sentence length and structure, point of view, and tone of voice.  What effect do you suppose he’s after?  How might style reinforce what his story is ultimately about?



 back to 323 Homepage