... characters who people Carver's short stories, including "Cathedral," find themselves in times of diminishing expectations. In 1978, only about 11.7 percent of the United States population was considered "poor" by government standards. The rate had steadily fallen since 1960. However, in the decade beginning in 1978, poverty once again increased. Further, in the early years of the Reagan administration, high ... story was "the best example so far of the way Raymond Carver's accomplished miniaturist art is stretching itself, exploring new territories." Likewise, Josh Rubins in The New Yor...

• Word Count: 11148
• Approx Pages: 45
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School