The West Wing
S2E22
· Two Cathedrals

Bartlet's Thousand-Yard Funeral Stare

In the solemn expanse of Washington National Cathedral during Mrs. Landingham's funeral, President Bartlet sits transfixed, his thousand-yard stare piercing the void as the service unfolds. Physically present amid collective mourning, he is mentally adrift—grappling with layered grief over her brutal death, seething rage at divine injustice, and the crushing secrecy of his MS diagnosis. Reverend Monohan announces Charlie Young's reading from the Book of Wisdom, Chapter III, as Charlie solemnly approaches the pulpit, led by a layperson. This silent detachment isolates Bartlet emotionally, a pivotal beat amplifying his internal turmoil and foreshadowing his defiant reelection resolve amid converging crises.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

President Bartlet remains mentally detached from the funeral service, his thousand-yard stare revealing deeper internal turmoil.

detachment to tension ['Washington National Cathedral']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

4
Charlie Young
primary

Somber solemnity veiling raw personal anguish

Charlie Young walks slowly toward the pulpit, led by a layperson, his measured steps conveying deep grief fused with dutiful resolve as he prepares to deliver the reading.

Goals in this moment
  • • Honor Mrs. Landingham through scripture
  • • Uphold service decorum despite devastation
Active beliefs
  • • Ritual duty channels grief into purpose
  • • Hope endures beyond mortal loss
Character traits
dutiful resolute vulnerable
Follow Charlie Young's journey
Monohan
primary

Solemn reverence masking the gravity of presidential grief

Reverend Monohan commands the pulpit area, solemnly announcing the first reading by Mr. Charles Young from the Book of Wisdom, Chapter III, guiding the service's liturgical progression amid collective mourning.

Goals in this moment
  • • Facilitate smooth ritual flow
  • • Invoke scripture for communal solace
Active beliefs
  • • Liturgical rites honor the dead and console the living
  • • Wisdom's words transcend personal torment
Character traits
authoritative ritualistic compassionate
Follow Monohan's journey
Layperson
primary

Composed reverence supporting the rite's flow

The layperson unobtrusively leads Charlie Young slowly toward the pulpit, ensuring the procession maintains ritual precision without drawing attention in the cathedral's sacred space.

Goals in this moment
  • • Escort reader seamlessly to pulpit
  • • Preserve service's unbroken solemnity
Active beliefs
  • • Protocol fortifies communal mourning
  • • Quiet service enables louder grief
Character traits
discreet competent supportive
Follow Layperson's journey
Josiah Bartlet
primary

detached

staring straight ahead as the service proceeds, with mind elsewhere

Character traits
protective resolute self-aware principled
Follow Josiah Bartlet's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Washington National Cathedral Pulpit

The pulpit stands as the elevated destination toward which Charlie slowly processes, positioned to bear the weight of sacred delivery; its presence draws the eye, underscoring the transition from silent mourning to voiced scripture in the service's arc.

Before: Vacant in the nave, awaiting lector
After: Approached by Charlie, primed for reading
Before: Vacant in the nave, awaiting lector
After: Approached by Charlie, primed for reading
Book of Wisdom, Chapter III

The Book of Wisdom, Chapter III, is invoked by Reverend Monohan's announcement as the source for Charlie Young's reading, serving as the liturgical anchor that channels grief into timeless solace, heightening the ritual's emotional resonance amid Bartlet's detachment.

Before: Prepared in the cathedral for ritual use
After: Designated for imminent reading at the pulpit
Before: Prepared in the cathedral for ritual use
After: Designated for imminent reading at the pulpit

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Washington National Cathedral Pulpit

The Washington National Cathedral Pulpit dominates the nave as the gravitational center, where Charlie's slow approach culminates under layperson guidance and Monohan's cue; its scarred grain and stained-glass illumination amplify isolation and ritual gravity, mirroring Bartlet's inward fracture.

Atmosphere Hushed, heavy with unspoken sorrow and liturgical tension
Function Platform for scripture proclamation
Symbolism Beacon of enduring hope against personal and divine rage
Access Reserved for designated service participants
Soft liturgical glow from rose windows Echoing silence of vaulted arches

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Key Dialogue

"MONOHAN: "First reading will be from Mr. Charles Young, from the Book of Wisdom, Chapter III.""