Characterization In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

Characterization in “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver: Bias to Acceptance

Intoxicants can have a vast impact on human behavior, whether they are legal or illegal substances. People consuming intoxicants can be observed in music, movies, TV shows, or even literature. In “Cathedral,” the characters consume both alcohol and marijuana. As one reads the story, he or she can observe the effects these substances have on the characters in “Cathedral.” One character in particular, the narrator, can be observed to have been affected by the substances. In the beginning of the story, he is openly against the blind man, but as the story progresses, his attitude appears to change after he consumes the intoxicants. The narrator in “Cathedral” is biased against

Over the course of the night, the narrator tells that he has consumed at least five “big glasses of scotch” (Carver 108). The narrator does not stop at the alcohol. He migrates to the consumption of a stronger substance. The narrator reports that he, “rolled us two fat numbers”, referring to marijuana cigarettes (Carver 109). After this consumption of substances, one can begin to see a change in the narrator’s perspective. The narrator tells the blind man, “I’m glad for the company” (Carver 111), which comes in a stark contrast compared to earlier in the story when the narrator specifically says that he was not thrilled about Robert’s company. This change in perspective can be attributed to the intoxicants since these changes occur right after the consumption and the reader is given nothing else to attribute this change to. Beyond his verbal statements, the narrator carries his new attitude a step further. The narrator takes Robert’s hand in order to draw a cathedral on TV. They draw, and through this experience, as stated by Eve Wiederhold, professor of George Mason University, “‘Cathedral” tells a story about insight and personal change” (100). This experience showcases the narrator’s change in mindset towards Robert as the narrator is even willing to close his eyes in order to experience Robert’s perspective on