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Comparing Hemingway's A Clean, Well-Lighted Place And Cathedral

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Thirdly , Hemingway's short story " A clean, Well-Lighted Place" and Carver's short story " Cathedral" can be compared with similar characteristics. These two stories show us how people now a day are ignorant and judge strangers without knowing them. In addition, ignorance is a big factor in the two stories because in Hemingway's story, the young waiter ignores and doesn’t understand the old man who wants to spend time at the cafe because he feels alone, but instead he tries shutting him down by going home early. However in Carver's story "Cathedral" the narrator who is ignorant and spends time in front of his television is very close-minded to new things and new people. Carver's ignorant character judges the blind man too fast because at
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Carver highlights the narrator’s prejudice in the opening section of the story in order to reveal how the narrator’s bias against blind people in general leads to a preconceived negative opinion on Robert. From the outset, the narrator acknowledges his prejudice by mentioning that his “idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed” (Carver, 1). The narrator’s negative prejudice is not caused by knowing a blind man; rather, it is derived from an external factor, demonstrating how the narrator has formulated an opinion on people he has never met. Consequently, the narrator assumes that Robert will conform to the negative stereotype present in his mind, and is unpleased about Robert’s visit.

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In “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, the narrator struggles with an internal conflict that involves him never being able to be in a vulnerable or sensitive state, especially when he is with his wife. The narrator creates suspense by having the reader wait until the end to realize what the blind man was referring to when he states, “From all you’ve said about him, I can only conclude—” (Carver 35). The reader can observe that the blind man was explaining that the husband was missing out on all aspects of life and the little things the world has to offer. The husband was so closed-minded, that he was missing out on having a deeper connection with his wife.

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A Very Short Story Ernest Hemingway is considered one of the most significant fiction writers of the 20th century. He is famous for his specific style of writing, the so called iceberg theory, which is clearly seen in his short stories and novels. Undoubtedly the unique thing that makes his short stories so special is the fact that after you read them you get the main idea but there are many things that remain unspoken or have a deeper meaning. You have to reread the text and use your imagination to get the whole picture of the text.

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