"Cathedral" is a short story by Raymond Carver that was first published in 1983. The story is about a narrator who is visited by his wife's friend, Robert, who is blind. The narrator is initially uncomfortable with Robert's visit and is uncertain about how to interact with him. Over the course of the story, however, the narrator and Robert begin to connect with each other, and the narrator begins to see the world in a new way.
As the two men spend time together, Robert teaches the narrator how to draw a cathedral using his hands as a guide. Through this experience, the narrator has a transformative moment and begins to see beyond his own limitations, experiencing the world in a new and meaningful way. The cathedral serves as a powerful symbol
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Through their interactions, the narrator and Robert are able to communicate and understand each other in ways that the narrator never thought possible. This highlights the idea that true communication and understanding are possible only when individuals are willing to put aside their assumptions and biases, and to open themselves to the perspectives of …show more content…
Carver uses plain, straightforward language to tell the story, which allows the themes and ideas to speak for themselves. This style is in line with Carver's larger literary project, which sought to strip away the clutter and artifice of traditional literary writing, and to focus instead on the essential elements of human experience. In "Cathedral," Carver employs a limited third-person point of view, with the narrator as the protagonist. This narrative perspective is particularly effective in allowing the reader to see the narrator's transformation from a skeptical and closed-minded individual to someone who is able to see the world in a new and deeper way. Additionally, the use of the limited third-person point of view allows Carver to maintain a level of distance from the narrator's thoughts and emotions, which enables him to focus on the themes and ideas of the story, rather than on the narrator's individual experiences.
The use of symbolism is also an important aspect of "Cathedral." The cathedral that the narrator and Robert draw together is a powerful symbol of the narrator's transformation and newfound understanding of the world. The cathedral represents a new way of seeing and experiencing the world, a symbol of the narrator's ability to move beyond his limited perspective and to see the world in a new and deeper way. The cathedral is not only a symbol of the narrator's transformation, but