In the short story Cathedral by Raymond Carver, a wife and her husband don't get along well due to the lack of communication between them. After the passing away of the wife's blind friend's wife, the widowed Robert is asked by her to stay the night at their place while he leaves to see his in-laws the next day. The narrator is not satisfied with this decision because he has little interest of wanting to get to know Robert, being ignorant against him for his blindness. The narrator’s close-mindedness, as opposite to Robert’s openness and interest in people, becomes important of the theme in contrast in the story. This difference between their personalities affects their attitudes towards each other as well as their respective relationships …show more content…
This occurs when Robert asks the narrator to describe the Cathedrals in a program on TV. The Narrator then tells him, in very blunt detail, of the Cathedrals being tall and old buildings-- nothing too significant about the beautiful architecture and structure is mentioned. Before that, they were smoking pot; though Robert accepted the cannabis because he’s open minded, it seems like he also did it to have the narrator get comfortable with him. After, the narrator seems a bit more relaxed and lets his guard down towards Robert. Because the narrator isn’t able to explain the Cathedral so clearly, Robert gives him the idea to draw it. “Go ahead, bub, draw,” he said. “Draw. You’ll see. I’ll follow along with you. It’ll be okay. Just begin now like I’m telling you. You’ll see. Draw,” the blind man said. (227).” As a blind person, Robert knew that by drawing the Cathedral will help the narrator see the bigger picture and meaning. Robert himself would be sharing that experience with the narrator and felling the linings of the drawing. That will help him not only feel what a cathedral could look like but get the sense of it though the narrator's perspective. By drawing the Cathedral the narrator gets an idea of picturing it in his own way. Though Robert has never seen a Cathedral, the narrator is himself experiencing what Robert would be picturing and imagining of what a Cathedral could look like. This is giving both the narrator and the blind man a space to create a bond. The narrator really feels a connection between himself drawing the Cathedral with eyes shut and with Robert. “But I had my eyes closed. I thought I’d keep them that way for a little longer. I thought it was something I ought to do. “Well?” he said. “Are you looking?” My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was