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The Nature Of Blindness In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

607 Words3 Pages

Everyone has their own sight, literally and figuratively. No one sees a certain situation exactly the same as another and it seems to be human nature to accept that one's own view is the correct one. This closed mindedness is seen through the first person narration in Raymond Carver's Cathedral. In this short story, the narrator claims a viewpoint with little to no knowledge and creates a barrier between the reader and the depths of who the blind man really is. The narrator exemplifies the human nature of closed mindedness through his journey from his metaphorical blindness to his newfound insight.
This short story portrays the transformation of individual's opinions from strictly black and white to a more open and accepting state. People tend to jump to conclusions without being the least bit educated on the subject. It's interesting how people can have …show more content…

As Robert attempts to get to know the narrator, the narrator details, "Did I like my work? (I didn't) Was I going to stay with it? (What were the options?)" (37). The narrator may not be visually impaired in a literal sense, but he can not see past the surface. In one sense, the narrator is blind to the world around him. He is what he described the blind to have "moved slowly and never laughed" (32). If the reader compared Robert's life with the life of the narrator, which would be more appealing? The narrator is, in his head, stuck in his job, thinking there is no where to go. His idea that the life of the blind is a sad life could be turned around to his oblivious life. The narrator is essentially blind to what life could be. Often times people find themselves just going through the motions of life and not stepping out to go further. Raymond Carver is showing the reader that closing their eyes and becoming blind to what is right in front of them could lead them deeper into

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The narrator’s eyes are closed and he is being led by a blind man, yet he is able to see. Carver never explains what it is the narrator sees, but there is the sense that he has found a connection and is no longer detached or isolated. The narrator is faced with a stark realization and glimmer of hope. Hope for new views, new life and probably even new identity. Even the narrator’s wife is surprised by the fact that her husband and Robert really get along together.

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However, the story takes an unpredicted and meaningful turn at the end when the narrator see things from a blind man’s standpoint. Since the beginning of the story, the narrator does not like the idea of having in his house a blind man. He does not know how to socialize with blind people because his idea of blindness came from the movies. He thinks blind people move slowly and they never laugh.

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The narrator begins to change as Robert taught him to see beyond the surface of looking. The narrator feels enlightened and opens up to a new world of vision and imagination. This brief experience has a long lasting effect on the narrator. Being able to shut out everything around us allows an individual the ability to become focused on their relationships, intrapersonal well-being, and

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Robert’s wife has recently died and he used to work for the narrator’s wife. Robert comes to visit the narrator’s home and the narrator is not happy about this because he believes blind people to be miserable and gloomy based solely on what he has absorbed from the movies. At the end of the first paragraph, he says, “A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to” (1.1). Little to the narrator’s knowledge, his wife and Robert had been using audio tape to correspond over ten years, and have much past history with each other. The narrator’s wife makes sure he knows to make Robert comfortable, and if he doesn’t it shows that he does not love her.

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Raymond Carver Cathedral Summary

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In his contemporary short story, “Cathedral,” Raymond Carver tells the story of an unnamed narrator, his wife, and an old friend, a blind man named Robert. Robert has come to visit the narrator’s wife, who is quite excited to see this man whom she hasn’t seen in ten years, yet the same can’t be said of the narrator who is noticeably and vocally uncomfortable about his visit. The story is told through the narrator’s first person point of view, showcasing his thoughts and the events that take place when Robert comes to visit. Carver highlights the theme of having the ability to see, but not truly seeing, through his use of colloquial language, and creation of relatable characters. “Cathedral” begins with the narrator informing the audience

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