Essay about Lack of Vision in Carvers Cathedral - 1266 Words

Lack of Vision in Cathedral The narrator in Raymond Carver’s Cathedral is not a particularly sensitive man. I might describe him as self-centered, superficial, and egotistical. And while his actions certainly speak to these points, it is his misunderstanding of the people and the relationships presented to him in this story which show most clearly his tragic flaw: while Robert is physically blind, it is the narrator who cannot clearly see the world around him. In the eyes of the narrator, Robert’s blindness is his defining characteristic. The opening line of Cathedral reads, This blind man, an old friend of my wife’s, he was on his way to spend the night (1052). Clearly, the narrator cannot see past Robert’s disability;†¦show more content†¦The narrator’s naivete leaves him amazed by Robert, who does things which the narrator would view as atypical of the blind. This reinforces the idea that the narrator is blind to the reality of the world. The narrator’s blindness is certainly not limited to Robert—he no better understands the relationship between his wife and the blind man: They’d become good friends, my wife and the blind man. . . . On her last day in the office, the blind man asked if he could touch her face . . . .She told me he touched his fingers to every part of her face . . . .She never forgot it. She even tried to write a poem about it . . . .She wrote a poem or two every year, usually after something really important had happened to her. When we first started going out together, she showed me the poem . . . I can remember I didn’t think much of the poem . . . Maybe I just don’t understand poetry (Carver 1053). While the narrator realizes that his wife’s relationship with Robert is important to her, he cannot understand why. Under other circumstances, the narrator’s wife’s descriptions of experiences that summer and Robert’s friendship and advice through her marriages might have left him enlightened as to the depth of their relationship. But here, despite all evidence to the contrary, the narrator (ultimately because of his prejudice) has ruled out Robert as a thoughtful, consequential person. He cannot comprehend that a blind man is capable of touchingShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral1696 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: Everyone has ghosts in their closets; something they are running from, or trying to bury alive. Cathedral, written by Raymond Carver, takes place in the early 1980’s. Originally published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1981. Carver slightly revised the story and re-released it in 1983. At a time when the blue collar working class lived paycheck to paycheck, working hard for newfound luxuries such as color television, this short story is humorous and eye-opening for the reader. For adultsRead MoreMinimalism by Raymond Carver Essay3013 Words   |  13 Pagespoint across. This method leads to a creative piece of literature with strategically placed vocabulary to stimulate hidden meaning and different forms of communication throughout the plots as shown in â€Å"The Bath†, â€Å"A Small, Good Thing† and â€Å"Cathedral†. Carver’s use of minimalism was an intelligent way to allow readers to make their own personal connections and analogies of hidden message s throughout his stories. Minimalistic writing is when less means more. 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A commonality between all three stories is the emphasizeRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral2364 Words   |  10 Pagesthe population who are not limited and make preconceived notions about these limitations which can bind them. Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† explores many literary devices that reveal the pre con ceived perception towards people with physical limitations without understanding the individual first, which is still a problem today. The protagonist, the narrator is closed minded and lacks communication with his wife, which clearly exhibits the distance and troubles in their relationship. The narrator isRead MoreThe Liberation Of The Heart By Raymond Carver1770 Words   |  8 Pagesthe heart is a liberation which some cannot easily attain. In many instances, the heart may require an influence or spark that revives the compassion that is lacking. In Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral,† the author takes this notion of intervention and demonstrates it through the tale of a vulgar and callous man who seems to lack even the slightest amount of compassion for anyone. The man appears to have no friends, no direction in life, and he most certainly has no filter. These claims become apparent