Essay on Raymond Carvers Cathedral - 832 Words

The narrator in Raymond Carvers Cathedral has two fully functional eyes, in which he chooses never to use to their full potential. The eyes of the narrator are biased, insecure, jealous, and very limited in what they choose to see. This inability to see is made apparent when he is forced to meet and converse with a blind man. The narrators perception of the world around him, and blurred vision, is resolved by a great irony in the story when Roger helps the narrator see past his prejudice outlook on life. The blind man teaches the narrator how to see. The first few pages of the story reveal the narrators blurred view of his own life, his wifes life, and the entire world around him. The narrator, Bub, seems to have an unhappy†¦show more content†¦She told me he touched his fingers to every part of her face, her nose- even her neck (P720)! Because of the fact that his wife is so close to Robert, and is so happy in the event of his arrival, I saw my wife laughing(P722), She was still wearing a smile (P722), it makes it easier for him to judge Robert according to his disability. The reader first learns of the narrators prejudices toward the world around him and especially to the seeing impaired in the introduction of the story. His biased opinion comes out when he explained, My idea of blindness came from the movies†¦ the blind moved slowly and never laughed(P720). The narrators narrow-minded conclusion brought forth the idea that the blind were no fun, and therefore no good to have around. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to(P720). Another example of how the narrators blurred vision affected his train of thought, was when he was trying to imagine what it must have been like for Roberts wife, Beulah. †¦ What a pitiful life this woman must have led(P722). Pathetic(P722). The reader also catches a sense of jealousy coming from the narrator, directed toward the relationship Robert and his wife have. The fact that they were talking about him behind his back really agitated this jealousy. I heard my own name in the mouth of th is stranger, this blind man I didnt even know(P721)! The degree ofShow MoreRelated Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay1098 Words   |  5 PagesRaymond Carvers Cathedral Raymond Carver utilizes his character of the husband, who is also the narrator, in his short story Cathedral. From the beginning of the story the narrator has a negative personality. He lacks compassion, has a narrow mind, is detached emotionally from others, and is jealous of his wifes friendship with a blind man named Robert. He never connects with anyone emotionally until the end of this story. At the beginning of the story the husband is telling of a blindRead MoreThe Theme Of Blindness In Raymond Carvers Cathedral745 Words   |  3 PagesIn Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† the narrator is seen to show ignorance and bias towards blindness throughout the story, however towards the end he realizes his flaws and the difference between looking and seeing. From the beginning of the story to the end you can see a change within the narrator after his encounter with the blind man. At the end of Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† the narrator hopes to accomplish a change in his understanding of himself, and his experience with Robert flickers this changeRead MoreThe Blind Man In Raymond Carvers Cathedral701 Words   |  3 PagesRaymond Carver’s short story â€Å"Cathedral† shows the interaction of two men, one physically blind and one prejudiced, with contrasting personalities. Overall, the story illustrates how having a closed mind is mu ch more debilitating than permanently closed eyes. 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There is the husband, who was not named, that narrates the entire story. He seems to be very jealous of the blind man and uneasy about his visit to his home. There is the wife, who is also unnamed, that is very excited for the blind man to visit her home since she has not seenRead MoreCharacter Analysis OfCathedral By Raymond Carvers Cathedral1121 Words   |  5 Pagesdied and he came to visit the unnamed narrator and wife (Carver p.32-35). Once Robert walked through the door his appearance and personality surprised the narrator greatly. In Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† the narrator is constantly judging Robert because of his disability. The narrators’ analysis of the blind in â€Å"Cathedral† is somewhat harsh and very comparable to the critiques that are given to the blind today. The unnamed wife met Robert in Seattle a couple summers previously when she was on theRead MoreAnalysis Of Bias In Carvers Cathedral By Raymond Carver1290 Words   |  6 Pagesintroduced in Raymond Carver’s Cathedral. He highlights how perception can affect the way people interact and communicate with each other for the first time. In the short story, the narrator himself is blind to the emotions of the people around him and eschews any form of self-reflection until the very end. He is envious of the blind man, who shares an intimate relationship with the narrator’s wife. However, the blind man is depicted as insightful and personal. Carver discloses in Cathedral that Robert