Redemption can be explained as gaining possession of something in exchange for payment. In order to achieve something, one must do something in return. The end result of redemption may be unknown to the person and what their payment is may be a sacrifice. This motif is relayed in the short story, “Cathedral,” by Raymond Carver, by a man who gains new vision from an unlikely source. “Cathedral” consists of three individuals. The narrator is the main character, which the story revolves around. The wife of the narrator is the second character, who is the least relevant. The third character is the blind man, named Robert, who is a friend of the wife. The story introduced us to the narrator with him discussing how a blind man was coming to visit him and his wife. His wife and this blind man seemed to have a strong relationship considering they would send tapes back and forth to one another to keep in touch. The narrator was not keen on the idea of this blind man being company. “I wasn’t enthusiastic about his visit,” he states. In his defense, this reaction would seem normal coming from a husband whose wife is friendly with another man. Facknitz defends my statement by bringing up the time when the narrator’s wife had worked for the blind man and he let her touch his face (par. 17). The wife talking to the narrator says, “She told me he ran his fingers over every part of her face, her nose-even her neck! She never forgot it. She even tried to write a poem about it.” Facknitz mentions, “Clearly he is jealous, and so emphasizes the eroticism of the blind man’s touch,” (par. 18). Even though the narrator may not have many feelings toward people in his life, he suitably is upset with the extent of his wife and the blind man’s relationsh... ... middle of paper ... ...-296. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 126. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. Literature Resource Center. Web. 05 May 2014. Henningfeld, Diane Andrews. "Cathedral." Short Stories for Students. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Web. 05 May 2014. Bullock, Chris J. "From Castle to Cathedral: The Architecture of Masculinity in Raymond Carver's 'Cathedral'." The Journal of Men's Studies 2.4 (May 1994): 343-351. Rpt. in Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Literature Resource Center. Web. 06 May 2014. Stern, Carol Simpson. "Cathedral: Overview." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Web. 06 May 2014. Mays, Kelly J. "The Norton Introduction to Literature." Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. 32-42.
The story “Cathedral” took place in a family house with only the husband, wife, and finally the blind man, the wife in the story can be qualified as a static character who also try to kill herself in the past. Unlike in the short story “A&P” the event took place in a grocery store with Sammy, the three girls and finally the manager who is also a static character, nothing special with him, just the typical manager the “man”. The short story “Cathedral” is protagonist is a married man who have difficulties making connections with people and even his wife, and he seems to have problems maybe a little jealous of the connection his wife is able to make with other people. “A&P” is protagonist is Sammy, an eighteen years old boy who works in a grocery store, and he hates his job. The two stories do not express the same stereotype values, the husband in “Cathedral” is being stereotype against the blinds, and he seems to have his mind made about how all blind people are, so in the ...
While the narrator of “Cathedral” had assumed that the blind man would be uncoordinated and reliant on support to get by, the narrator states that during dinner “the blind man had right away located his foods, he knew just where everything was on his plate. I watched with admiration as he used his knife and fork on the meat" (6). The competency of the blind man forcibly changes the narrators view on blindness and he eventually warms up to the man. Later, when the blind man asks the narrator to describe a cathedral, the narrator finds that he is unable to adequately do this for the man as cathedrals mean very little to him. When this happens, the man asks the narrator to fetch heavy paper and a pen so that they may draw one together. They do this together and the story closes on an optimistic note we see the flicker of change happen in the mind of the narrator, who has previously been a curt and at times unpleasant individual. In “Araby”, the boy has a less pleasant experience. After reaching the bazaar, near the end of the day, he finds himself less thrilled with Araby. Finding the bazaar much more mundane points out their British accents and listens to their conversations, comparing poorly to the exotic eastern bazaar he was expecting. He finds himself unable to keep the attention of a young women running a stand, who only flippantly waits on him before going back to her conversation with another man. Frustrated at the poor outcome of this trip and seeing the future of his sexuality in the bazaar, he states that “gazing up into the darkness [he] saw [himself] as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and [his] eyes burned with anguish and anger" (5). This less optimistic epiphany completes the boys transition from naïve child to jaded young man as the story ends implying that all people become frustrated in their desire for
Upon reading Raymond Carver's short story of the Cathedral one will notice the literary devices used in the short story. When analyzing the story completely, one then understands the themes, motifs, metaphors, and the overall point of the piece. This leaves the reader with an appreciation of the story and a feeling of complete satisfaction.
The differences between narrator and character help to create a contrast between them. In “Cathedral” a blind man is able to live his life to the fullest while the narrator with no disabilities sits home and drinks his life away. The blind man still portrays an optimistic
The narrator also feels intimidated by his wife?s relationship with the blind man. When he is telling of her friendship with Robert h...
Both “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor’s main characters come to a point of self-reflection. Both stories leave the imagination, about whether the characters have changed their perspectives on their surroundings or not, up to the reader. Although their realization at the end are the same, both stories differ in events that led up to the ending. In O’Connor’s short story, the main character is a religious and judgmental Catholic woman that led her family to their deaths. But in Carver’s short story, the main character is a stubborn, non-religious judgmental man that sees with his eyes and not his heart, meaning that he sees and accepts things as they are. Carver demonstrates vision more effectively
Raymond Carver, the author of “Cathedral” uses characterization to describe the main character, the narrator’s development in the story upon meeting a blind man. This blind man, Robert, unintentionally changes the narrator’s perspective on life and on himself. The narrator first starts off as an arrogant, close minded individual who later opens his mind and is introduced to new perspectives of life. The most important element used in this writing is characterization because it makes the reader change perspectives on how the narrator develops throughout the story and deeply goes into a lot of detail to support the narrator’s development. good thesis, but the wording is a little bland and lifeless
Raymond Carver, in his short story Cathedral uses a first-person narrator, whose point of view is very much limited and flawed. The narrator in Cathedral has full use of all his senses, unlike the blind man, Robert, who is introduced very early in the story. When comparing the two again, however, Robert is the character that is open to new ideas and willing to experience the joys of life, while the narrator limits himself due to his close-minded thinking. It brings up the question, who is truly blind in the story? Is it a physical ailment or a mental block? The narrator is never given a name in the story, making him the most impersonal character in the story. This also adds to the fact that the narrator is highly ignorant about his surroundings and has a one-sided, self-absorbed view of the world. The perception of the narrator leaves much to be inferred in many points in the story, and at first, it seems pointless to have such a closed off character and the one telling his point of view. I would like to hear the story from the wife’s point of view or Robert’s. Ultimately, however, the limited point of view of the narrator shows where the true ignorance in the world lies.
... on his interaction and communication with others. In terms of the tone of the story, it seemingly conveys the positive messages. In Cathedral, instead of monologue as in A Clean Well-lighted Place, the narrator is more likely talking to us, trying to keep us amused and engaged. Underneath the wisecracks, readers can hear a tone of sincerity and positive attitudes towards life. Though the narrator makes jokes of the blind man initially, he shows respect and do what Robert asks him to do as the story continues.
What makes a brotherhood, and how does the short story "Cathedral” relates to brotherhood? In the “Cathedral”, Robert and the Narrator connect over a drawing. The drawing help changes the outcome of the Narrator thoughts of blind people. "Cathedral" helps us understand brotherhood and how you don 't have to be blood-related to join a brotherhood. In the "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, you can experience a newly form brotherhood by two completely opposite characters who are able to form an alliance. The Narrator lacks awareness of others, but with Robert’s help, the Narrator is able to finally see the world in from a different point of view, and this opens him up to create a bond with Robert. In "Cathedral", you see the unity between two men,
Akers, Tim. "Overview: 'Cathedral'." Short Stories for Students 6 (1999): 1-2. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
The short story “Cathedral'; includes three characters. These characters include the narrator, his wife, and her blind friend Robert. Early into the story, the narrator expresses that he possesses many stereotypes, these stereotypes keep him “blind'; from the true reality of blind people. The narrator says “My idea of blindness came from the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs.'; This explains where the narrator originally gains his misconceptions of blind people. The narrator’s wife tells him that Robert will be visiting for the weekend. Once Robert arrives at their home, the narrator is shocked to find out that Robert doesn’t wear dark glasses, carry a cane, and is wearing a full beard. Throughout the story some of the narrator’s stereotypes are erased. Howeve...
A metamorphosis is an act of change or a transformation from one thing to another. Most associate a metamorphosis with the process in which a caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly. However, metamorphoses occur in humans as well. Cathedral is a story of man, the narrator, who experiences a life changing metamorphosis in an unexpected manner. The narrator is first introduced to the reader as an insensitive and ignorant man, and he reveals these characteristics in many ways throughout the majority of the story. However, interaction with a blind man not only exploits the narrator's character flaws, but is ultimately the catalyst for his metamorphosis.
In both stories the main characters were disengaged. In “Cathedral” The husband was disengaging with his wife he mention he found himself thinking what a “pitiful live” the blind man’s lived, he says:
Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" depicted the interaction between a narrow minded husband, with a limited understanding of the world around him, and a blind visitor, named Robert, that proved to be the catalyst that dramatically changed the husband's view on the world, while they went from being strangers to becoming friends. In the beginning of the story, the husband disliked the concept of his wife bringing her blind friend over to stay since he never had met a blind person before and did not understand it. However, as the story progresses, the husband, through interaction and observation, begins to dispel his fears and misconceptions of Robert and his blindness. With the help of Robert, the husband gains a revelation that changed his view and opened his eyes to the world.