Identity In Raymond Carver's, The Cathedral

Raymond Carver’s, “The Cathedral” is a short story told by the narrator, whose actual identity remains unknown. The narrator tells of an evening where his wife invites an old friend and former patient, by the name of Robert, over to spend the night. The only thing that differentiates Robert from the rest of the group is the simple fact that he is blind. The narrative is seemingly flat and uneventful upon initial observation. Although this may be true, it is blatantly apparent that the narrator or bud, a nicknamed coined by Robert, is close-minded and quick to make preconceived notions and assumptions about circumstances that he is unfamiliar with, especially Robert’s inability to see. Upon deeper analysis it is discovered that Bud, the narrator,

makes preconceived judgments because his experiences are apparently limited and he is dissatisfied with the life that he has lived thus far. His dissatisfaction with life explains his excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse. His limited interaction with the outside world causes him to have a limited awareness of the events and the misfortunate hands that individuals are dealt everyday. After his encounter with Robert, the narrator is given the ability to break free of his self-inflicted limitations, both socially and mentally. This renewal is depicted through the portrayal of the narrator by the author, the way that he acts, and through his self-awareness at the end of the story.
The portrayal of the narrator by the author initially is skewed by his inability to understand and have compassion but as the story progresses, bub embarks in revitalization both socially and mentally. The characteristic that bud projects predominantly is the ability to be judgmental. He judges the life experiences and hardships that he does not seem to grasp. Bub’s judgments throughout the story seem to be solely placed on Robert who the narrator deems as “this blind man” (pg, 33). Initially, the narrator comments, “His being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies.” (Pg. 33) Because the narrator had never known someone who was blind, he took a defensive and naïve approach to his condition. The portrayal of individuals in movies that have afflictions, especially those individuals who are blind, is most commonly out of the societal norm and only pertains to a small sample of the people within that population. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that the narrator was shocked to see that Robert “didn’t use a cane or wear dark glasses.” (Pg. 36) This comment is one of the many prime examples of the narrator’s skewed and judgmental perspective on an individual. It is obvious that bub expected Robert to look dramatically different from the rest of society, almost as if Robert had to sport a particular look so that others would know that he was blind as well. As the night progresses, bub’s unanticipated renewal begins to unfold.

The narrator’s renewal is blatantly apparent through his actions, especially when it comes to his interaction with Robert. Initially, the narrator appears to be the type of stagnant, or flat, man who lives an unsatisfied life and does not possess the ability to express much emotion. The narrator’s unhappiness is shown through his actions and is most commonly directed to Robert. Due to his unfamiliarity with the unfortunate circumstance that Robert has been placed in, the narrator does not know how to properly react to such a delicate situation. Bud even states that Robert’s being blind “bothered me and a blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to”(pg.33). It is apparent that Robert’s inability to see was extremely uncomfortable for bud because he had never met a blind man and did not know how to react upon his arrival. Upon deeper analysis it is seen that the relationship that Robert and the narrator’s wife shared is what irritated Bud the most.
Instead of trying to find a way in which he can relate, the narrator turns to drinking and the use of marijuana as a way to deal with a situation that he cannot seem to grasp.

As the narrator’s wife tells him of a few of Robert’s exploits and the recent passing of his wife, bud “was filled with more information than needed and made himself a drink to piece the story together.” (Pg. 34) Every event or instance where bud is left to talk about the blind man, he becomes seemingly uneasy and uncomfortable. He does now know how to act around someone with this affliction because he has never had to in the past and has preconceived notions about what the blind will and should be like. When it came time for the narrator’s wife to pick up Robert from the depot, she left and bud “was left with nothing to do so I had a drink”(pg. 35). This is yet another example of bud’s apparent excessive consumption. He does this as he waits in anticipation almost as a way to calm his nerves and to prevent him from having to deal with his

emotions.
Upon the arrival of the Robert, the couple and he consume a meal together and then proceed to the living area where they all sit and watch television. As bud’s wife leaves the room, he feels uncomfortable being left alone with Robert, so he asks him if he “wanted to smoke dope”(Pg. 38). This is one of the narrator’s tactics to escaping the present moment, and having to deal with any feelings of awkwardness or being uncomfortable. It has become blatantly obvious that the narrator does not know how to interact with a individual that is not different than he himself. In this moment, the outcome seems to be one that bud never expected. Through his interaction with the blind man, masked by the use of narcotics and alcohol, Bud begins to take a liking to Robert.
As they continue to watch TV together, they view this program about several different cathedrals around the world.

Due to his inability to see, Robert asks the narrator to describe to him how the buildings look and about how the fixtures and details that are affixed to them. Bud questioned his ability to be descriptive by stating, “How could I begin to describe it?, but say my life depended on it?” (Pg. 40) The narrator questions his abilities because, he wants to give an accurate depiction but does not quite know the words to say. His inability to communicate in the past is being challenged in this very moment, by the person he least expected to connect with. In the process of describing the cathedrals, Robert suggests actually drawing one. Bud appears, with pen and paper in hand; ready to delve into the process. Bud speaks of Robert by saying, “He found my hand, the hand with the pen. He closed his hand over my hand. Go ahead, bub, draw.”(Pg. 42) The connection that unfolds between Robert and the narrator was unforeseen but allowed the narrator to be bigger than himself for once. Upon superficial analysis it seems as if the narrator is doing this for Robert but upon deep observation, it is Robert who is doing this for the narrator. With the help of Robert, the narrator is given the opportunity to be selfless and break through all of the self-serving habits of the past, and is in so many ways renewed and reawakened through the

experience.