Raymond Carver Cathedral Analysis

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People always judge others without knowing them or meeting them and this is the exactly what the narrator did in Cathedral by Raymond Carver. In the beginning of the story you see the hatred that the narrator has for his wife’s friend Robert, who is a blind man that comes to stay with him for a short period of type. The Narrators knowledge on the blind community plays a huge role in his attitude toward Robert in the beginning. Throughout the story you gradually see a change in the narrator’s mood toward Robert. Beginning the story the narrators conviction was that he was going to be a simply clean man who wore big black glasses, used a walking stick and would come off very awkwardly, anything he knew came from films. Over a course of the story the narrator gains knowledge and experience with a blind person he changes. Annoyed, uncomfortable, pity, mad, these were the emotions that the narrator felt and alluded when he found out that Robert was coming to stay with him in his home. The narrator came across very insecure with his-self and with his marriage, because he constantly brought up her past life and relationships as if it was affecting him and he was ashamed. Robert was a …show more content…

Not knowing what to expect or who Robert really is as a person. The misunderstood conceptions of a blind man were the elephant in the room. “I started to say something about the old sofa. I’d liked that old sofa. But I didn’t say anything. Then I wanted to say something else, small-talk…” not knowing what to say, under-pressure trying not to offend Robert made for awkward conversation. Once Robert started to talk and open up with the narrator you felt his tension sub-side and him feel more comfortable to have a conversation. The verbal barrier was broken and the narrator develops and matures by

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