Raymond Carver Cathedral Essay

803 Words2 Pages

Symbolism is a technique in literature where objects, situation, person, event, or action are used, tthat have a deeper meaning in the context and not taken literally. In Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”, the act of looking is related to physical vision, but the act of seeing requires a deeper level of engagement. Cathedral is about a husband, portrayed as ignorant with preconceived notions about visually impaired people, but later had an epiphany in his life after an encounter with a blind man when they drew a Cathedral. Caver uses the Cathedral as a symbol of connection, faith, and creativity which is a significant component of the story. A Cathedral is a place that people to go and worship, and to connect with God. By drawing the Cathedral, …show more content…

The blind man asks the husband to describe to him the image of a cathedral. The husband was unable to successfully compose an accurate description, because he didn’t understand the meaning and the symbolism of the building. He is not a man of religion, and he was watching the show only because he had nothing else to do. When asked to describe a cathedral he says, "Sometimes the cathedrals have devils and such carved into the front. Sometimes lords and ladies. Don't ask me why this is, I said" (558-561). He continues his description of why people built Cathedrals as “…In those olden days, when they built cathedrals, men wanted to be close to God. In those olden days, God was an important part of everyone's life. You could tell this from their cathedral-building.” (572-576). Robert asked the narrator if he belonged to any religion and he replied by saying “"I guess I don't believe in it. In anything. Sometimes It's hard. (586-587).” Compelled to think about the purpose of cathedrals, the narrator realizes that, they symbolize the struggles of the people which made them build those structures to get closer to God. What would make people do such a thing? Faith in religion sometimes give direction and meaning to peoples’

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