The Awakening

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"Cathedral" is a short story written by American author Raymond Carver. It first appeared in The Atlantic Monthly in 1981, with Carver later, making it a title story in 1983 in the collection Cathedral(Andrews Henningfeld). This short story shows a husband that is a physically seeing man, that is emotionally blind. While a true blind man, with no sight, is able to see more of the world. They are brought together by the narrator's wife. This union allows for the husband to encounter an epiphany. In the course of the story he may be transformed. He has a new insight into who he is and his place in the world. The husband is able to find the possibility of happiness.
Before the husband experienced the epiphany, he would not want to close his eyes. Having nightmares whenever he did close his eyes(445). I realized that him not wanting to close his eyes was a due to of fear. His fear of the world. He would not deal with his fear head on. Instead numb himself to his surroundings by drinking, smoking, and watching television all throughout the night(Carol Stern). He would do this to avoid having to close his eyes, to avoid putting his guard down. His wife points out how he isolated himself from the world, "You don't have any friends"(439). He does not have any friends to avoid having to put his trust in another person. To avoid letting someone hurting him. His marriage is "on the rocks". They are both clearly unhappy, unable to communicate, allowing their marriage to deteriorate. He seems aware of their issues, but does nothing to change this, "I had a feeling she didn't like what she saw"(441). He avoids contact with his wife so she would not be able to hurt him. He is probably thinking that if he does something to help his marriage,...

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...e, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

Stern, Carol Simpson. "Cathedral: Overview." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literature Center. Web 29 Apr. 2014.

Facknitz, Mark A. R. "'The Calm,' 'A Small Good Thing,' and 'Cathedral': Raymond Carver and the Rediscovery of Human Worth." Studies in Short Fiction 23.3 (Summer 1986): 287-296. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 126. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 May 2014.

Champion, Laurie. "So Much Whisk(e)y So Far from Home: Misogyny, Violence, and Alcoholism In Raymond Carver's Where I'm Calling From." Studies in Short Fiction 36.3 (Summer 1999): 235- 249. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol. 104. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 May 2014.

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