Cathedral Analysis Essay

Analyzing Cathedral

The Cathedral first appeared in March 1981. This short story was well receive for readers and critics. The Cathedral, just like many stories from Carvers this one portrays characters who are isolated from each ether.

The most interesting thing about Cathedral is Carvers method of narration. The story is told by one of the principal characters and the point of view is limited to him. The narrator is not articulated, which means that the reader has to fill the gaps this one lives in the story. Even though the narrator controls the information given, Carver gives plenty of clues about the personality of the narrator. An example of this is that in the story he does not mention his love for his wife, but still the reader can see that he is jealous of her relation with the blind man.

The narrator is always drinking and cannot communicate with his wife. The wife has a history of trying to commit suicide because of the loneliness she had in her life. Only Robert the blind man seems capable of having a normal relation with other humans.

The wife was never given a name but she is key for the realization and development of the short story. Her friendship with Robert provides the encounter of this three characters. Back when she was a young woman she applied to work with the blind man as his personal reader, which makes them get to know each ether better. Throughout the years they kept in touch which seems to be a constant in her life.

Just like the wife, the narrators name is not mentioned in the story. In the first sentence the narrator refers to Robert as the blind man who is coming to spend the night. This expression is told with ignorance and disrespect, all due to a jealousy feeling of an empty man.

Robert is the blind friend of the narrators wife. He is a sophisticated man who has traveled and knows about life. Because he cares about the narrators wife, Robert acts tolerant and patient with the narrator even though he is rude to him. This two characters shared a conversation accompanied by drinks and marijuana. After the wife has gone to sleep, the narrator and Robert watch TV and this one asks how the cathedral looks. Being so empty the narrator cant describe the architecture and Robert helps him by showing him how to look with the hearth. "You'll have to forgive me," he says. "But I can't tell you what a cathedral looks like. It just isn't in me to do it. I can't do any more than I've done. The truth is, cathedrals don't mean anything special to me. Nothing. Cathedrals. They're something to look at on late-night TV. That's all they are."

Throughout the entire story, the narrator presents changes. From being an ignorant empty man, whos got no relation with the outside world to being a human with an open mind and having a friendship with a man who is blind.

Robert with his patient teaches him a lesson. Without a warning the narrator experiences an insight flash. Suddenly this Cathedral he has drawn with his bare hands opens the possibility of change in his empty life. "My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything." Just like that a lesson is well taught. The narrator learns how to open to other people and be more outgoing.

Carver, Raymond. Vintage Short Fiction. Louisiana: Thomson Corporation, 2006.