Cathedral: Character Analysis Essay

At first glance, Raymond Carvers writing technique of Cathedral seems rather simplistic, but after further analysis of the story one realizes that it surfaces many levels of complexities. Carver, striving to prove an optimistic view of human attitudes and attributes, changes his characters ignorance and disgruntlement into self realization and eagerness. Cathedral illustrates how the comfort zone of an introverted man can turn into fear and ultimately a prison. Carvers character, the narrator, is caught off guard when pushed beyond this comfort zone and finds himself enlightened through the lessons of a blind man.

The opening of the story begins with a thought of the stay of a blind man, Robert. The narrator goes on to admit his discontent about the visit: He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me (314). In the story, it is evident that the narrator was ignorant to many facets of life. He creates a world in which he could place his thoughts, his feelings, and ultimately his innermost being. This is marked by his descriptions of the blind: My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs (314). Despite the emotional and psychological disconnection, it is apparent that the narrator has some feeling. He recalls moments in detail and recollects the stories given to him by his wife with what seems to be great precision. However, the narrator is faced with quite the dilemma. When he begins to feel an appreciation for his wife he cannot express it, for he is trapped in the isolated and emotionless world which he created.

The narrators wife brings the blind man home, drink in hand, already surprising the narrator; this is breaking one of the taboos set forth in his mind. He also notices that the blind man has a full beard, and he cannot seem to get over that fact. He meets his surprise with curious observations. Never having met a blind man, he studies the man from his age to the way he dressed; he is especially astonished when he becomes aware that the blind man never wears dark sun glasses or uses a cane. These realizations of the handicapped and the fact that they can be handy-capable are the first signs of the narrators positive development.

The evolution the narrator goes through is several stages, becoming emotionally attached in a good or bad way will give one a relationship that is very capable of developing into much more. The narrator finds himself feeling jealousy while listening to his wife and the blind man talk about the last 10 years of their lives; I waited in vain to hear my name on my wifes sweet lips But I heard nothing of the sort (318). This is the proverbial bridge in which connects the narrators world to ours. Later when the narrator and the blind man sit in silence, watching the weather report, the narrator gets nervous that his wife has gone to bed. Wishing she would come downstairs, he asks the blind man if he wants to have another drink. After he accepts, the narrator offers to share his marijuana with the blind man. He accepts once again. The feelings of jealousy from earlier starting to subside, the narrator notices the blind man has never done dope before; he offers some tips, showing more signs of his candidness. The smell of the grass attracted his wife like a lioness to her prey. Immediately she comes downstairs and asks what the smell was; cheerfully, the narrator says that they would have some cannabis. After the blind man reassures the narrators wife it had been all right they pass the joint around. Soon she falls asleep despite the narrators desire for her not to. Late into the night, when the television shows sights of cathedrals, the narrator decides to ask the blind man if he had ever seen one. After failing his attempt to explain what they look like, the narrator relinquishes his effort. Seeing that the narrator was flustered, the blind man comes up with the idea of drawing the stone building with him on a paper canvas. The blind man asks the narrator to close his eyes. Hand in hand, they start; at first the narrator finds himself blundering and questioning. This is not an obstacle to the blind man; comforting and supporting, he eggs the narrator on. In this moment, the narrator finds himself engulfed into the experience. As he draws, unable to stop, he leaves his world! Adventurous, keen, and unrelenting in this new atmospherethis is how the narrator was.

In conclusion, this story is written through the eyes of the narrator, a man who only had concerns for himself and how uncomfortable he was with the situation. However, as the story develops, the main character grows into a new being who finds comfort in the unknown and strength in a stranger. Ironically, the blind man is the one who truly sees the darkness the narrator is in: fear of the unknown, an unwillingness to change, and ignorance to the world around. Carver not only creates a realistic human picture that we call all relate to, but he also uses the old story of friendships and deliverance to paint a picture that gives a lost man hope. The narrator says it best in the last line of the story: Its really something.