Preview

The Blind Man In The Cathedral Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
263 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Blind Man In The Cathedral Analysis
Readers start to note change within the narrator as he begins to describe the cathedral on the television screen to his visitor. He tries for a while but ends up tripping over his words and having no such luck. When solely relying on vision, he quickly uses up his means of explanation. Robert instructs him to retrieve a pen and paper with plans for them to draw the cathedral instead. At first he reacts with puzzlement in his tone, but soon comes full circle to acknowledge this new idea. This demonstrates that our story teller has begun to see the blind man as a real human. He now refers to his visitor by his given name instead of just “the blind man”. His preconceived notions begin to fall away. Hand on hand, and eyes closed, the men begin
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Stereotypes Of Blind People Illustrated In Raymond Carver's Cathedral
    • 206 Words
    • 1 Page

    Stereotypes Of Blind People Illustrated In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    In the short story, “Cathedral” written by Raymond Carver, the author tells the story in first person, which is very effective because he tends to project some of his own feelings and habits onto the main character such as drinking and loneliness. The reader can pick up that the time is set in the mid-fifties from the talk of new colored television and traditional ways of the household. The main plot in the story is the main character has his wife’s friend good, blind friend stay with them, Robert. With Robert being blind, this gives the main character some uncertain feelings. Throughout the story, the husband realizes that Robert is not the typical stereotype of blind people, which he thought he was going to be. At the end, the main character…

    • 206 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    'The Rich Brother' By Tobias Wolf
    • 1497 Words
    • 6 Pages

    'The Rich Brother' By Tobias Wolf

    When describing the blind man’s relationship and interactions with his wife he says “All this without seeing what the god-damned woman looked like” Carver 108). This shows the narrator’s arrogance. He assumes that because the man couldn’t see what his wife looked like they couldn’t have a normal relationship. When speaking with the blind man the narrator continues to judge him based strictly off of appearance. He says that he had wished the man had dark glasses on because his eyes were “creepy”. Later when the Narrators wife went up to bed he was left alone with the blind man. He said “I wished she’d come back downstairs. I didn’t want to be left alone with a blind man” (Carver 111). The blind man is like any other person in this world except for the fact that he can’t see. This goes to show that the narrator doesn’t see people for who they actually are, he is judging him strictly off of a physical disability. The narrator and the blind man eventually decide to smoke a joint and watch T.V. The narrator was describing what was going on in the show and a cathedral appeared. He realized that the blind man probably had no idea what a cathedral looked like so he tried describing it to him. When he realized that he could not describe it they decide to draw it together while the blind man put his hand on top of the narrators. The blind man told him to close his eyes while…

    • 1497 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Robert Carver's Poem Cathedral
    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Robert Carver's Poem Cathedral

    in the poem cathedral by robert carvin the narrator is told by his wife that she is inviting a blind friend over the narrator finds out that his wife has been send audio tapes with a blind man named Robert who she worked for several years ago. at first the narrator was closed minded about the blind man but when the wife bring the blindman from the airport he introduces himself as robert the first thing that came to robert mind was that not what he was expecting a blind man to look like how robert was dressed he was not expecting him to have a full beard and not wear dark glasses.During his visit and dinner, the narrator feels threatened by the relationship his wife and Robert share and he doesn't know why throughout the story the narrator…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Audiotapes In Ernest Hemingway's Short Stories
    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Audiotapes In Ernest Hemingway's Short Stories

    When he hears a bit of Robert’s tape, he says it sounds only like “harmless chitchat,” not realizing that this sort of intimate communication is exactly what his own marriage lacks. He knows that his wife has told Robert about him and has probably complained about his faults. This makes him feel guilty, insecure, and somewhat hostile toward both his wife and Robert. Only when the narrator closes his eyes to finish drawing the cathedral does he approach the level of understanding that his wife and Robert have achieved through their taped correspondence. This reveals the extent of his self-delusion and what he believes is what is important in a relationship. He assumes that because he can see, he is more capable of brining joy and happiness to his wife as compared to Robert. But the audiotapes show that there is a huge difference between seeing with one’s eyes and seeing with one’s heart. For the first time he is seeing, rather than…

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Character Transformation In Raymond Carver's Cathedral
    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Character Transformation In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    In the beginning, the narrator implies he is close minded and insensitive. He begins by stating, “A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to” (34). (Insert fact about social awkwardness around people with disabilities.) The narrator implies also cruel by stating to his wife that he should take the blind man bowling. From the beginning of the short story, the superficial narrator sees people from how they appear on the outside instead of valuing the person’s inside. The drawing of the cathedral marks the climax in the story because it is when the narrator has an epiphany and becomes enlightened. He states with a different perspective, “It was like nothing else in my life up to now” (46). The narrator is compelled to realize what it is like to truly have sight and also distinguishes how to relate with the blind man.…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Loneliness And Escapism In Raymond Carver's Cathedral
    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Loneliness And Escapism In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    The narrator drinks too much, jealous of his wife, unable to adequately communicate with his wife, and unconnected to other human beings. In addition not only unconnected to others, but he also seems to resent his wife’s connections to other people as well. When “I” spoke of the impending visit by my wife’s friend: the blind man , he states that, “I wasn’t enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me” (Carver 32). “A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to” (Carver 32). Furthermore, when Robert arrived at “my” house, the narrator made no special effort to engage Robert in conversation. He preferred…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cathedral: First-person Narrative and Narrator
    • 1416 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Cathedral: First-person Narrative and Narrator

    "My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything. It's really something I said." This statement is said by the narrator of the story at the end of the story, where at this point you finally come to the realization of what the true meaning or theme is behind the story. Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, shows that you do not have to see someone or something in order to appreciate them for who or what they are. It is about a husband, the narrator, and his wife who live in a house. The wife, whose name they do not mention, has a very close friend who is blind. His name is Nick. Nick's wife dies, and comes to their house to spend a couple of days with the narrator and his wife. The narrator, whose name they do not mention as well, is always on edge because he does not really know Nick very well and he does not like blind people, but he is being friendly for his wife's sake. The story comes to an end, when Nick and the narrator draw a Cathedral together using the narrator's hand and helped by Nick. This story does follow typical dramatic development, which helps develop the theme perfectly. In the beginning of the story Carver, the author, gives you an idea of what type of characters you are working with. He then forms the rising action with conversation among the three characters. The climax is when the blind man, Nick, and the narrator begin to draw the Cathedral, which leads up to the resolution of how the narrator becomes changed and learns a valuable lesson, which is the overall theme of the story.…

    • 1416 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Point Of View In Raymond Carver's Cathedral
    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Point Of View In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    In the story the “Cathedral”, by Raymond Carver, the narrator, Bub is a man of unknowing stuff, and usually assumes things without knowing the knowledge of certain things. For example, Robert a blind man, who visited bub, and his wife, and bub didn’t like the feeling a blind man coming to his home. Robert knew bubs wife from the past from a place where they read stories to blind people. Later in the story bub notices his wife and Robert were talking, and laughing, and just having a good time, which bothered Bub. Lastly, in the story the narrator and Robert had connected in the end by having the narrator drawing the cathedral and having him closing his eyes and that the narrator realized how it feels to be blind and that’s he likes the feeling.…

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cathedral Motif
    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Cathedral Motif

    In the story “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, the narrator is overwhelmed with disappointment and misunderstanding in his own life. He doesn’t see all the beauty and creativity in the world, but merely goes through the motions of life without actively living. Blindness is an underlying theme in this story, but not only as a physicality, but a social handicap. The narrator may be more capable of sight than the blind man, but he knows nothing of the descriptive illustration of life. It is through the blind mans probing of the narrator, that he finally discovers how closed off and shielded he has been. We can see a revelation in the narrator, and a transformation in his mindset.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Blind Husband In Raymond Carver's Cathedral
    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Blind Husband In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    In Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, a blind man is visiting his friend that took care of him ten years ago. Although never given a name in this story, the narrator's (Bub's) wife is an important character. It is her friendship with Robert that "makes" the story. For her, it started out just as a job, and grew into much more. She read to Robert and helped him with all the household chores. She left working for him because her husband went to officer training school so they had to move. The blind man and the woman kept in touch through audio tapes throughout the years. This gave the woman enough money so that she could marry her childhood sweetheart. You may be able to tell, just what a kind and giving person she was, for doing the job she chose.…

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cathedral
    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Cathedral

    The narrator is very skeptical of Robert the blind man because he doesn’t understand how someone would want to continue to live even though you can’t see. He states “And his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies.” The narrator is making prejudgments of the blind man based off what he has seen in movies. This leads me to believe that he is a closed minded man and doesn’t want to try to understand Roberts’s life because he thinks he already has a good grasp on it based on the movie. “For a man who can see, the narrator in “Cathedral” says little about what he sees.”(“Raymond Carver Essay on Cathedral." By Drew Woodson. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.). Woodson is talking about how the narrator conducts his life, by not describing what he sees means he takes it for granted and doesn’t understand. He also asks if Roberts’s wife was a “Negro” because her name was Beulah. This adds to the assumptions that the narrator is intolerable to people that are not like him. “Negro” is a hateful word that is only used to describe a black person in a condescending way. He also makes a generalization by assuming that Roberts wife is black because of her name. The narrator goes on to state “the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing eye dogs.” These are the assumptions he has in his head because…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Raymond Carver Cathedral Essay
    • 1470 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Raymond Carver Cathedral Essay

    In the short story “Cathedral,” by Raymond Carver, the narrator draws a cathedral with his blind guest and transforms from a narrow-minded, materialistic, and superficial individual to an individual who acknowledges the spiritual aspects of life and the lives of those around him. Before the egoist narrator meets the blind man, Bub is so closed-minded, jealous, and materialistic that he does not want to help someone in need and he does not empathize with the hardships others endure. However, after Bub communicates with Robert and engineers an emotional connection, he is no longer limited by his former characteristics. Through this emotional link, Robert assists Bub in opening his mind to the spiritual world and feeling empathy for others.…

    • 1470 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Blindness In Raymond Carver's Cathedral
    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Blindness In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    Blindness can manifest itself in many ways. Arguably the most detrimental form of this condition may be the figurative blindness of ones own situations and ignorance towards the feelings of others. In Raymond Carver 's short story "Cathedral," the narrator 's emotional and psychological blindness is immediately apparent. The many issues faced by the narrator as well as the turn-around experienced at the culmination of the tale are the main ideas for the theme of this story; and these ideas aid the narrator in eventually succumbing to character transformation by simply regarding the literal blind man in a positive light.…

    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    "Cathedral" Character Analysis
    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    "Cathedral" Character Analysis

    Throughout Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral,” the nameless narrator, the main character develops emotionally through a situation that creates fear in an already introverted man. He does not want to go outside of his comfort zone and he is caught off guard when he is forced beyond his current developmental state. But, through a lesson from the blind narrator finds himself enlightened to the sentiments of the handicapped.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cathedral by Raymond Carver
    • 276 Words
    • 1 Page

    Cathedral by Raymond Carver

    The narrator is shown to be a man who is envious of his wife’s first husband, jealous of her bond with the blind man and who smokes marijuana daily. The narrator’s use of a narrative point of view helps give the readers an inside of his personal thoughts about the blind man, Robert. Stereotypes and intimidations are constantly present with the narrators thought’s such as “they move slow, use canes, wear dark glasses, never laugh, and use seeing-eyedogs.” This helps demonstrate the view the narrator has towards the blind. Further into the story the narrator’s thoughts take a dramatic enlightening turn with the use of a cathedral, it serves as a way to grasp the narrator and show him to “see” things in a different prospective.…

    • 276 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics