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Raymond Carver Cathedral

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“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver is a complex and intricate story; the complexity mimics the structure of a Cathedral. Cathedrals are dense buildings with complex corridors and alcoves, each nook and corner holding a secret and unique way of understanding. A Cathedral is built over generations, literally going through the hands of time, much like how each of us are raised; with each generation passing down small pieces of the culture that the next will never experience. Who we are and how we view the world does not solely come from one experience or one person. Similarly the comparison with the narrator in this story or Robert, the narrator’s views on life and the experiences that life entails are very cynical and narrow minded contrasting with …show more content…
Just as the narrator’s attitude does not change until the ending of the story because of the actions of Robert, most of us do not change our perceptions until convinced otherwise. The narrator’s negative attitude towards the blind is not surprising; as most of us belittle or judge the way those different from us live. The negativity displayed by the narrator, and the positivity of Robert shows how truly different we each view life’s burdens; just as the differences in one Cathedral. A cathedral is perfect to the looking eye, without knowing the structures story, where it came from, or why it was built. It is truly breathtaking. On the other hand, the inside of a Cathedral is just as beautiful, and just as intricate as the outer parts of it, but they have their dark, revolting corners. Cathedrals carry secrets from those who walk in and out of its doors. Just as the narrator carries his insecurities, and pitfalls internally and on his own. Cathedrals are built to last centuries against the test of time; they bring together those from opposing sides of the spectrum like they do in relation to Robert and the …show more content…
A cathedral on its own is a place where people connect to praise God, but Carver uses a cathedral to help a seeing man truly see. Robert is the only character in this story who is truly blind, yet he is the one that sees the most. The narrator is the blindest of them all, emotionally and physically. Carver depicts the scene where the two connect as one of annoyance and complete wonder, from the respecting sides. Robert wants to know what a cathedral looks like, but as someone who can see what is right in front of him the narrator is at a loss for words. “I stared hard at the shot of the cathedral on the TV. How could I even begin to describe it? But say my life depended on it” (2687). After the effort given, Robert tells the narrator to draw a cathedral. The irony of this is that Robert helps the narrator draw it out while his eyes are closed as well. With both of them “blind” they both have truly opened their eyes. The narrator experiences the most change, he can now see. This signifies that the narrator has finally connected with an idea other than his own. The narrator finally does not feel isolated and alone; he is once again connected to reality. He see’s the truth and understands that not everything is what it

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