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Raymond Carver Cathedral Essay

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Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” is a short story about a blind man who stays with the narrator and his wife, and the personal growth of the narrator that takes place throughout the night. The story opens at the home of the narrator and his wife as the blind man, who is an old friend of the wife, is on his way to visit his recently deceased wife’s relatives. Conflict in the story stems from the narrators apparent distaste for blind people and him not wanting a bind person to stay in their home. Throughout the night the wife and blind man discuss their lives and chat politely while the narrator feels increasingly uncomfortable and left-out in his struggle to communicate with a man who has no sight. After an awkward dinner, the wife goes upstairs leaving the blind man and the narrator alone. After a few awkward …show more content…

At one point the television programs stops its narration and shows cinematic shots of a cathedral. The narrator feels uncomfortable in the silence knowing that the blind man cannot see the video of the cathedral, so he attempts to describe what is being shown. After a few vague descriptions and some prodding from the blind man, the narrator quickly grows frustrated with his inability to describe the cathedral. Sensing his growing frustration, the blind man asks the narrator to collect paper and pens so that they can draw the cathedral together to show the blind man what it looks like. Once the narrator collects the materials, they sit hand in hand and begin to draw the cathedral. Eventually the blind man asks the narrator to close his eyes and just experience the moment. After doing so, the narrator has a sort of epiphany and better understands the blind man’s life, and his distaste fades away. The dichotomy of the narrator’s feelings after drawing the cathedral and his thoughts early on in the story perfectly illustrate the personal growth of the narrator throughout the

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