Jose Gonzalez
Professor Gilmartin
English 1500-63
08th April 2015
Compare & Contrast: Cathedral – Signals One may ask, why would anyone want to compare and contrast two of Raymond Carver’s stories The Cathedral with Signals? Do the two stories really have anything worth to compare or contrast? Are the two stories even similar? Are the two stories different? A simple reason for the comparison of The Cathedral and Signals may be that the person doing the comparison has been assigned an essay by his professor instructing him to do so, or a more logical reason for the comparison of Raymond Carver’s The Cathedral and Signals may be that the person doing the comparison is aware of the many differences and similarities that the two stories possess …show more content…
The roles of those themes actually fuels the demise of the couple within Signals. From the start of Signals, through the setting (Aldo’s restaurant), one can already note one of the main subjects of Signals, that of miscommunication and misrepresentation. Aldo’s is a high-class (or classy) restaurant, with a sense of the glamorous. Wayne appears to be captivated with not only the restaurant but with Aldo himself. In the story, Aldo is said to have an Uncle in the Vatican and also claims to have some of the paintings on the walls of his restaurant from the Vatican as well. Wayne also takes note that Aldo is wearing a three hundred dollar suit, which further impresses Wayne. One can infer that Wayne is easily swayed by materialistic properties, while Caroline is easily fascinated by the group of people Aldo is acquainted …show more content…
After Caroline leaves a greater tip than Wayne for the waiter, she speaks to Aldo as the couple make their way out of the restaurant. Aldo converses with Caroline in a flirtatious manner, asking whether she will be returning. Caroline obviously tells him ‘I shall. As often as I may.’ The significance of her use of the word “I” suggests that by the time she returns to the restaurant, the couple will no longer be a pair. They would have divorced by then. As a final hint that the couple are unable to resolve their marital issues, Wayne expresses jealousy when he witnesses Aldo kissing Caroline’s hand. Although it is common for a man to feel uneasiness towards another man kissing his wife’s hand, the story suggests that this is another clue to their separation. By the end of Signals, Caroline tells Wayne that ‘You can see how he could be friends with Lana Turner.’ Wayne replies by saying ‘I don’t think her ever knew her.’ One can infer that Wayne is overwhelmed with jealousy and is no longer captivated with
Professor Gilmartin
English 1500-63
08th April 2015
Compare & Contrast: Cathedral – Signals One may ask, why would anyone want to compare and contrast two of Raymond Carver’s stories The Cathedral with Signals? Do the two stories really have anything worth to compare or contrast? Are the two stories even similar? Are the two stories different? A simple reason for the comparison of The Cathedral and Signals may be that the person doing the comparison has been assigned an essay by his professor instructing him to do so, or a more logical reason for the comparison of Raymond Carver’s The Cathedral and Signals may be that the person doing the comparison is aware of the many differences and similarities that the two stories possess …show more content…
The roles of those themes actually fuels the demise of the couple within Signals. From the start of Signals, through the setting (Aldo’s restaurant), one can already note one of the main subjects of Signals, that of miscommunication and misrepresentation. Aldo’s is a high-class (or classy) restaurant, with a sense of the glamorous. Wayne appears to be captivated with not only the restaurant but with Aldo himself. In the story, Aldo is said to have an Uncle in the Vatican and also claims to have some of the paintings on the walls of his restaurant from the Vatican as well. Wayne also takes note that Aldo is wearing a three hundred dollar suit, which further impresses Wayne. One can infer that Wayne is easily swayed by materialistic properties, while Caroline is easily fascinated by the group of people Aldo is acquainted …show more content…
After Caroline leaves a greater tip than Wayne for the waiter, she speaks to Aldo as the couple make their way out of the restaurant. Aldo converses with Caroline in a flirtatious manner, asking whether she will be returning. Caroline obviously tells him ‘I shall. As often as I may.’ The significance of her use of the word “I” suggests that by the time she returns to the restaurant, the couple will no longer be a pair. They would have divorced by then. As a final hint that the couple are unable to resolve their marital issues, Wayne expresses jealousy when he witnesses Aldo kissing Caroline’s hand. Although it is common for a man to feel uneasiness towards another man kissing his wife’s hand, the story suggests that this is another clue to their separation. By the end of Signals, Caroline tells Wayne that ‘You can see how he could be friends with Lana Turner.’ Wayne replies by saying ‘I don’t think her ever knew her.’ One can infer that Wayne is overwhelmed with jealousy and is no longer captivated with