I chose to discuss “Cathedral” by Raymond carver for my first essay and how the blind man, Robert, inspires the narrator, the husband of Robert’s friend, to really see the world despite being blind. "Cathedral" is narrated by a man whose wife has an old friend who is coming to visit from Seattle. The friend is blind and his wife has just passed away. The narrator identifies Robert's blindness as his defining characteristic. Though Robert is blind, he can perceive the world in ways the narrator cannot understand and despite him being physically able to see the world, he remains blind. Robert senses this and the fact that despite being married, the narrator and wife remain detached from each other. Robert opens the narrator’s mind to new possibilities
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His wife, who is never named in the story, used to work for Robert many years ago. She has kept in touch with her old employer over the years by exchanging audiotapes. Robert’s wife has recently passed away and he is visiting her grieving family and happens to be nearby. While in the vicinity, he decides to hop on the train and visit his old friend. The narrator, his wife, and Robert share some drinks followed by voraciously scarfing down a feast while not talking much. After the dinner, they all retire to the living room to smoke marijuana, drink some more, and watch TV. It is at this point that the wife changes into her bathrobe and falls asleep. Robert and the narrator are watching a program about cathedrals while making small talk. Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol in his system or the lingering g effects of THC from the earlier toking, the narrator is starting to open up to Robert at this point. Robert asks the narrator to fetch some paper and pencil so they can draw a cathedral together. As the narrator draws and Robert traces with his hand over the narrator’s, Robert asks the narrator to close his eyes and keep drawing. After a while, Robert asks the narrator to open his eyes and tell him what the narrator thought of his drawing. The narrator is experiencing an epiphany of sorts and doesn’t open his eyes but responds, “It’s really
His wife, who is never named in the story, used to work for Robert many years ago. She has kept in touch with her old employer over the years by exchanging audiotapes. Robert’s wife has recently passed away and he is visiting her grieving family and happens to be nearby. While in the vicinity, he decides to hop on the train and visit his old friend. The narrator, his wife, and Robert share some drinks followed by voraciously scarfing down a feast while not talking much. After the dinner, they all retire to the living room to smoke marijuana, drink some more, and watch TV. It is at this point that the wife changes into her bathrobe and falls asleep. Robert and the narrator are watching a program about cathedrals while making small talk. Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol in his system or the lingering g effects of THC from the earlier toking, the narrator is starting to open up to Robert at this point. Robert asks the narrator to fetch some paper and pencil so they can draw a cathedral together. As the narrator draws and Robert traces with his hand over the narrator’s, Robert asks the narrator to close his eyes and keep drawing. After a while, Robert asks the narrator to open his eyes and tell him what the narrator thought of his drawing. The narrator is experiencing an epiphany of sorts and doesn’t open his eyes but responds, “It’s really