In Raymond Carver's short story, "Cathedral”, the narrator goes through a major personal transformation. At the beginning of the story, the narrator lacks insight and awareness about the things around him. The struggles and failures he faces limits his social life which leads him to being isolated from society. His wife's blind friend, Robert, pulls him out of his comfort zone, which allows his attitude and outlook on life to change. The narrator in Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" develops from being unaware of his surrounding to learning how to see life through a different perspective by the blind man, Robert.
The narrator, though not blind like Robert, is completely unaware and lacks insight to the world around him. His failure to understand other people’s thoughts and feelings has made him isolated from society. In the first paragraph, the author reveals about the narrator's character and attitude which continues throughout the …show more content…
Since the narrator’s wife has fallen asleep, this is the first time the narrator is alone with Robert, making the situation awkward and uncomfortable. The narrator does not know what to say because he never had a conversation with a blind person before. Rather than thinking about what to say, the narrator offers Robert some marijuana and a drink. Although the narrator believes that blind people do not smoke because they cannot see the smoke they breathe out, he still offers Robert some marijuana. During the situations when the narrator is unsure how to interact with others, he often starts drinking to remove himself from social situations. After the narrator sees Robert smoking, he changes his ideals about Robert and the blind in general. The narrator saw Robert “smoking his cigarette down to the nubbin and then lit another one” (Carver 93). The narrator’s views about the blind people have surpassed his
The narrator, though not blind like Robert, is completely unaware and lacks insight to the world around him. His failure to understand other people’s thoughts and feelings has made him isolated from society. In the first paragraph, the author reveals about the narrator's character and attitude which continues throughout the …show more content…
Since the narrator’s wife has fallen asleep, this is the first time the narrator is alone with Robert, making the situation awkward and uncomfortable. The narrator does not know what to say because he never had a conversation with a blind person before. Rather than thinking about what to say, the narrator offers Robert some marijuana and a drink. Although the narrator believes that blind people do not smoke because they cannot see the smoke they breathe out, he still offers Robert some marijuana. During the situations when the narrator is unsure how to interact with others, he often starts drinking to remove himself from social situations. After the narrator sees Robert smoking, he changes his ideals about Robert and the blind in general. The narrator saw Robert “smoking his cigarette down to the nubbin and then lit another one” (Carver 93). The narrator’s views about the blind people have surpassed his