Raymond Carver

evaluate others harshly when they don’t know them personally. In “The Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, the husband has a hard time understanding the relationship between the wife and the blind man, Robert. Throughout the story, Carver shows us that assumptions interfere with the overall impression of a person and that audible communication increases understanding by using literary devices and elements of character. Carver gives the husband a straight but, aggravated tone which characterizes him…

In many of Raymond Carver’s short stories and Edward Hoppers paintings a multitude of connections can be made with between the two. Alcohol typically plays a key role in Raymond Carver’s short stories. This tends to lead to isolation of characters due to some degree of alcoholism. Within a majority of Edward Hopper’s paintings there is the presence of solitude, which gives a depressive mood to his paintings. Similar to Carver’s short stories, there are characters who are isolated by the…

The general argument made by author Raymond Carver in his work Little Things is one about a couple facing problems in their marital life and a child suffering because of it. The story begins describing the weather outside and the overall feeling of what is to come. More specifically, Carver discusses that there is something that has come between the couple, but he does not elaborate. Towards the end of the story he writes, “But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and…

internet to develop our opinions. Most of us no longer take the time to get to know each other and it's rather unfortunate. The short story “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver is very relatable and is a great example because it deals with the idea of looking versus actually seeing. One might think that those two words are interchangeable but Carver shows that seeing has a deeper meaning. In this essay, I will analyze and explore Carver's theme of looking versus seeing by examining different examples…

through the narrator in “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver. The character that stands out the most is the narrator. Even though the narrator isn’t actually blind, he lacks awareness that makes him more blind than the actual blind person in the story, Robert. The narrator begins talking about how he knows what a blind person is like from the movies he has seen. Blind people to him “moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs” (Carver 200). As the story…

Sometimes less is more. This mantra is exhibited in Raymond Carver’s “Everything Stuck To Him”. Carver chronically uses a minimalistic approach in his stories; this one is no exception. His lack of embellishment actually adds to his works because it acts as symbolism for accessibility. This story is laden with important word choices, making every sentence meaningful to the central ideals. The reader is found looking for more after reading this short story, only to find symbols for the permanency…

Raymond Carvers short story “Cathedral” is centered around a man, his wife and her blind friend Robert who comes to town to stay with them. The narrator holds himself high while treating his wife disrespectfully and judging Robert based on his disability. Carver shows the differences between the two men and how Robert ultimately awakens something in the narrator who he calls “Bub.” Conflict, characterization and irony are used by Carver to give life to the theme of this story which is seeing…

Raymond Carver’s Cathedral is a seemingly straight forward short story telling of man who can see, a man who is blind, and the night they spend watching television after drinking and the narrator’s wife has fallen asleep. However, as the story goes on and is examined further, we find that it is full of themes, some more obvious than others, but all equally important when it comes to fully understanding the story. The most obvious situation in this story, is the issue dealing with having sight…

Robert Carver uses the character Bub, in his short story “Cathedral”, to demonstrate the difference between being physically blind and emotionally blind. Bub proves that he is capable of seeing the physical things around him, such as his wife, his home, his marijuana, and even the blind man Robert, who eventually changes his outlook on life. However, these sights are all on the surface and have no deep meaning to Bub and his one track minded life style. In fact others authors including Mark…

A cathedral is a large church from the Gothic period, but in Raymond Carver’s short story “Cathedral”, a cathedral represents much more than that. The story of Cathedral is about an unknown man whose wife invites a long-standing friend over to stay, who happens to be blind. The unknown man, who is the narrator, is unhappy about the blind man’s visit for he has prejudices against blind people, as he has never met a blind person before. In the end, he overcomes his prejudices and everyone has a…