The Analysis of Raymond Carver’s Story "Cathedral"

Many readers of Raymond Carver’s story “Cathedral” may believe that it advocates discrimination against the disabled although, I believe otherwise. I agree with New York Times when they said Raymond Carver is “surely the most influential writer of American short stories on the second half of the twentieth century” he may have a unique approach but this story truly changed the way I think. The short story is narrated by the “intolerant” husband. Though there are no specific dates or places that imply the current setting of the story through context clues I found that the story takes place in several different places and time zones. This is because they often discuss their past in Seattle and Alabama. The story’s setting takes place in New York during the 1960's. I believe that they are in New York because it is stated that the blind man took a long flight from the west coast to Connecticut from there he took a 6-hour train ride to them.

Through context it appears to me that they are all white because the husband questioned if the blind man's wife was black based on her name. I am not sure if the husband has a prejudice but through context I am able to tell that at first he is uncomfortable with the presence of a minority, the husband stated that he felt uneasy when alone with the blind man and didn't know what to say to him. My first impression of the husband or narrator is that he is very ignorant, and sadistic. I say this because the narrator calls the blind man pathetic because after his wife died, he was left with a small insurance policy and half of a twenty-peso. This demonstrates the storyteller thinks excessively about common things and titles. The writer likewise says that he felt desolate for the man's wife since he trusts she never got compliments from him, that he would never read the demeanor all over, and that it wouldn't have any kind of effect what she wore or on the off chance that she wore cosmetics or not.

The storyteller additionally ridicules the visually impaired man's eye by saying that he longed that he wore enormous dark shades like the conventional visually impaired man since he was awkward by his eye moving around without knowing. I trust this is an extremely discourteous and oblivious suspicion. The creator has no place to state these things and has no clue how their relationship was. Numerous ladies wear make up or spruce up pleasant for themselves, not for a man. In general the creator is exceptionally unsympathetic and extremely hostile towards the visually impaired man. Overall the author is very unsympathetic and very offensive towards the blind man.

Throughout the story "Cathedral" hroughout the story "House of prayer" I discover it very clear that the creator has add up to disdain over the visit of the visually impaired man. I have a few hypotheses with respect to why I trust he holds resentment against the visually impaired man. The obvious reason is that the storyteller states he has never at any point met a visually impaired individual in his life previously and says that he doesn't anticipate having him remain at his home.

Another reason is that he could be envious of the visually impaired man since he has never met him and is uninformed of him and his wife’s past. I trust that the visually impaired man debilitates the storyteller's qualities since he is by all accounts a customary man. The creator says very unmindful things and inquiries the visually impaired man as though he weren't just visually impaired however moronic as well. Before the finish of the story the visually impaired man demonstrated the storyteller they aren't that very different and he is similarly as equipped for understanding things as he seems to be. I find it quite obvious that the author has total resentment over the visit of the blind man. I have several theories as to why I believe he holds a grudge against the blind man.

The obvious reason is that the narrator states he has never even met a blind person in his life before and says that he does not look forward to having him stay at his house. Another reason is that he could be jealous of the blind man because he has never met him before and is unaware of him and his wife's past. I believe that the blind man threatens the narrator's values because he seems to be a traditional man. The author says quite ignorant things and questions the blind man as if he weren't only blind but dumb too. By the end of the story the blind man showed the narrator they aren't that much different and he is just as capable of understanding things as he is.