Raymond Carver's "Cathedral"

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. Carver really did write in a “plain, simple, manner” as his introduction suggests. Although simple and straightforward, this story really surprised me; I kept waiting for a negative outcome that never came. This is probably because the narrator seems like he has so much contempt and irritation towards Robert. He is very inconsiderate, not wanting “the blind man” in his house and showing no sympathy for him after his wife’s death. I noticed that Robert’s actual name is not made known until pretty well into the story, forcing the reader to zone in on his blindness.

I found it sad that apparently the narrator has no friends, according to his wife. This may be because he appears to be incredibly intolerant and judgmental. However, when Robert arrives, the reader develops a new outlook on the narrator. For the most part, he is rather pleasant and even tends to their guest by buttering his bread at dinner and offering refreshments afterwards, (including marijuana.)Towards the end, the narrator becomes very compassionate and sympathetic to Robert by attempting to describe the essence of a cathedral.  What a change of heart.  This compassion is furthered when the narrator is willing to draw a cathedral, with Robert following his fingers. While the narrator is initially very weary and skeptical of Robert just because of his blindness, he learns to understand and better connect with him. He may enable Robert to better picture the essence of a cathedral, but Robert helps him to begin to look past stereotypes and petty differences. Really, Robert is the teacher here. The narrator is able to realize that some differences do not account for anything. I really like how the ending is full of hope and optimism for the narrator’s previously simple mind.