Epiphany in Terms of "Cathedral"

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Epiphany in terms of “Cathedral” Epiphanies for humans are to the mind, what metamorphosis is to a butterfly. A metamorphosis is an act of change or a transformation from one thing to another. Most associate a metamorphosis with the process in which a caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly. This story shows that ‘metamorphosis’ occurs to humans as well. “Cathedral” is a story of man, the narrator, who experiences a life changing epiphany in an unexpected manner. The narrator is first introduced to the reader as an insensitive and ignorant man, and he reveals these characteristics in many ways throughout the majority of the story. However, interaction with a blind man not only exploits the narrator's character flaws, but is ultimately the catalyst for his metamorphosis. The narrator's insensitivity reveals itself early in the story when his wife's blind friend, Robert, comes for a visit after the death of his wife. Almost immediately in the beginning of the story the narrator admits "A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to." (Carver 266). He even goes so far as to suggest to his wife that he take the man bowling. He hears the story of Robert's dead wife and cannot even imagine "what a pitiful life this woman must have led." (Carver 269). The narrator is superficial, only recognizing the external part of people and not recognizing the value of a person on the inside. The narrator, although insensitive, is actually quite polite. He tries to engage in small talk when Robert arrives but shows his insensitivity once again when he asks him which side of the Randhawa 2 train he sat on during his trip (Carver 271). He clearly does not know how to communicate with Robert, and it appears that he does not want to learn. Robert makes him uncomfortable, and the narrator does not know how to handle this. The narrator, in an effort to relieve his
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