The speaker was blind to himself and his own outlooks, and then, when a blind man that visited gave him the ability to see through his own eyes by seeing life through a different perspective, which has changed her husband views. The speaker in Raymond Carver’s Cathedral develops from being visionless to seeing. In the story Cathedral, the wife of an Officer found a job in the advertisement paper reading to a blind man. She worked to have money while her husband was at Officer Training School. During the time that was spent working with the blind man, they developed a friendship, which have kept the wife of the officer and Robert in touch for many years.
That night when Kiowa got wasted, I sort of sank down into the sewage with him… Feels like I’m still deep shit.”(Page 150) Bowker is also intelligent and is well supported by his parents, but he did not see any meaning in getting a job or even going to school. He does not have the words to explain what he went through or how he feels and he tries to hide it. Norman really wants his story told, so he sent a letter to Tim O’ Brien and ask Tim to write itfor him. He believes that Tim can express how he feels or get the right words out, but the story did not satisfy Norman and he commits suicide 8 months later in the locker room of a YMCA in his hometown. Norman’s role in this book is to help Tim to go from being a storyteller, or writer, to being a soldier.
Despite the emotional and psychological disconnection, it is apparent that the narrator has some feeling. He recalls moments in detail and recollects the stories given to him by his wife with what seems to be great precision. However, the narrator is faced with quite the dilemma. When he begins to feel an appreciation for his wife he cannot express it, for he is trapped in the isolated and emotionless world which he created. The narrator’s wife brings the blind man home, drink in hand, already surprising the narrator; this is breaking one of the taboos set forth in his mind.
On my second interview with my grandmother I had the honor of reading her a poem Nurse and Peron (Touhy, Jett, 2010, p.350). While reading to my 97 year old grandmother I happened to look over at her. I felt and saw a sense of sadness. Even though my grandmother never personally experienced Alzheimer's disease, she had close friends that had succumb to the illness. Growing up I remember my grandfather passing away at the young age of 60, although he did not pass from Alzheimer's disease, he did battle with a chronic illness that left him debilitated.
Ben is one of the main characters in this story. He is the son of a racist mum who does not let him play with his brown neighbour Daisy. He is a caring character with a nice personality he does not judge anybody just because of their race. I feel sympathy for him because he in between his mother who is racist and wrong and Daisy who is a sweet brown girl who just wants to play with him, Ben does not know which one to choose as if he chooses his mum he will hurt Daisy and if he chooses Daisy his mum would not be happy at all. He is in an awkward position in this short story.
The climax of the story, closer to the end is when the narrator and Robert share an experience together that is their ultimate bonding as acquaintances. As they watch T.V. together, Robert first asks the narrator to describe what a cathedral looks like to him but when the narrator cannot do so; Robert suggests that he and the narrator should draw a picture of one together. “Blind and sighted people use many of the same devices in sketching their surroundings, suggesting that vision and touch are closely linked” (Kennedy). Portrayed as a powerful moment, Robert and the narrator converse back and forth as he draws the cathedral…”Never though anything like this could happen in your lifetime, did you, bub?
Cathedral “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver is a short story of a blind man’s visit. There are three characters, the narrator, his wife, and the blind man Robert. Ten years ago, the narrator’s wife took a job in Seattle reading to Robert over the course of a summer. When her job ended, she and Robert decided to stay in touch via tapes. I am not sure if these are video tapes or just audio.
Both of them told the story of another person who are suffering or in struggle. The narrator of “Cathedral” didn’t have a name. In the beginning of the story, when the narrator knew a blind man, Robert was coming to visit, he said “he was no one he knew and his being blind bothered me”, and stressing “a blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.” From above declarative sentence, the narrator himself revealed how prejudiced he was before meeting Robert. In the flashback scene, the narrator once said “I heard my own name in the mouth of this stranger, this blind man I
English Composition 1003-10 25 September 2011 The Blind Leading the Blind After first reading Raymond Carver’s short story “Cathedral” one could easily get the impression that the narrator is a closed-minded jerk. After reading the story a couple more times and really considering the position the narrator is put in, I began to realize he wasn’t very closed-minded at all. He was blinded by jealousy. Because society perpetuates the idea that men must be territorial in relationships, the narrator felt that he must do anything in his power to make sure his wife was not ok with a strange man coming to his home. The narrator’s wife observes, “You don’t have any friends.
He loved Allie then he died so now Holden subconsciously relates love with death, disappointment, and despair. While people without PTSD relate love with happiness, beauty, and stability. Also he has trouble forming basic relationships with people. With his roommates, Stradlater and Ackly, he admits to not liking them. He dislikes ackly for the simple reason that he has bad hygiene and it annoys Holden.