Epiphany In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

In the short story Cathedral, written by Raymond Carver, a blind man, a friend of the narrator’s wife comes and stays with them overnight. In this visit, the narrator is able to overcome his own blindness and open his eyes to a new view. It is shown that it is in a character’s personality that a story’s action comes about and the plot is developed. Carver uses the characterization of the narrator in this story to give conflict and resolution as well as bringing about the idea that “they’re no different from the rest

The husband’s point of view was effectively used throughout the whole story. His point of view shows the reader his ideas before meeting the blind man and his ideas after meeting the blind man. The husband’s feelings and ideas completely change about the blind man at the end of the story. Raymond Carver demonstrates symbolism, after the husband and blind man finish drawing the Cathedral and the husband says, “My eyes were still closed. I was in my house.

In “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, the narrator struggles with an internal conflict that involves him never being able to be in a vulnerable or sensitive state, especially when he is with his wife. The narrator creates suspense by having the reader wait until the end to realize what the blind man was referring to when he states, “From all you’ve said about him, I can only conclude—” (Carver 35). The reader can observe that the blind man was explaining that the husband was missing out on all aspects of life and the little things the world has to offer. The husband was so closed-minded, that he was missing out on having a deeper connection with his wife. Throughout the story the reader can affirm that the wife has a deep, strong relationship with the blind man.

After, reading the story the reader can interpret that the truly blind person was the narrator himself. When the narrator finally puts his insecurities aside he actually starts to communicate with Robert the blind man. The story “Cathedral” shows various scenes of prejudgment, jealously, and indifference between the narrator and Robert. The story showed me that sometimes people shouldn’t judge by the exterior of people because in the interior they might have much more riches than

However, in Neighbors, dramatic irony is prevalent. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the characters do not. Dramatic and situational irony appear throughout a few of Carver’s numerous remarkable short stories. Cathedral by Raymond Carver is the story about a blind man, Robert, who visits a husband and wife in their home. One would expect the husband to be able to see more than the blind man, but ironically this is not the case.

The author use of the title “Cathedral” was misleading at first. “Cathedral” is about a husband who had an interesting experience with his wife’s blind friend. The narrator, also known as the husband, had difficulty understanding other people thoughts and personal feelings. The narrator knew how important the blind man is to his wife, yet he still makes careless jokes about him. “Maybe I could take him bowling” was a comment made by the narrator after finding out that the blind man was staying over his house.

Do you know the difference between that and a Baptist church, say” (111)? Robert is beginning to affect the narrator. Furthermore, the narrator is starting to realize that he enjoys Robert’s company as well as compelled to explore Robert’s eye sight limits, to help Robert visualize a cathedral. The narrator tries to describe a cathedral, but failed to do so, and retreats back into cynicism. The narrator’s response Robert’s question was, “the truth is, cathedrals don’t mean anything special to me.

Later in the story, Carver juxtaposes Robert’s readiness to learn more about the narrator to the narrator’s initial refusal to develop a relationship to Robert. Robert, an unprejudiced man, asks the narrator a series of questions such as “How long [have you been in your] present position?” (Carver, 7), to which the narrator, a man with prejudice against the blind, responds with curt answers, such as “Three Years.” (Carver, 7). Through this juxtaposition, Carver conveys to his audience how the narrator’s biases and stereotypes prevent him from

Next, I will explore the narrator’s misconceptions on love and the Middle East, and his wishes to desert his mundane home in “Araby.” Finally, I will explain the protagonist’s inability to leave Dublin despite her domestic and occupational misery in “Eveline.” Dubliner’s “The Sisters” features an unnamed boy who narrates the aftermath of a priest’s death, and he vaguely recalls their inappropriate relationship with implications of pedophilia. The short story beings with the boy as he comprehends that Father Flynn has died, though the child’s tone appears unattached and distant. This offers reason for suspicion to the reader as a child would normally behave differently at the news of a dead friend. They should express grief, confusion, or even disappointment at least. Instead, the narrator maintains his composure and reacts minimally when Mr. Cotter brings up the clergyman’s passing.

Without the symbolism that much of the art contains in cathedrals, the cathedral would hold no theological weight. By definition, symbolism is the portrayal of specific events and concepts using images (Inc., 2013). When looking at stained glass windows that bare illustration, symbolism becomes a major part of analysis. Richard Stemps (2016) proposes the glass itself owns deeps relationships with light, broadening the theological nuances to the glass subjects (p. 36). This idea steams from the biblical verses that were used earlier (Rev.