As the story goes on, the narrator's tone and improperness changes from corrosive to warm and educated. The point-of-view in this story puts the narrator as the protagonist. The narrator also has limited omniscience which keeps the reader from seeing the blind man's feelings. In the begining of the story
Carver highlights the narrator’s prejudice in the opening section of the story in order to reveal how the narrator’s bias against blind people in general leads to a preconceived negative opinion on Robert. From the outset, the narrator acknowledges his prejudice by mentioning that his “idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed” (Carver, 1). The narrator’s negative prejudice is not caused by knowing a blind man; rather, it is derived from an external factor, demonstrating how the narrator has formulated an opinion on people he has never met. Consequently, the narrator assumes that Robert will conform to the negative stereotype present in his mind, and is unpleased about Robert’s visit.
Before the narrator met the blind man he was judgmental and critical towards him. As the story continues, the tension, which is only found in the narrator’s head, starts to resolve as he sees more. It takes the narrator drawing a cathedral and putting himself in a blind man’s shoes to be able to have “sight”. The narrator becomes open-minded and looks at Robert in a new positive
The narrator may not be visually impaired in a literal sense, but he can not see past the surface. In one sense, the narrator is blind to the world around him. He is what he described the blind to have "moved slowly and never laughed" (32). If the reader compared Robert's life with the life of the narrator, which would be more appealing? The narrator is, in his head, stuck in his job, thinking there is no where to go.
The narrator’s fifth-grade self also seems noticeably impressionable as she relates all her quotes to either parents, “which my mother said”, “Daddy-said-so” and “my father said.” She seems as if she does not have her own ideas and lacks thinking for herself. She simply echoes what her parents mention. This connection, however, suggests that the narrator’s childhood was very intertwined with her family. The narrator also makes use of hyphens such as
In his youth, the narrator is relatively carefree. He is in good health, and focused on enjoying life. He begins the story concerned only for himself, and overtime begins using “we”. The death of his father leads him toward middle age, and the birth of his son completes this transition. He longs for the days of his youth, and has a regretful attitude.
The narrator gave a sad feeling overall when telling the story about his cousin life. For example, the narrator spoke in a sad tone almost throughout the entire film because he was talking about how his Cousin was suffering a lot. The narrator was describing the detail flaws such as the physical appearance and emotional issues of his cousin. The narrator voice felt that he pitied his cousin suffering. When the narrator talks about how his cousin was living in a foster home, then his world totally changed.
The narrator’s wife, from the beginning of the story, was telling him about the visiting of a blind man, whose she used to work for one summer ten years ago. They have maintained their strong friendship and keep in touch by sending letters and tapes recording; she told him about everything that happens to in her life, from her childhood sweetheart to the time that she
Furthermore, when the narrator exemplifies the complicated process of discovering a private box in her closet, a system which involves closing her eyes and holding her hands up above your head, she comes off as a minor, adding details that only they would consider relevant. The language in the story also displays the childish quality of the narrator. Phrases such as “Daddy-said-so” and “our cave-dark closet” accentuate her adolescent mind. The phrase ”God is whipping you,” used in place of a more common--and vulgar--curse, is also evidence of her naivete and
The narrators every sentence, Byerman says is balanced, complete, and intelligent (Byerman, 367). Byerman seems to think that the narrator evades the story’s message with his rationalistic language. Byerman says the narrator “refracts his emotion”, when this is said he’s refereeing to his learning of his younger brothers imprisonment (Byerman, 368). The narrator has no time for mistakes, he sees in black and white, right or wrong. Sonny being arrested for drugs is not the right thing.