Crytical Analysis - Research Paper Example

Later on due to its popularity the short story was published in Best American Short Stories in 1982. Raymond Carver was a writer par excellence who believed in being minimal. Prior to writing “Cathedral” Raymond was a writer who followed the minimalist style. He believed firmly that less was more. Raymond Carver wrote three collections of short stories which followed minimalism theme. Post that he changed his style and wrote one of the best works of his career. “Cathedral” was an immaculate piece which gained popularity among the reading masses quickly.

Due to its fame “Cathedral” is ranked among one of the best short stories of American literature (Werlock, 2000, p.g. 124). The story is a representative of postmodernism and minimalism. This means the short story’s plot, characters and language are shortened down to central features (Stefanescu, 2008, p.g. 1). “Cathedral” is told by a first-person narrator. The narrator a young man who begrudges the visit of an old friend of his wife. The friend is a blind man for whom the wife once read.

The short story started with a situation in which the narrator and his wife await the arrival of someone. That someone is the narrator’s wife’s old friend Robert who is a blind man. Raymond Carver described the emotions and anger of the husband quite beautifully with his craft of writing. The short story starts with a couple waiting for someone. A blind man by the name of Robert is an old acquaintance of the narrator’s wife. The blind man has recently gone through a catastrophic situation in which he lost his wife Beluah.

From the onset of the story the narrator comes across as being unexcited about his wife’s friend. The narrator also has a prejudiced nature against blind individuals. The narrator unfolds the story and tells the readers how his wife and Robert became friends. The narrator with a heavy heart describes that they both worked together. The narrator’s wife use