Analysis of Cathedral - Research Paper Example

Cathedral Cathedral In the story, the husband is not a good painter but the inspiration of the blind man moves him and he makes things ready for the drawing. He is a passive painter in the story, the one who acts according to the instructions of the old man. In his drawing, he makes the structure of the cathedral as a monumental building that usually brought him no attention. For him, it was just another old building in the beginning, a building much taller than others; but as the drawing progresses, it influences him with the memories of his past life. Then he cares for the aesthetics and follows the guidance of the blind man to make the drawing lively. On the other hand, the blind man had a purpose to draw the cathedral. He was trying to inspire the husband with his enthusiasm to complete a task. For the blind the cathedral was of two views; one, as an abandoned relic and the other, as a beautiful building of affectionate people. His perspectives of the two views were the two different conditions of his lonely life; one is his home, and the other he imagines the homely atmosphere that he like to live in. For him, the cathedral is the symbolic presentation of his present status. The drawing ultimately presents the two characters as the viewers of the same thing from different angles. 2. The drawing brings all the change to the man; he learns the way he should understand how others feel and observe things around them. When the drawing begins, he was sure he couldn’t finish it and the fear that he was not good at drawing pulls him back from his attempt. It can be considered as his real insider, a man willing to identify his own potential only with the stimulation of external pressure. The entry of the blind old man was not a happy concept for him, for he considered the person as his wife’s old friend and now a guest only to her. However, the presence of the old man was pleasing enough to draws his attention and the husband learns to behave towards the uncommon abilities of people. His wife is influential to his attitudes, and with her continuous urges, he starts the ways to talk to a blind man for the first time. He learns the way a blind person lived and realizes that physical challenges are no constraints to man’s insight and determination. I would like to consider that, the husband will surely learn to adapt himself to changing conditions in his life and workplace and respect other people’s opinion, considering the fact that people are always beyond his judgments. I strongly believe that the visit of the blind man will influence his behavior and he will be consistent at his work and feel more responsible for the comfort of others. This story teaches me the great principle of need for finding ourselves from within. Also, the clouds of perceptions we use to generalize our beliefs may be sometimes wrong as it happens in the case of blind man – the one who could draw. It eventually reminds me the fact that mind is the true eye of man. 3. I don’t think any other part of his body can be disabled as per the context and the development of the story. Anyway, we happen to read the story in its original form in which the narrator portrays the man as old and blind. If it was that he was not blind, then the total structure of the theme would change along with the concept behind each character in it. The story has many things to tell about the compassionate mind of a wife, the magical vision of a blind man and a passively driven husband. All these three characters have their leading position in the story because of the key factor – the blindness of the old man. Suppose, if he had impaired hand movements, the drawing wouldn’t take place. The blind man makes the changes of the context by reforming the husband only with his ability to see things through his speech and the hand movements during the drawing. Another factor that may support this claim is that the old man being blind, takes the guidance of the drawing as per his mind’s structures and the husband follows him through with the pen in his fingers. If the man was not blind, there would be a session of argument about the actual shape of the structure and they wouldn’t be able to complete the drawing. Then, the presence of the wife and her hospitality to the blind man – that part of the theme is more effective for the reader to learn how to love another man’s blindness with a considerate mindset. Even in the end, as the old man emerges as a messenger of love, it is his blindness that adds more value to his insight. 4. I should say I like the husband, because he is rather tame and amicable in the family ambience. He is person who enjoys the passiveness of life rather than the invited miseries from excitement or anxiety. I think I have no reason to blame him for his passive behavior with the blind man in the beginning because, he says he has never had such a personal experience with a blind man. He relishes drinks and food and the comfortable life with his wife, no matter what others think of him. However, it is his flexibility that makes him interesting. He knows, his failures as a hospitable person, still he tries to entertain his guest with a comfortable tone. He seems innocent when he interacts with the guest asking him, “Which side of the train did you sit on, by the way?” It is a question rather unusual and meaningless to a blind person. He likes to entertain his guest in the later stage of the story, taking the line of his wife and invites the guest for a drink without hesitation saying, “Let me get you a drink. What’s your pleasure?” I think he was considerate and equally kind, but didn’t know how to express his feelings as his wife could. He is patient and very respectful to people, as he listens to the conversations between his wife and the blind man and also when she explains very long details of her past life, he observes these qualities. At the end of the story, he shows his skill of understanding and honor to the impairments of people with a gesture of obedience and regards. Thus, I can say I have every reason to like the husband. 5. Considering the conditions of the family set up and the passive behavior of the husband, I think the wife deserves great honor. I like her because she is a very good manager with enthusiastic sense of hospitality. Though women are known for their hospitality, this lady attracts the attention of the readers with her presence of mind and understanding abilities. She has a great sense of gratitude to the old employer as he was the person who offered her a job to protect her love. However, she is a little rough towards her husband, she ridicules him (in his opening conversation with the blind man) saying, “What a question, which side!” and “What’s it matter which side?” She is a little too personal about the guest; it is obvious from her repeated calling his name and asking him about his comforts. But she is a very honorable lady, who amuses the meeting of the three with her presence. She is also affectionate and selfless, that’s why she offers to sit there idle listening to as long as the two men drank and sat discussing things. She is very caring and considerate of the guest and kind towards everyone. I like her qualities of timely and responsible actions in the family, which reminds me the model image of a wife. She is selfless who cares to understand the feelings of others. I like her also for her organized ability to remember things of her life – she has a descriptive way to recollect things connected to her past. Also she brings out the active presence of a much known housewife; that makes me like her character. 6. I like the blind man for his influential presence in the story that changes the views of the husband about life with a simple drawing. The old man is blind, but with incomparable insight and patience to adhere to his beliefs and principles. He has strong sense of determination that directs his path through the hurdles of his life towards the right destination. The drawing is an example of his perfectionist quest and the willful attachment to commitment that most people with normal sensory abilities lack. He deserves a lot of praise for his ability to distinguish a color television from a black and while one. He is interesting and honorable, for he has a style of his life intact by the visual impairment. I like him for his patience to listen and explain during a conversation. Moreover, I can compare him with someone I know in my locality who has a lot of similarities with this blind man. I have much sympathy for him because he is widower but I admire the fact that he is almost independent of others for his basic needs. He must be very kind as an employer, for he calls his former employee, the wife ‘my dear’. Most importantly, I like him for his great wisdom and the distinguished ability to present his thoughts. All the more, throughout his conversation he equals the eyesight of others with his insight. Read More