Literary analysis of Cathedral - Essay Example

Literary Analysis of ‘Cathedral’ The short story en d Cathedral written by Raymond Carver is narrated throughthe point of view of a husband, whose wife befriended a blind person, Robert, from a previous summer employment. The story began with the narrator simply stating that the blind man was about to stay with the couple for the night. The narrator openly indicated his detest for blind, in general, from personal perspectives gathered through observation, especially in the movies. Furthermore, the close relationship between his wife and the blind man that existed through the years provided additional ire and ill feelings.

The transcending climax in the plot revealed how Robert, despite his blindness, was able to actually open the mind and constricted perspectives of the narrator through a unique experience of the cathedral. The characters of the story are the narrator, as the protagonist, whose instrumental point of view revealed details of the plot. As the narrator, he is considered a round character, where his personal views and feelings towards other characters are relevant in the development of the story. He foretold the experience of his wife, unnamed, yet instrumental in inviting Robert to their home.

The wife is a flat character, through described in more details, as necessary to advance the events that are about to unfold. The blind man, Robert, is initially seen as the antagonist, providing conflict to the narrator due to the impending visit that he openly disliked. The story told in a straightforward style, manifests diverse symbolism in terms of the cathedral, itself, as a manifestation of strong and steadfast faith as giving immense ability to transform a nonbeliever into a brand new person with optimistic perspectives.

Through the cathedral as the impetus for discussion between Robert and the narrator, an eye-opening transformation for the narrator ensued. There is also symbolism in blindness, aside from the inability of the blind man, Robert, to see, the narrator likewise exhibits inability to be honest and to communicate with his wife. It was indicated in the story that the narrator seemed to be envious of the distant relationship between his wife and the blind man that existed through sending tapes of experiences through the years.

The narrator also revealed that their spousal relationship seemed strained given that they do not sleep at the same time. Therefore, there was blindness in terms of unproductive relationship between the spouses. The setting of the short story is in the narrator’s home, predominantly classified as regionalism, or confined to one location. Although the wife narrated experiences in diverse settings, like the summer in Seattle, where she met Robert to serve as a reader, the story evolved mostly in the spouses’ abode.

The highlight in the setting occurred with Robert visited the spouses in their home where the rest of the plot unfolded. The transcending events happened right at the narrator’s living room, while Robert and he was seated and watching TV in the midst of their conversation. The setting is considered regionalized because of the story evolving from that particular area. The theme or the overall meaning that Carver aims to depict in the short story is that despite man’s disabilities, others should not be quick to make harsh judgments and be prejudiced before completely knowing the true personality and character of a person.

Blindness and other physical disabilities are not enough to presume that these people are ill-equipped to live life to the fullest. Through the plan of development starting from averring the narrator’s prejudice to blindness to sharing the experiences of his wife, the story eventually unfolded to the true awakening of the narrator. The irony in the story is that it took the guidance of a blind man to make the narrator, with complete access to all senses, to truly open his eyes and realize how unequipped he was to relate to others: to develop friends and even to maintain and sustain a good working relationship with his wife.

The transcending climax in the plot revealed how Robert, despite his blindness, was able to actually open the mind and constricted perspectives of the narrator through a unique experience of the cathedral. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. “Catherdral.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia, eds. New York: Pearson, 2007. 98-108. Print.