Character Transformation In Raymond Carver's Cathedral
Amanda Gazaway
Professor Macklin Cowart
English 1102
10 September 2014
“Cathedral”: The Importance of Transformation in the Characters
In “Cathedral,” Raymond Carver drastically creates changes within his characters that bring them closer together throughout each experience. The pertaining metamorphoses begin by being utilized as simple icebreakers but eventually commence an everlasting bond between the narrator and the blind man, Robert. Character development is important because it allows for a sense of realism and the successful creation of a theme of character transformation.
The first example of transformation readers see in “Cathedral” is when Robert takes his first drink. All of the characters in the story begin with a sober …show more content…
In the beginning, the narrator implies he is close minded and insensitive. He begins by stating, “A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to” (34). (Insert fact about social awkwardness around people with disabilities.) The narrator implies also cruel by stating to his wife that he should take the blind man bowling. From the beginning of the short story, the superficial narrator sees people from how they appear on the outside instead of valuing the person’s inside. The drawing of the cathedral marks the climax in the story because it is when the narrator has an epiphany and becomes enlightened. He states with a different perspective, “It was like nothing else in my life up to now” (46). The narrator is compelled to realize what it is like to truly have sight and also distinguishes how to relate with the blind man.
By constructing a theme of transformation, Carver is able to identify with his audience. People in everyday life change and evolve. They are all philosophically in search of a moral and meaningful life. In “Cathedral,” the narrator evolves from an indifferent, callous antihero into someone who is no longer restricted by the limitations he places on
Professor Macklin Cowart
English 1102
10 September 2014
“Cathedral”: The Importance of Transformation in the Characters
In “Cathedral,” Raymond Carver drastically creates changes within his characters that bring them closer together throughout each experience. The pertaining metamorphoses begin by being utilized as simple icebreakers but eventually commence an everlasting bond between the narrator and the blind man, Robert. Character development is important because it allows for a sense of realism and the successful creation of a theme of character transformation.
The first example of transformation readers see in “Cathedral” is when Robert takes his first drink. All of the characters in the story begin with a sober …show more content…
In the beginning, the narrator implies he is close minded and insensitive. He begins by stating, “A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to” (34). (Insert fact about social awkwardness around people with disabilities.) The narrator implies also cruel by stating to his wife that he should take the blind man bowling. From the beginning of the short story, the superficial narrator sees people from how they appear on the outside instead of valuing the person’s inside. The drawing of the cathedral marks the climax in the story because it is when the narrator has an epiphany and becomes enlightened. He states with a different perspective, “It was like nothing else in my life up to now” (46). The narrator is compelled to realize what it is like to truly have sight and also distinguishes how to relate with the blind man.
By constructing a theme of transformation, Carver is able to identify with his audience. People in everyday life change and evolve. They are all philosophically in search of a moral and meaningful life. In “Cathedral,” the narrator evolves from an indifferent, callous antihero into someone who is no longer restricted by the limitations he places on