Raymond Carver Cathedral Analysis
Abstract Raymond Carver, being a famous American short story writer in the 20th century, was often labeled as a minimalist writer. However, his “Cathedral” was nothing like his previous stories. With no extraneous words, Carver expressed his unique worldview and vision in “Cathedral”. This essay will examine the text from four different perspectives: sight and insight, names and downplay of individuality, dialogues between characters, and the growth of narrator, which are all related to the theme “blindness” and all contribute to the fulfillment of the work’s artistic and literary value.
Keywords Raymond Carver “Cathedral” Sight and Insight Downplay of Individuality Dialogue Growth of Narrator “Which stories …show more content…
One thing worth taking note of is the way Robert addressed the narrator, calling him “bub”. According to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, “bub” is a form of address used to a man, sometimes in a slightly angry way. Within the context, there is no reason for Robert to be angry with the narrator. It can be regarded as an intimate address to the narrator, or a spark of contempt, implying that he was older and more experienced than the narrator. We can tell that the narrator did not like it. He exclaimed “Bub!” when he first heard Robert calling him that. After the narrator failed to describe the cathedral to Robert, his legs “felt like they didn’t have any strength in them” (Fiction 100, 131). Feeling powerless in front of a blind man, the narrator lost all confidence. It was Robert who encouraged the narrator: “Terrific. You’re doing fine” (Fiction 100, 132). The dialogues between the three major characters reveal their relationship and their change of relationship. At first, the narrator was irritated by Robert’s visit. He did not welcome Robert as he said. Then after much contact with Robert, the narrator started to change his views toward blind people because his stereotypes did not match with Robert. Yet he did not want to admit that he was wrong in judging people. After his spiritual communication with Robert, he actually changed and was able to view the world with a different
Keywords Raymond Carver “Cathedral” Sight and Insight Downplay of Individuality Dialogue Growth of Narrator “Which stories …show more content…
One thing worth taking note of is the way Robert addressed the narrator, calling him “bub”. According to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, “bub” is a form of address used to a man, sometimes in a slightly angry way. Within the context, there is no reason for Robert to be angry with the narrator. It can be regarded as an intimate address to the narrator, or a spark of contempt, implying that he was older and more experienced than the narrator. We can tell that the narrator did not like it. He exclaimed “Bub!” when he first heard Robert calling him that. After the narrator failed to describe the cathedral to Robert, his legs “felt like they didn’t have any strength in them” (Fiction 100, 131). Feeling powerless in front of a blind man, the narrator lost all confidence. It was Robert who encouraged the narrator: “Terrific. You’re doing fine” (Fiction 100, 132). The dialogues between the three major characters reveal their relationship and their change of relationship. At first, the narrator was irritated by Robert’s visit. He did not welcome Robert as he said. Then after much contact with Robert, the narrator started to change his views toward blind people because his stereotypes did not match with Robert. Yet he did not want to admit that he was wrong in judging people. After his spiritual communication with Robert, he actually changed and was able to view the world with a different