Cathedral by Raymond Carver
"Cathedral" by Raymond Carver is a short story that explores themes of communication, perception, and personal growth. The narrative centers around a blind man named Robert who visits the home of a narrator and his wife. The narrator grapples with feelings of insecurity and jealousy, particularly regarding his wife's past friendship with Robert. Initially apprehensive, the narrator's discomfort begins to dissolve as he interacts with Robert, who is portrayed as warm and open-minded despite his blindness.
As the evening unfolds, the men engage in drinking and smoking, allowing the narrator to lower his defenses. The story's climax occurs when Robert, unable to see a cathedral, encourages the narrator to draw one while guiding his hand. This moment serves as a profound turning point, leading the narrator to access unrecognized artistic abilities and a deeper emotional connection. Through this shared experience, both men gain insights that transcend their initial misunderstandings, ultimately highlighting the power of human connection and the different ways people experience the world around them.
Cathedral by Raymond Carver
First published: 1981
Type of plot: Domestic realism
Time of work: About 1980
Locale: New England
Principal Characters:
The narrator, , a shy but sensitive blue-collar workerHis wife , who once worked for Robert as a reader and secretaryRobert , their overnight guest, a blind man in his late forties
The Story
A blind man named Robert is coming to have dinner and stay overnight. The narrator's wife worked for him for one summer about ten years earlier. The two became friends and have continued to correspond by using cassette tapes. The narrator, who lacks social graces, is apprehensive about having to entertain Robert. He does not know what he should do or say. Jealous of the former relationship between his wife and Robert, he is suspicious. He knows that his wife has told Robert about him and has probably complained about his faults. This makes him feel guilty, insecure, and somewhat hostile toward both his wife and Robert.
The blind man proves to be such an outgoing, amiable person that one can understand why he made such a strong impression on the narrator's wife that she has corresponded with him for years. Despite the narrator's conversational blunders, the two men get along well; they drink together and smoke marijuana together after dinner. Under the influence of the drugs, the narrator lets down his guard with Robert.
Robert's handicap has compensations: It has made him compassionate, tolerant, and open-minded. Being dependent on others has made him trusting, and this trust leads him to reveal intimacies that he might otherwise not share. As the evening progresses and the narrator's wife falls asleep on the sofa, he and his guest grow closer. Finally he finds himself describing a documentary about cathedrals being shown on the television screen. Robert admits that he has no idea what a cathedral looks like, although he knows they required hundreds of people and decades to build. He persuades his host to sketch a cathedral while he holds the hand moving the pen. Through this spiritual contact with the blind man, the narrator discovers unsuspected artistic gifts.
The narrator sheds his inhibitions and sketches an elaborate cathedral with spires, buttresses, massive doorways, gargoyles, and a throng of worshippers. It is a unique and memorable experience that forms the story's climax. The narrator not only shares his vision with the blind Robert, but he simultaneously shares Robert's inner vision. At the same time, both share the spiritual vision of men who lived centuries earlier and collaborated to build the beautiful, mystery-laden Gothic cathedrals of Europe.
Sources for Further Study
Christian Science Monitor. November 4, 1983, p. B4.
Library Journal. CVIII, September 1, 1983, p. 1719.
Los Angeles Times Book Review. October 2, 1983, p. 3.
The New Republic. CLXXXIX, November 14, 1983, p. 38.
The New York Review of Books. XXX, November 24, 1983, p. 40.
The New York Times Book Review. LXXXVIII, September 11, 1983, p. 1.
Newsweek. CII, September 5, 1983, p. 66.
Publishers Weekly. CCXXIV, July 8, 1983, p. 58.
Saturday Review. IX, September, 1983, p. 61.
Time. CXXII, September 19, 1983, p. 95.