The Blind Man Depicted In Ernest Hemingway's Poem, Cathedral

“Cathedral” is a story about a man’s changing views, based on a growing and learning experience that he faces throughout the story. The man’s speech on his wife about her initial contact with the blind man begins passively: her job to work for the man is simply a job, nothing more. The narrator grows a rapid jealousy and resentment, following the event where his wife allowed the blind man to touch her face, although his initial reaction to reading the poem about the event is blank and unmoving, and he states that he did not think much of the poem, while describing the event, he narrated in detail exactly which parts of her face that the blind man touched, even adding an emphasis through an exclamation point to the word “neck”. Although the narrator’s …show more content…
The two bond with interest over marijuana and alcohol, although after the narrator’s wife falls asleep, the narrator and Robert are unable to keep a moving conversation.
While watching a documentary about cathedrals, the narrator notices Robert’s interest. The narrator even goes as far as to explain, in his best detail, the appearance of a cathedral to Robert, although he struggles to find the correct words to use. The narrator grows concerned when he is unable to describe the cathedrals, before he and Robert move to work together to draw one. After they have finished, the narrator closes his eyes and feels the finished work, excited by the experience.
In the beginning of the story, the only thing that the narrator knew about the blind man was that he was blind. He had judged the blind man for this, forming a bias that caused him to actively seek out other issues with the blind man. By the end of the story, the narrator finally sees the traits that his wife admires in Robert, acknowledging him and his experiences, even appreciating his blindness and his unique