The Theme Of Blindness In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

In the eye-opening short story, Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, a simple minded man is forced to open his home and mind to a very good friend of his wife’s, a blind man, Robert. Being ingnorant of the capabilities of blind people, Robert surprises the narrator by connecting so well emotionally with his wife and exceeding his expectations of what a blind person is capable of physically and mentally. Relying on stereotypes and drawing quick assumptions of people has caused the narrator to lack a sense of insight and understanding into others lives. Although not physically blind, he lacks his wife’s and Robert’s ability to connect emotionally and actually see and understand things that aren't right on the surface. Toward the end of the story the narrator's perspective widens, and he realizes that vision is not an essential element when it comes to the ability to see; sometimes looking at …show more content…
Jealous of his wife's affection toward Robert and unaware of the emotional connection they share, the narrator is not eager to welcome the man into his home. "I wasn't enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed." (pg 1). He lives his life very narrowly, only considering things that effect him directly. He dismissed his wife's emotional companion over the years because he seemed like an irrelevant and distant idea of her past, not one of her very good friends that she confided in. His lack of recongnition toward Robert as an individual creates an underlying barrier between the two, blocking any connection that they could have. As their walls begin to break down and they spend more time together, the narrator shifts his regards toward