"Cathedral" by Raymond Carver

Summary:

Cathedral is a story told from the point of view of a man whose wife has a blind friend come for a visit. This man in the beginning is very close-minded toward the idea of a blind man visiting because he does not know about him or about blindness. The seeing man’s wife had met the blind man while looking for work, she read to him and they became good friends. She left but kept in contact with the blind man by sending tapes to him and receiving them from him. The blind man comes to visit and he and the other man’s wife are consumed in conversation. Finally the wife falls asleep and the blind man and other man get to know each other. They share dope, drinks, conversation, and finally depicting a cathedral because of the television program. The blind man does not know a cathedral and the other man cannot describe it. Therefore, the blind man asks the other man to draw it with their hands linked. At the end of the story the blind man asks the other man to look at the picture and how it looks, the other man keeps his eyes closed though and says it looks fine.

Question Responses:

(1) Why was the narrator not looking forward to the visit of the blind man? What do his feelings reveal about his character?

 The narrator did not show exuberance for the visit of the blind man because he was close-minded. He had misconceptions about blind people from movies and was insecure because he did not know about this man other than from his wife who kept her and the blind man’s relationship mostly to herself. These feelings reveal his opportunity to either change and learn or remain ignorant and not gain anything from this story.

 (2) Is it possible to read the experience the narrator’s wife had of Robert touching her face as an experience of being “seen” by him? How is her writing of poetry related to her desire to be seen? How does her attempted suicide also relate to her desire to be seen?

 It is possible to read the experience of Robert touching the narrator’s wife’s face as an experience of being “seen” by Robert because of the way it made her feel. Additionally, later in the story we see Robert holding the narrator’s hand as he draws in order to help him visualize or “see” the cathedral. Thus, both persons were “seen” and “seeing”. When the narrator’s wife would write poetry, she was expressing the way being “seen” or touched made her feel. She enjoyed sharing a deeper connection than physical appearance with the blind man. After being “seen” by the blind man she and he stay in touch with tapes and she attempts suicide. This is connected with her desire to be seen because she felt lonely and not seen with her first husband. He was in the Air Force and always travelling and she rarely felt seen by him like she had with the blind man.

 (3) What does it mean to receive another’s friend? Consider: “‘If you love me,’ she said, ‘you can do this for me. If you don’t love me, okay. But if you had a friend, any friend, and the friend came to visit, I’d make him feel comfortable’” (359).

 To receive another’s friend is to be open and non-judging without tangible evidence or knowledge of this friend. It is more than just tolerating the person until they are gone, but actually making the person feel comfortable and making yourself approachable.

 (4) Consider page 360. Contrary to the narrator’s response of pity and disgust, do you think that Robert “saw” Beulah? What does it mean, more deeply, to see and be seen?

 Robert did “see” his wife Beulah in a deeper way than just physical attributes. To see deeply and be seen is to be understood and not judged or influenced by the way you look. Getting to know a person is just remembering what he or she looks like but rather knowing hobbies and values that he or she hold high in life.

 (5) Why do the characters smoke pot? What does it reveal of their desire?

 Just before the narrator offers pot to the blind man he comments that he doesn’t want to be left alone with the blind man. I think he brings the pot out in order to ease his nerves and facilitate conversation. The narrator’s desire is to be comfortable because he cannot avoid this situation. The blind man and narrator’s wife partake just to partake and be part of this occurrence.  

 (6) “In the olden days, God was an important part of everyone’s life. You could tell this from their cathedral-building” (372). What do churches reveal about what the culture thinks about God? Why?

 Churches, particularly cathedrals, reveal a desire to build something big and ornate enough for God as if he wants the biggest and best of everything. The culture is trying to match the size of their God and create a home big enough for Him. They see God as so big because he is intangible, he is a mystery and therefore has the illusion of being bigger than anything they can compare to.

 (7) Why does the narrator have difficulty describing a cathedral? What does he see with his eyes closed at the close of the story? Why?

 The narrator has difficulty describing a story near the end of the story because he does not know what images the blind man can visualize or in what way to describe it whether he be specific or broad in describing it. Then, after drawing the picture with the blind man, the narrator sees with his eyes closed. It is a new sight he experiences, the kind of sight the blind man has mastered. It is not just the physical appearance but all the components that make up an object or person. All that the blind man understands is left in the drawing and the narrator finally sees a piece of “sight”.