A Blind Man Makes Him See

Cathedral (28) is Raymond Carvers short story about the apprehension and fulfillment of one hu bit races encounter with his married womans cunning friend. The man, who is also the fibber, is wary of this rendezvous, having kn take in no imposture people in his own vitality up to that denominate. His ignorance is apparent as he envisages of guile people wholly from a cinematic perspective. He tells us My idea of stratagemness came from the movies. In the movies the screenland moved slowly and never laughed (28). From his cynical and insecure tone, we can tell that the principal(prenominal) character is a complacent man full of self-doubt with an inability to think outside of world that he copes.The narration, however, changes accident exclusivelyy after the blind man has been at their home for the stilling. He chthonicgoes an epiphany as the blind man opens our bank clerks eye to an existence he did not know was possible. The main characters hazard is underscored by his inability to acknowledge the substance of an otherwise man in his wifes sprightliness, whether an ex- save or alone an old friend. This is exemplified by the fact that he avoids get uping the name of his wifes ex-husband.While this may seem exchangeable a negligible factor, it would not be so burning(prenominal) if the narrator did not make it certain that this omission of detail was entirely and rebelliously intentional. He harps Her officerwhy should he have a name? He was the childhood sweet try ont, and what more does he ask? (29). Additionally, during the visit he morosely sits and watches his wife and Robert, the blind man, converse hoping to hear her mention his name. I waited in vain to hear my name on my wifes sweet lips And consequently my dear husband came into my life something like that. But I heard nothing of the sort.More talk of Robert (32). When the discourse does playing period toward him, he at prime(prenominal) cannot engage due to these inse curities and discomfort with the blind man. From time to time, hed turn his face toward me, put his hand under his beard, ask me something. How long I had been in my present position? (Three years. ) Did I like my work? (I didnt. ) Was I going to beat with it? (What were the options? ) (33). Clearly our narrator is not thrill with his life and does not care to do anything about it where as the blind man so far had a life that seemed more fulfilling in spite of his impairment.The narrator admits that Robert was regular blind jack of all trades (32). He also makes note of Roberts ability to function as a normal human being something he never realized was possible. Robert ate, drank, and smoked only like anyone else and could even tell if the TV was color or black and white. It is this maintenance to Roberts ability to function that begins the narrators change. The narrators epiphany crystallizes with his undertake to describe the cathedrals appearing on a late-night television pr ogram to Robert.Robert suggests that the he sidle up the cathedral and envelops his hand as he draws in order to physically touch the silhouettes as they are drawn. The narrator is then instructed to close his eyes and keep drawing. At that moment, the narrator shares a commonplace with the blind man as they both succeed the silhouettes of the drawing without being able to see. The narrator says It was like nothing else in my life up to now (37). Even after told to open his eyes and look at the picture he had drawn, the narrator does not. He says My eyes were gloss over closed(a). I was in my house. I knew that.But I didnt line up like I was inside anything (37). At that point the narrator is released from the captivity of his ignorance and insecurity. He was not impaired by his closed eyes as he was still able to draw the cathedral and even though he was at home, it is as if the confinement of walls and boundaries did not exist. It is at this point that he is able to see the focussing the blind man sees without his eyes, with all other senses liberated. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. Cathedral The Norton Introduction To Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York, 2010. 929-42. Print.