The Blind Heart in Carver’s Cathedral Essay -- Carver Cathedral Essays

The Blind Heart in Raymond Carvers Cathedral A somebodys ability to see is often taken for granted as it is in Cathedral by Raymond Carver. Although the title suggests that the story is well-nigh a cathedral, it is really about two men who are blind, one physically, the separate psychologically. One of the men is Robert, the blind friend of the narrators wife the other is the narrator- economise himself. The husband is the man who is psychologically blind. Carver deftly describes the mood the husband looks at life from a very narrow-minded usher of view. Two instances in particular illustrate this. The first is that the husband seems to believe that the most important thing to women is being complimented on their looks the second is that he is unable to imagine his wifes friend Robert as a person, scarce as a blind man. Carver consistently characterizes the husband as the real blind man because he is ignorant of so many simple things in life. One of the first hints of the hus bands blindness is addressed early in the story when the husband thinks about the blind mans wife and says, Imagine a charr who could neer see herself as she was seen in the eyes of her loved one. A woman who could go on day after day and never receive the smallest compliment from her beloved. A woman whose husband could never say the expression on her face, be it misery or something better. (1055) The husband seems to be saying that women need to be seen, that this is the most important or only important thing in their lives. He forgets that Robert can hear his wifes voice, smell her perfume, enjoy her personality, and touch her skin. According to Dorothy Wickenden Cathedral is a story about ignorance and vulnerability the deep-seated... ...is blind. He constantly disregards his sight which he takes for granted. The husband is so narrow-minded and content within his own world, he neglects to see the rest of the world. Marc Chenetien said it best A spark of anticipate in Cath edral tends to give a potentially new order of business to stories whose ultimate promise seems to remain that blindness unavoidably undercuts all awakenings (30). industrial plant Cited Allen, Bruce. Carver. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz. New York Gale Research, 1989. 55103. Burgeja, Michael J. Carver. unmindful Story Criticism. Ed. Shelia Fitzgerald. Pasadena capital of Oregon Press, 1990. 823. Carver, Raymond. Cathedral The Harper Anthology of Fiction Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York HarperCollins, 1991. 1052-1063. Chenetien, Marc. Carver. Short Story Criticism. Ed. Sheila Fitzgerald. Pasadena Salem Press, 1990. 844.