Cathedral revision

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Cathedral
In the short story “Cathedral,” Raymond Carver, there are three main characters, who are the husband (narrator), the wife of the narrator, and the most important character is Robert, the blind friend of the wife’s. Robert cannot see but has the insight of appreciating a person’s true inner self. The story shows that you do not have to see someone or something to appreciate them for who or what they are. Besides, the story brings a deeper level of engagement and understanding of valuing what we see or not see by being keen.
The story opens with the narrator’s disinterest in meeting Robert because he is blind. He assumes that Robert being blind does not know thinks and views himself superior to Robert. When Robert’s wife, Beulah dies, the narrator’s wife invites him to come for a visit for a couple of days. The husband is on edge because he does not really know Robert very well and does not like blind people. The husband expresses his opinion with stereotype and prejudice. Upon hearing Robert’s deceased wife’s name “Beulah,” He asked if she’s a Negro, and wonders how she could love a blind man. The narrator expresses his stereotype towards blind men by considering Robert inferior and useless that is why he wonders which type of a woman can marry a blind man.
Conversely, Robert blindness is not a hindrance for him to “see” which makes him able to understand on a deeper level the pain the narrator’s wife is facing. Seeing requires a deeper engagement and does not require a visual aid for one to understand things around them just as in the case of Robert.

“….I didn’t even know! And then this….“From all you’ve said about him,…” (Carver 92). The narrator looks at things typically without having an insight of appreciation, which makes it hard for him to understand the situation the wife is going through.
From the story, we can learn from the experience of the narrator and Robert, especially when the narrator finds out the close relationship between his wife and Robert. It is obvious that the narrator had ignored the wife and did not have a closer relationship with her since he took everything for granted. Robert, despite being blind had a close insight into the narrator’s wife and knew her pain.
In conclusion, the reading expresses the value of expressing deeper insight into understanding things around us and appreciating what we have rather than taking them for granted like the narrator. It illustrates on the value of forming a closer relationship with other and not assuming or believing that we know yet we lack enough information on them.
Works Cited
Carver, Raymond. “Cathedral,” Vintage Carver. (1981).Pg. 91-101 Print