The story "Cathedral", by Raymond Carver is a short story that talks about the time Robert, a blind man, went to visit his friend and her husband, the narrator. The narrator expresses who he is to the readers. He shows that he is inconsiderate, selfish and judgemental. The narrator who ignorantly disdains blindness while being oblivious to his own limitations in sight. Of course, the narrator can see with his eyes but does not realize the limitations he has placed on himself, and how those prevent him from seeing or wanting anything greater in life.
Robert was no one the narrator knew, but still judged him "And his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to."
Conclusion: He didn't like blind people, and thought they were the same. But after spending sometime with a blind man, the narrator came to a new realization about Robert and blind people. The story is ultimately about transcendence; that is, an existence beyond the limitations of physical things. What Robert has that the narrator lacks is a sight into the wonder of things, the potential for greatness and tenderness in humanity, and the curiosity that can make one truly alive and free even if one is limited by physical factors.
Once Robert arrives some, of the narrators assumptions about blind people are broke down immediately like when he mentions "He didn't use a cane and he didn't The narrator, although insensitive, is quite polite. He tries to engage in small talk when Robert arrives but shows his insensitivity once again when he asks him which side of the train he sat on during his trip. He clearly does not know how to communicate with Robert, and it appears that he does not want to learn. Robert makes him uncomfortable, and the narrator does not know how to handle this. The narrator, in an effort to relieve his discomfort with the situation, offers Robert an alcoholic drink, and pours the first of many drinks to come.
The narrator is not only insensitive, but ignorant as well. His beliefs about the blind are based on only what he has seen in the movies. He believes that the blind are led by seeing dogs, wear glasses, carry walking sticks, and move very slowly. Robert does none of these things, much to the narrator's surprise.
She once asked the narrator to listen to one of Robert's tapes. On it, he heard his own name spoken, a strange experience. They were interrupted by someone knocking, an interruption which pleased him.
They drink several rounds and talk, mostly about Robert's trip. The narrator is surprised to see Robert smoke cigarettes, since he thought the blind did not smoke. After a while, they sit to a huge dinner that the wife prepared. Before they start, the narrator offers to lead prayer, which confuses his wife, until he says, "pray the phone won't ring and the f...
