A Blind Man Makes Him See

Cathedral (28) is Raymond cutters short story about the anticipation and fulfillment of wizard globes encounter with his married wo whiles cunning friend. The man, who is in bid manner the bank clerk, is wary of this rendezvous, having knget no artifice raft in his own life up to that point. His ignorance is apparent as he thinks of blind people only from a cinematic perspective. He discerns us My idea of sightlessness came from the movies. In the movies the blind moved slowly and never laughed (28). From his cynical and doubtful tone, we can tell that the main character is a complacent man full of self-doubt with an in great power to think outside of world that he knows.The narration, however, changes unexpectedly after the blind man has been at their home for the evening. He undergoes an epiphany as the blind man opens our narrators eye to an earthly concern he did not know was possible. The main characters hazard is underscored by his in tycoon to acknowledge the sig nificance of another man in his wifes life, whether an ex-husband or simply an old friend. This is exemplified by the fact that he avoids detecting the name of his wifes ex-husband.While this may search like a negligible factor, it would not be so central if the narrator did not make it aware that this omission of detail was solely and defiantly intentional. He harps Her officerwhy should he have a name? He was the childhood sweetheart, and what more does he want? (29). Additionally, during the consider 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 then my dear husband came into my life something like that. But I heard nothing of the sort.More talk of Robert (32). When the conversation does playing period toward him, he at first cannot engage due to these insecurities and discomfort with the blind man. From time to time, hed turn his face toward me, put his afford under his beard, ask me something. How long I had been in my present power? (Three years. ) Did I like my work? (I didnt. ) Was I going to stay with it? (What were the options? ) (33). understandably our narrator is not thrilled 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 just like anyone else and could even tell if the TV was color or black and white. It is this attention to Roberts ability to function that begins the narrators change. The narrators epiphany crystallizes with his attempt to puff the cathedrals appearing on a late-night television program to Robert.Robert suggests that the he set the cathedral and envelops his hand as he runs in order to physically trace 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 trace 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). however after told to open his eyes and look at the picture he had drawn, the narrator does not. He says My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that.But I didnt feel 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 undertaking of walls and boundaries did not exist. It is at this point that he is able to see the means the blind man sees without his eyes, with all other senses liberated. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. Cathedral The Norton launching To Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York, 2010. 929-42. Print.