The Meaning Behind Seeing By Raymond Carver - 1767 Words

The Meaning Behind Seeing In the short story â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carver, there is a very insightful message spoken about the true definitions between having sight and being able to see. The story focuses on three characters, and they each have emotions connected to one another, whether it be trust, jealousy or compassion. These characters include a blind man named Robert, the narrator who is unnamed in the story, and his wife who also does not receive a name for the story line. Each of these characters have been through a series of obstacles which are clearly stated in the short story. Some of the difficulties, however, need to be interpreted in-between the lines, such as the narrator’s alcoholism issues and marital problems with the narrator and his wife. Quite a few of the difficulties the characters come across in â€Å"Cathedral†, were based off of the painful life Carver lived. When Carver was asked if his life moments were inspiration for his collec tion of stories his answer was, â€Å"None of my stories really happened, of course†¦ but there’s always something, some element, something said to me or that I witnessed, that may be a starting place† (Caldwell n.pg. 17). From â€Å"Cathedral† the audience can become aware that â€Å"†¦Carver weaves into Cathedral a narrative of alcoholism, from addiction and alienation to bitter self-awareness and then, sometimes, a legitimate hope of recovery (Messer n.pg. 4).† This meaning, Carver wrote â€Å"Cathedral† to be a positive story about how aShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral 1340 Words   |  6 PagesRaymond Carver’s characters were considered to be very much like him: â€Å"’on the edge: of poverty, alcoholic self-destruction, loneliness† (Mays 32). His short story â€Å"Cathedral† is about a young couple, who have a visitor coming to stay with them. This visitor, Robert, is the wifeâ⠂¬â„¢s friend, and he is blind. The narrator, the husband, has never met someone who is blind, was bothered by that. To him, being blind meant constantly needing help from others. His depiction of blindness was what he has seenRead MorePersuasive Essay804 Words   |  4 PagesPersuasive Essay In 1983, Raymond Carver introduced his short story â€Å"Cathedral† to the public. The first-person narrative takes place within the narrator’s home, where his wife is waiting upon the arrival of her blind friend Robert. The narrator, however, becomes more concerned about how Robert’s visit will affect him rather than enjoy the situation. Once Robert arrives, the narrator tries to understand the blind man, but he is unaware of what tasks Robert is capable of performing due to the narrator’sRead MoreThe History of Art at Iowa State University Essay776 Words   |  4 Pagesworks of public art (George Washington Carver). The foundation of the contemporary Art on Campus Collection and Program began during the Depression in the 1930s, when Iowa States President Hughes envisioned that, The arts would enrich and provide substantial intellectual exploration into our college curricula† (George Washington Carver). Who doesn’t love art? Every day you wake up and experience some sort of artwork; whether it’s a sculpture or just seeing something made so wonderful. WalkingRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral1524 Words   |  7 PagesAs if someone has unlocked his prison cell to liberate him of his stereotypical point of view. The protagonist of Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† was an individual whose stagnant mind has blind him from truly seeing the aspects and characteristics of people around him. Before meeting his wife’s blind friend whose name is Robert, the protagonist perceives reality with a stereotypical mind-set shaped by misleading information from movies. Hence, he make judgement about other people without ever settingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Carver Essay1867 Words   |  8 Pageshas an author behind it now how yo u interpret that’s up to you, but some authors have a completely different interpretation of their writing. Some authors hide deep meaning behind their writings that can be difficult to catch. Authors will use symbolism to tell a different story. A period of their life could affect the way they write and you can see that as a reader if you pick apart the story. Raymond Carver is a great example on how a period in his life affected his writing. Carver was going downRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s The Yellow Wallpaper1624 Words   |  7 PagesRaymond Carver’s Cathedral tells the story of a husband whose wife’s blind friend comes to spend the night. The husband and the blind man spend quality time together by watching historical programs about cathedrals on television. Since the blind man cannot see the cathedrals that the program discusses, the husband attempts to describe them to him. The husband fails to describe the cathedral to the blind man in an affec tive manner. Throughout the story, the husband goes on a journey to understandingRead MoreThe Cathedral By Raymond Carver1758 Words   |  8 PagesIn almost every story there is a meaning, whether that meaning is obvious or not is up to the readers’ interpretations. In some stories, that meaning hides behind a character, how that person acts, thinks, or express themselves and how they change throughout resembling growth. In Raymond Carver’s â€Å"The Cathedral†, the unnamed husband narrators the tale of his wife’s old blind friend Robert coming to visit after not seeing each other for years. They had remained in contact through audiotapes, but theRead MorePlato s Allegory Of Cave1979 Words   |  8 PagesFirst and foremost, allegorical writing is a type of writing that has two sets of meanings, one which can be assumed as literal and the other one is allegorical. Although this piece was written long before my time, the underlying message it intends to c onvey is still relevant today. Our society is trapped in a cave. To begin with, the literal meaning is the content or subject matter, whereas, the allegorical meaning is one which can only be understood by developing a greater sense of understandingRead MoreEssay on Cathedral by Raymond Carver1290 Words   |  6 PagesThe story of Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, shows that you do not have to see someone or something in order to appreciate them for who or what they are. It is about a husband, the narrator, and his wife who live in a house. The wife, whose name they do not mention, has a very close friend who is blind. His name is Robert. Roberts wife dies, and comes to their house to spend a couple of days with the narrator and his wife. The narrator, whose name they do not mention as well, is always on edge becauseRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado, By Edgar Allan Poe1776 Words   |  8 PagesIn comparison, â€Å"Cathedral† exposes Christian principles shown in the beginning through the title and the symbolism behind the characters descriptio n. On the other hand, â€Å"El Tonto del Barrio† unveils the principles of Christianity via the theme of greed. Thus, all of the three short stories have a deeper meaning directed towards a religious audience that can capture the symbolism behind the story. As a writer of mysterious and gruesome tales, Edgar Allan Poe incorporated in his literature his understanding