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Analysis of Raymond Carver's Cathedral

            Although Bub narrates his own story, he does not put himself in a good light. He comes off as glib, shallow and immature. His snide comments depict someone unwilling to look beyond stereotypes for a deeper understanding of people or circumstances. This is most obvious in his thoughts about blind people. 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.
             Carver illustrates Bub's rejection of intimacy in a variety of ways. First, he doesn't challenge his wife's assertions that he has no friends probably because he agrees with that assessment. He is also emotionally estranged from any self-reflection, as indicated by his near pathological need to mock or disparage almost everything. This seems like a defense mechanism employed to mask his personal insecurities and discomfort with intimacy. As long as he wisecracks, he sidesteps all opportunities for introspection or to acknowledge his own longing for emotional connectedness. Every night I smoked dope and stayed up as long as I could before I fell asleep. My wife and I hardly ever went to bed at the same time. This passage reveals Bub's emotionally and physically estrangement from his wife. When Bub searches for paper, we realize that they cohabitate without sharing a life or even a bedroom. Their exchanges are frosty and most of Bub's remarks seem designed to annoy her, such as when he suggests taking Robert bowling. Not once does Bub refer to his spouse by name; she is merely "my wife" the same way his home is "my house." She is merely something he owns. He is derisive about her poetry (I didn't think much of the poem) and flippant about her prior marriage (this man who'd first enjoyed her favors). .
             Bub harbors resentment about his wife's relationship with Robert but attributes it to Robert's handicap and his being an unwanted guest in his home.


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1. Literary Analysis: Cathedral by Raymond Carver

Introduction Raymond Carver is said to be one of the most influential American short-story writer and poet in the second half of 20th century, a major force in the revival of the short story in the 1980s (Kennedy, X. ... It is the final story in Carver's collection Cathedral published in 1983. ... Cathedral is generally considered to be one of Carver's finest works. ... Biography Born in Clatskanie, Oregon, Raymond Carver in 1938, at the age of three with his parents moved to Yakima, Washington, where his father found a work as a sawmill worker. ... A third collection of short storie...

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  • Approx Pages: 16
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2. Cathedral by Raymond Carver

Adam Meyer, in his book, Raymond Carver, argues that "Carver is at the height of his powers here, having arrived at his full maturity, and Cathedral as a whole is certainly the most impressive of his collections." "Cathedral," like many of Carver's other stories, portrays individuals isolated from each other for a variety of reasons. ... Author Biography Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon, on May 25, 1938, to laborer Clevie Raymond Carver and homemaker Ella Beatrice Carver. ... In September of 1983, Carver published the collection Cathedral. ... Summary The narrator, or storyteller,...

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3. Analysis on "Cathedral"

Analysis on "Cathedral" The short story "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver develops characters through an intriguing perspective. ... Carver obviously wants us to see the narrator's character as figuratively "blind." ... Carver's attempt to create a realistic environment for the readers to see how the anxiety between the husband and blind man has subsides. The husband begins to open up his mind to Robert's way of relating to the wife when he starts trying to explain the cathedral for blind man. Carver's style also allows his characters to have real and representative co...

  • Word Count: 719
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4. Catherdral

Perhaps one of my favorite stories through this short process was Raymond Carver's story "Cathedral", so I decided to make my literature analysis about him and his story. Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon, in 1938. ... Raymond Carver. 8/3/2002. 3/9/2004. http://world.std.com/~ptc/). ... In 1982 Carver wrote "Cathedral". ... In conclusion I clearly found the way of how Raymond Carver's thoughts and live contributed to the development of his story "Cathedral". ...

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5. Story Analysis - Cathedral by Raymond Carver

Cathedral, a short story written by Raymond Carver, about a man who is blind. ... The use of the many types of characterization Carver uses, shows that Robert is determined and able to learn whatever he wants. ... A cathedral in Paris was shown on the television. Robert doesn't know how a cathedrals look. ... The use of the narrator shows Robert overcame obstacles to understand how cathedrals look. ...

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6. Cathedral

Most people know the common attributes of prejudice, but Raymond Carver takes the analysis of this flaw of human nature one step further and writes of how it affects the lives of its holders and their views of the world in a very profound way. ... Raymond Carver gives his protagonist, the husband, this gift of sight in the story of Cathedral. ... A cathedral in particular, and the paintings on its walls. ... He sees not the cathedral, but something else. ... I don't think Raymond Carver wrote only about a cathedral in his story, he wrote about a man. ...

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7. Character Analysis - Cathedral by Raymond Carver

In the story "Cathedral," author Raymond Carver uses character analysis to show that occasionally it requires a life changing moment for one to realize that he or she should not discriminate against others just because of their appearance or beliefs. ... The husband then begins to flip through channels and comes across a show about a cathedral. Robert is unacquainted with exactly what a cathedral is and the husband attempts to describe, but has difficulty in doing so. ... While they draw the cathedral together, the husband, with eyes closed and pen on paper, leads the blind man's ha...

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8. Carver

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