In Raymond Carver's short story, “Cathedral,” the closed-minded speaker is forced to spend a civilized evening with a blind man. Initially, the narrator despises the blind community. However, after interacting and connecting with the blind man in the story, the speaker finds himself with a transformed opinion. He discovers the blind man's immense and unique wealth of wisdom. Although blindness is an obvious theme of the story, the author may have depicted it through more than just the physical condition of the blind man. Just as he lacks his eyesight, the speaker and his wife are blinded socially and emotionally. These dynamic personalities allow the characters to build a strong bond and sense of growth over the course of the story. “Cathedral” illustrates the nature of blindness, both physical and metaphorical, and demonstrates its effects on characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To apply blindness as a metaphor, Carver must first introduce his physically blind character. This man, Robert, serves as the basis for the central theme of the entire story. This wise and kind character is really interesting. His charm and intelligence almost make up for the lack of his vision. This scenario is not uncommon in the literature. A challenged character, like Robert, is often portrayed as extremely admirable and sympathetic. This allows the reader to conclude that a human being's exterior does not necessarily reflect his or her inner self (Ozer). The author uses Robert's blindness and resulting mannerisms to both shape and contrast different aspects of the story in relation to the other characters. For this reason, an in-depth knowledge of his personality and lifestyle is essential. Fortunately, Carver provides an ample amount of descriptive detail regarding the cecum. Immediately, the reader is informed of Robert's profession in the social services department. The speaker's wife met Robert by assisting him in this work, reading case studies and reports to him. In this way, the story wastes little time in illustrating Robert's determination and his refusal to let his blindness affect his productivity. From the moment Robert arrives at the speaker's home, he is polite and conversational. Unlike his host, he appears to be very relaxed and at ease. During various discussions he is almost always prepared with an intelligent answer and rarely hesitates. Robert, perhaps to the reader's surprise, is a confident and confident man. Despite its physical limitations, it operates with undeniable stability. Robert's nature is not only defined by what he does, but also by what he doesn't do. As the speaker notes, the blind man does not wear dark glasses or use a cane to help him. In contrast, it is not at all similar to the depiction of the blind seen in the show. When offered help with his luggage, Robert repeatedly refuses. Instead, he informs his guests that he can handle such tasks on his own. He also doesn't take advantage of the excessive catering provided by the speaker's wife. Robert is content and capable, despite some expectations of the speaker and even his wife. Although sight is significant, blind people typically adapt to their days without sight and lead fulfilling lives (Bennett). As technology continues to advance, blindness becomes more of an inconvenience than a handicap. This condition can be overcome with time and practice, not unlike poor handwriting or a fear of public speaking (Kurzweil). Blind people are fully capable of achieving assimilation and normality. However, people like Robert regularly encounter low expectations and high prejudices. Few exemplifythis discriminatory behavior more effectively than the speaker of "Cathedral". This indicates the first appearance of metaphorical blindness in history. The narrator does not see the essence of a blind man, like Robert. His dark perception of the blind man initially prevents him from understanding his host's rich personality and potential. He expresses this feeling immediately: “I wasn't enthusiastic about his visit. It wasn't anyone I knew. And his being blind bothered me” (Carver 81). His wife tries diligently to persuade her husband, telling him about Robert and his delightful attitude. This effort, however, is futile and the speaker continues to fear the experience. It is evident that, in the first part of the story, the only consideration in the speaker's mind is his profound disgust for the blind. Upon disclosure of one's disability, he or she can easily become the victim of many assumptions. Among these hasty conclusions, one of the most common is the feeling that the non-disabled people present know best. This deprives disabled people of power and credit (Ray). This is the case in the story, at Robert's expense. He, in all likelihood, might be quite aware of the narrator's feelings. However, his wisdom does not influence the opinion of his host. Regardless of his knowledge, he is not respected or taken seriously by the speaker. As mentioned above, this is most likely the product of rampant misconceptions regarding people with physical disabilities. Therefore, the speaker's ignorance acts as his blindness. One can question this notion, arguing that such blindness is entirely voluntary. However, although ignorance is an aspect of character, it is not necessarily so easy to eliminate. Typically, a rational human being does not voluntarily choose to be blind. The story certainly represents the speaker as an average, healthy man. The issue is not in his mind, but rather in the information he is surrounded by. Misinformation is one of the best-known causes of prejudice and rejection. Additionally, some information is emphasized more strongly than others. Some information is omitted entirely. These ingredients often produce prejudice (Lewis). The speaker supports this theory by openly admitting that his idea of ​​the blind is a product of dramatic and glamorous media. Finally, competitiveness and displaced aggression can also lead to prejudice (Aronson). These are personality traits clearly displayed by the speaker throughout the story, as shown later. All these contributing factors influence him and cause his ignorant behavior. Just like the man who refuses, the narrator is blind. Unlike her husband, the speaker's wife is very fond of the blind man. She and Robert are old friends and the two of them stayed in touch during their time apart. She is naturally extremely respectful and accommodating towards him. Even so, despite his benevolence, he shows more than a blindness. It may initially be difficult for the audience to recognize these flaws, due to the wife's amiable nature. She herself may be equally unaware of the deep-rooted problems that lurk beneath her facade. This possibility, however, only further reinforces the presence of his personal blindness. Of the two main types of metaphorical blindness displayed by the speaker's wife, the first directly concerns her well-being. Although subtle, Carver inserts details of the woman's dark and painful past. This revelation is heavily overshadowed by the central plot between Robert and the speaker. Regardless, it is instrumental in the development of the wife's character. Carver informs us that after constantly moving in with her previous husband, the wife suffered from extremeloneliness and depression. He eventually reached his limit and tried to take his own life by ingesting huge quantities of pills and gin. The stunt didn't kill her, but rather simply made her sick. She divorced her husband and later found the speaker. Although she has remarried and settled into a comfortable life, the story of her suicide attempt is not to be taken lightly. A traumatic experience of this caliber will never be forgotten, and presumably had permanent effects on the speaker's wife. This information is indicative of a person unable to manage tension in a healthy way. With such an extreme level of difficulty and instability, it is difficult to infer that the wife ever achieved a full recovery. There is a high probability that, in the present, she remains blind to her own needs. The second way in which the wife is blind is, perhaps unexpectedly, in her interaction with Robert. Indeed, he is infinitely kind to the blind man. He never stops to consider his comfort and needs during his stay. As the story progresses, however, his offers of hospitality begin to seem excessive. While far from conscious prejudice, her actions suggest that she underestimates Robert. Whether she is shielding him from the speaker's comments or repeatedly reminding him to go to bed, her true opinion of him is clear. Even the way he talks shows his constant need to babysit the blind man. In some ways, she is just as easily influenced by perceptions and assumptions as her husband. His intentions are not malicious, but nevertheless the speaker's wife is clearly blind to Robert's abilities. By acknowledging these flaws, it is evident that Robert is not the only blind character in the speaker's house. Furthermore, in addition to the individual imperfections of the speaker and his wife, the married couple possesses different forms of blindness within their relationship. This is one of Carver's most emphasized metaphors in the story. It turns out that the husband secretly waits for the affectionate confirmation that he never receives, and the wife often goes to bed alone. Both the narrator and his wife seem to have a stronger bond with Robert than with each other. Furthermore, their interactions paint a picture of a couple with poor communication and absent respect. Each partner appears to be blind to the other's true wants and needs. Dissatisfaction in their relationship could be a direct consequence of this fact. The story immediately demonstrates the speaker's reluctance to respect his wife, as she almost refuses to welcome the blind man into their home. His reluctance is a clear insult to Robert and other blind people. But the deeper observation to make concerns the implications of this action within his marriage. A widely known aspect of successful relationships is the element of sacrifice. Having a guest in his house is not at all tiring for the speaker, yet he argues incessantly with his wife on the subject. He is consumed by his own happiness and therefore resists the idea of ​​a stranger taking attention away from him. In this process, his selfishness acts like a blindfold, preventing him from seeing the pain that such an attitude causes his wife. The early visit reminds the speaker of his loneliness, and he becomes too concerned with his inadequacies to worry about anything else (Facknitz). As the story shows, the wife is capable of as much cruelty as the speaker. He may seem like a hardened man, immune to criticism and hurtful words, but he clearly values ​​his wife's opinion more than she can imagine. Like her husband, the wife is blind to the damage she causes to their relationship. The real reason for the refusal ofRobert on the narrator's part could be jealousy. Whether he is aware of it or not, he is largely responsible for this jealousy. The speaker endures story after story of his wife's affection towards Robert, and it makes him feel threatened. The wife is guilty of repeatedly putting Robert's needs above the comfort of her own husband. She also gives excessive details regarding her past with Robert, such as the poem she wrote about him. This poem is based on an experience where the blind man touched her face and its nature clearly sounds erotic to the speaker. Such tension only causes further harm. While discussing Robert's upcoming visit, she burdens him with a cold declaration: “If you love me, you can do this for me. If you don't love me, okay” (Carver 83). His words are spoken with such contempt that the damage is irreversible. Ultimately, the wife tells her husband that she has no friends, hurting him deeply to the point of giving up and withdrawing completely. Although it is obvious to the reader, the wife is unable to see the way in which she is personally responsible for the animosity in her relationship. The final metaphor of blindness in “Cathedral” differs from the others in that it is voluntary. The story features frequent use of drugs and alcohol. These substances serve as a method of escape and relaxation in an otherwise tense environment. Not long after Robert arrives, the speaker offers him a drink. Later, the two and the speaker's wife smoke marijuana together. Conversation flows between Robert and the speaker and the atmosphere appears social and civil. However, the blind man and the narrator did not get along so easily before the introduction of the drugs. We must not forget the inevitable effects of drinking and smoking. While the interaction may seem friendly, it is truly an act of cowardice and surrender often seen in society. Many turn to medications to relieve stress and improve relationships. This is especially true of the speaker, although every character participates. The speaker is physically able to see, but regularly chooses to blind himself with mind-altering substances. It is this mentality that contributes to the speaker's poor performance as a husband. This drinking behavior is also partly responsible for the lack of friends (Facknitz). In addition to the narrator, the other characters also choose to blind themselves. The three are clearly aware of the drugs' ability to ease tensions. It's entirely possible that, without the addition of this activity, the characters wouldn't have connected as they did. Without blinding himself to his own objections, the speaker may not have experienced the life-changing epiphany expressed at the end of the story. In this way, the metaphorical blindness of substance use is bittersweet. In Raymond Carver's story, “Cathedral,” a blind character serves as a doorway to a world of metaphors. Although he cannot see, he is a fully informed and capable character. In addition to visual impairment, blindness is illustrated in numerous areas of the story. These metaphors can be found in the speaker's prejudice and ignorance, or in his wife's inability to take care of her own needs. She too, despite her kind attitude, is guilty of underestimating the blind and making assumptions about disabled people. As a married couple, the speaker and his wife continue to demonstrate their blindness through their unintentional lack of respect for each other. With so much tension in the air, all three characters naturally turn to drugs and alcohol to calm their minds. In this way, regardless of their individual strengths and weaknesses, they willfully blind themselves. What begins as the tale of a blind man's visit becomes a complex story of the various types of metaphorical blindness present 3.2 (1992): 170-172.. 2010.