Deep Analysis of the Story "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver

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Cathedral
Reading the story Cathedral while not exhibiting an open mind can leave one cringing or angry at the writer. The story written by Raymond Carver was published in 1981. The story appears simple and ordinary but is founded on multiple themes that help hold it together. First of all, there are three main characters in the story: the narrator, the blind man, and the narrator’s wife. The story is based on the blind man’s visit to the narrator’s home. While reading the article, one gets the idea that less is more or that nothing is as it seems. Certain details are not well-defined and even though at first this might seem like it limits the story, it eventually works out well for the story. It is indeed genius of the author to use this mode of writing as it requires the audience or readership to engage deeply with the reading. Additionally, the author makes sure that even in the midst of this minimalist mindset instances of postmodernism appear. Throughout the story, there is no absolute truth or anything that is right or wrong. No one appears to judge the other person or consider their actions as morally more upright than that of others. These are great instances in the story that help to further showcase the genius of Carver. This paper, therefore seeks to delve deeper and analyze the events in the story starting with the story’s background as well as the background of Carver. This paper will also seek to draw comparisons between this work and other literary works or artistic movements as well as offer a critical response to this literary piece. Finally, this work’s importance to the history of literature will be provided and a reaction to the piece will come at the end.
Historical background of the work
Even though it was published in 1981, the story Cathedral was set in the 1970s. The 70s decade was dubbed as the ‘me decade’ by Tom Wolfe because they represented a time when people were looking to enjoy and fulfil themselves. The ‘me decade’ came after issues like the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal, and other political issues. People’s eyes and ears had been sold to all that was happening around them and in this decade, the feeling was that people wanted to have a time where they are finding or discovering themselves. Self-fulfilment became part of what people were after. After being majorly Christian, the American public started to drift away from Christianity as seen in the story. When asked whether he was “in any way religious,” the narrator responds saying that he does not believe in anything. He says “I guess I don’t believe in it. In anything. Sometimes it’s hard. You know what I’m saying?” (11) This was a testament to who the American people had turned into.
It is widely believed that the ‘me’ personality and mindset that the American people led to a lot of divorces as people tried to find what they felt made them happy and fulfilled. As the feminist movement continued to empower women and lead them to negotiate for what they wanted, many of them resorted to divorce. “Increases in women’s employment, as well as feminist consciousness-raising, also did their part to drive up the divorce rate, as wives felt freer in the late ‘60s and ‘70s to leave marriages that were abusive or that they found unsatisfying” (Wilcox). The words stated above are true and are exhibited in the story. For a long time, women in America had been subjected to certain traditional gender roles and through the wider feminist movement, they found courage and strength to re-negotiate terms. The narrator’s wife appears to have been a person with an open mind and who divorced from her first husband because the marriage was unsatisfying. Her life had been uncomfortable for his comfort and she chose to divorce him. The 70s offer the book a major boost especially through the issues, ideas, and topics it seeks to discuss.
The author’s life
Carver’s life had its ups and downs. He was born in Oregon in 1938 and soon after, his family moved to Yakima. From the time he was in college to the late 70s, Carver was an alcoholic who developed a taste for writing. He was brilliant and his writing have kept the literature world going since his death. However, “as brilliant and talented as he was, Ray Carver was also the destructive, - everything-in-the-pot kind of drinker who hits bottom then starts burrowing deeper” (King). He kept drinking for much of his writing career and was the kind that did not admit or even seemed to care about his flaws. His wife, on the other hand, was the supportive kind. She made sure she was always by his side but Carver was not the kind to show any appreciation. “She was beautiful; he was hulking, possessive and sometimes violent. In Carver’s view, his own infidelities did not excuse hers” (King). In one way, this relates to the book. The narrator appears to be well aware that the visitor was blind and that he could not see anything. However, the irony in the story was that he was unaw...