Carver story `Cathedral`

Your Name

Your Professor 's Name

Your Class Name

17 July 2006

Response to Raymond Carver 's "Cathedral

I love Raymond Carver 's ability to present a character who seems to have an edgy or caustic personality and acts like a jerk . Suddenly , almost effortlessly Carver turns him into a more fully developed character who behaves just opposite of how I would have expected him to . In "Cathedral " Carver does this with the unnamed narrator

When the story opens it is clear that although the narrator is married he is

an isolated individual and pretty self-centered . His wife points out "you don 't have any friends (Carver 101 . He sees everything through his own eyes . He has no idea how Robert , his wife 's blind friend , lives and "sees " the world and he does not want to know . He is closed minded and happy to be that way . When he and his wife are interrupted while listening to an audio tape recording from Robert , the narrator thinks "[m]aybe it was just as well . I 'd heard all I wanted to (Carver 100 . He feels put upon that his wife has invited her friend , to spend the night with them . The narrator is sarcastic and shows a lack of respect for the his wife 's friend when he suggests that he "could take him bowling (Carver 100 . Upon first meeting , the narrator is rude . Robert matches his tone and attitude and calls the narrator "Bub " with a tone and attitude that matches and returns Bub 's tone and manner . By the time the meal is over I greatly dislike Bub and think he behaves like a fatuous slob

However when Robert takes no offense at Bub 's impolite remarks , but continues to reflect Bub 's attitude back to him and to match him drink for drink , I found my opinion starting to change . At first it was just Robert I liked , but soon , once they share marijuana , I find myself starting to like Bub . He longer focuses on himself , but moves into a larger world where he struggles to tell Robert about cathedrals . It is important to him that he help Robert understand . When Robert suggests they draw a picture together Bub searches the house for pens and appropriate . With Robert 's hand touching his , with Robert 's "fingers riding my fingers as my hand went over the " Bub suddenly grows and enlarges his world . He sees with his eyes closed and suddenly understands the world where Robert lives

The image of the two of the "drawing " the cathedral is very pleasant and satisfying . Somehow Carver has done it to me again and I find myself liking both men . I am often amazed at how much "stuff " Carver puts into his stories even with his minimalist writing style

Why did Raymond Carver not give the narrator a name

Chandler chose to use a cathedral to bring the two men together . Why a cathedral instead of some other structure...