character development

David Yates

English 1102

1 - Summer 2009

The narrator in Cathedral ' is a very good example of a round character . In this short story , the writer Raymond Carver develops the narrator 's character and gives it a clear progression , so that the nature of the character is dynamic as opposed to static or flat . This change and progression in his character does not just come automatically , but from an encounter with the blind man , Robert Although Robert is physically blind , the narrator discovers in the end his own initial mental

blindness , and subsequent power of sight

In to understand why the narrator is a round character , the process of his change has to be examined . In the beginning , the narrator seems somewhat narrow minded and closed . This is evident in his perception of Robert , known early on only as the blind man , a tag or label that reduces an entire human being to the narrator 's narrow perspective of him . The narrator is prejudiced about Robert simply due to his blindness , and ironically this serves to highlight his own arguably deeper spiritual lack of sight . The various stereotypes that figure in the narrator 's mind , such as his belief that blind men usually wear dark glasses and use a cane or his idea that the blind moved slowly and never laughed ' highlight his judgmental nature . It also doesn 't help matters that Robert is so close to the narrator 's wife which only fuels the negative aspect of...