Raymond Carvers Cathedral
"For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known" (1 Corinthians 13). The narrator of Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" is a man living a life of monotony, continuously feeding the cold and bigoted mind that we witness for the first part of the story. The process of guiding Robert through the drawing of the cathedral,removes the narrator from that dark looking glass and initiates a tranformation in which he is compelled to meet himself face to face; this awakening stirs the narrator's humility, imagination, and faith. It is human nature to embrace preconceptions regarding the facets of daily life, from politics to people. It is, as well, innate to consider oneself better than another. An awakening such as the narrator's, however, ruptures the protective shield that surrounding steadfast biases, and forces the person to assess their position in the greater schema of humankind. A bias that surfaces early on, is the mention of Robert's wife, "Beulah!" The narrator exclaims, "That's a name for a colored woman." (Carver, "Cathedral," 182) Here, by attaching a stereotype to a simple name, he exhibits the precise indiscretion of a clo
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Carver Cathedral, Wrong Robert's, Carver's Cathedral, Earlier Robert, living life, blind 183 narrator, eyes closed house, Raymond Carver's, didn't feel inside, dark looking glass, closed house didn't, sketching cathedral, blind 183, 183 narrator, eyes closed, closed house, imagination faith, faith comes, dark looking, house didn't,
Approximate Word count = 1246
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
 |
