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Essay Name       : 1558.txt 
Uploader         : Dave Garcia
Email Address    : 
Language         : English
Subject          : Fictional Stories
Title            : Learning in Raymond Carver's  "Cathedral,"
Grade            : 85%
School System    : College
Country          : USA
Author Comments  : 
Teacher Comments : 
Date             : 7/29/96
Site found at    : search engine (Metacrawler)
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			"Learning Never Ends"

In Raymond Carver's short story "Cathedral," he uses plot, character, as 
well as actions to develop his theme.  The theme is very slowly and subtlety 
developed early on the story.  It is the theme of "Leaning never ends."  

The character of the narrator's  wife is simply a bridge between the two 
contrasting attitudes of the narrator and Robert, the blind man.  Robert 
hired the narrator's wife to read for him.  After much interaction, a 
friendship developed.  On the last day of this work, he asked her if he 
could touch her face. This was the first indication in the story of 
Robert's desire to learn more about the world about him.  This action 
had lasting impact on her, illustrated by her writing a poem about it [224.]

The narrator's character is shown to be very much unlike Robert's.  The 
narrator has never known anyone who was blind.[227].  In The narrator's 
mind it was a handicap and it made him feel sorry for Robert.  It is also 
obvious that Robert knew something about the Narrator from the tapes he 
received, whereas the narrator never made the effort to find out much 
about Robert.  He was obviously reluctant to learn about Robert and his handicap.

After his arrival, Robert unexpectedly did away with the narrator's notion 
of blind people and smoking.  At dinner the narrator saw that Robert was 
not as helpless as he had thought.  After dinner he also saw just how 
active Robert was.  Having an Amway distributorship, and even making 
friends all over the world as a ham radio operator.  Robert was no doubly 
a busy guy, making many friends, reaching out to others, learning about 
the world through others around him. 

It's very interesting to see how for the first half of the story the wife's 
character acts as a buffer between Robert and the narrator.  After she 
exits the scene, the real interaction between the two begins.  

Although he had never tried it and no doubly knew it was illegal, Robert 
(without hesitation) take up the offer to smoke some dope.  After a while, 
the channel flipping begins.  Robert is completely unopinionated about the 
program selection.  His explanation: "Whatever you want to watch is okay.  
I'm always learning something.  Learning never ends..."  This statement 
illustrates all of the narrator's views on blind people before he actually 
met one.  The narrator begins to learn.

The author's final use of action is used propel the theme to the climax 
when the narrator fails in an attempt to describe what a cathedral is.  
Robert asks the narrator to draw for him a cathedral.  Unenthusiastic at 
first, but soon the narrator became absorbed in his drawing.  Then Robert 
gives him a final and no doubly lasting impression on the narrator.  He 
tells him to close his eyes and to continue drawing.  Blindly.  Then he 
didn't open his eyes.  This final act definitely tought the narrator what 
it was like to be in Robert's world. where he got to see the cathedral that 
he had shown him. 
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