Imagery and Symbolism in Cathedral, by Raymond Carver

In the short story, Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, the author uses imagery, symbolism and narrates the story in first person point of view. The Cathedral’s main theme is being able to identify the difference between being able to look and/or see and it is portrayed through the main characters role in the story. Carver uses a unique style of writing which gives the short story a simple way for the reader to understand the story’s theme. This story is about how the narrator is unable to see what life is really giving him and finds it through a blind man’s eyes, the friend of his wife. Cathedral is a touching story, in my opinion, as it reflects on what many of us, society, take for granted. It shows how important it is to give people a†¦show more content†¦This imagery is used metaphorically to illustrate what a blind man would like to know in order to get a full vision of what is exactly going on. Furthermore, the title of the short story has symbolic representation to the transformation the narrator partakes as the story ends. Specifically, when the narrator begins to explain the cathedral on the TV and is unable to describe it with detail to Robert, shows how blind he is even though he is able to look at the things show in the program. In the short story, Robert suggests to the narrator to work together on drawing a cathedral to better illustrate it. As both hold on to the pen and trace the cathedral unto the piece of paper bag, Robert is able to visualize it in his mind; the narrator, on the other hand, gets to a point in his life where he realizes that he is now able to see, rather than just look at something, and is able to understand its meaning, as he states â€Å"it was like nothing else in my life up to now†¦my eyes were still closed.† Here, the narrator recognizes that even though his eyes were closed, as if he was blind, he is able to tell how immen sely and detailed cathedrals are. Moreover, Carver uses first person point of view to describe the narrator’s life and the meaning of the cathedral to him. Through the first person point of view given to the narrator and one of the main characters of the story, Carver is able to portray a narrator who is jealous and insecure of himself. The narrator’sShow MoreRelated##ism, Imagery, And Symbolism In Cathedral By Raymond Carver815 Words   |  4 PagesThe short story â€Å"Cathedral† is written by Raymond Carver. It is being narrated by a man whose wife invited an old friend and person she used to work for to come visit due to his wife dying. The old friend is a blind man whose name is Robert. The author in the â€Å"Cathedral† uses symbolism, imagery, and irony to provide more meaning to the story. The narrator of the story has a stereotypical opinion on blind people while being blind to his own imperfections, but he is able to start seeingRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s The Cathedral 863 Words   |  4 Pages One of the Raymond Carver story where we can find a lot of religion symbols; it is â€Å"Cathedral.† The story develops an ironic situation in which a blind man teaches a sighted man to truly â€Å"see† for the first time. Near the end of the story, Carver has these two characters work together on a drawing of a cathedral, which serves as the symbolic heart of the story. The cathedral represents true sight, the ability to see beyond the surface to the true meaning that lies within. The narrator’s drawingRead MoreMinimalism by Raymond Carver Essay3013 Words   |  13 PagesLiterary Criticism Minimalism by Raymond Carver English 210 P. Fishman Research Paper Literary Criticism on Minimalism by Raymond Carver Raymond Carver was a master of the short story during the mid nineteenth century due to his unique minimalistic style. Carver has his own artistic signature when it comes to writing, he tells his stories using