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North Dakota State University: Cathedral
by Raymond Carver

If simple plots in stories really are the most evocative then Raymond Carver has always hit the mark with his highly regarded piece “Cathedral.” First published in 1981 in Atlantic Monthly, this story is essentially about emotionally inaccessible people who manage to find a strange yet genuine connection.

“Cathedral” follows the evening of an unnamed husband (Carver’s narrator) and his first meeting with one of his wife’s dearest friends, a blind widower named Robert.

Judging from the narrator’s tone, we can easily deduce much about him. He’s cynical, antisocial, bitter, prejudiced, and doesn’t approve of his wife’s relationship with Robert:

“[S]he and the blind man had kept in touch. They made tapes and mailed them back and forth. I wasn’t enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me…A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.”

The trio exchange small talk, eat, smoke dope, and watch television. Unexpectedly enough, nothing of significance happens until Robert and the narrator stumble upon a television segment about cathedrals. When Robert asks the narrator if he could describe a cathedral and the narrator doesn’t know where to begin, a link between two very different people is being made.

Separately, the narrator feels nothing when he sees a cathedral and Robert will never be able to see a cathedral. It’s only until they draw one together that Robert is able to understand what a cathedral looks like and the narrator understands what it’s like to be blind.

Carter’s use of cathedrals also serves as a great allegory for the two characters. “The differences in the Portuguese cathedral compared with the French and Italian were not that great,” the narrator points out, “But they were there. Mostly the interior stuff.” Similarly the main differences between Robert and the narrator involved deep-rooted emotions. The narrator has trouble feeling, he has no friends, and he can barely communicate with his suicide-prone wife on a personal level. Meanwhile Robert’s lack of sight prevents him from taking part in many experiences with others and leaves him in dark, isolated places.

“Cathedral” is a rarity in that it’s existential yet hopeful at the same time. Carter’s theme is universal when we consider how easy it is to become isolated and how difficult it can be to connect to other people. It’s not surprising that over two decades later, this short story is still being read and republished.

Read the story for yourself.

About the Reviewer
Farhana Uddin is a contributing writer for Feminist Review and the opinion editor for MYMEME.

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