Cathedral, a Story by Raymond Carver, There

¶ … Cathedral, a story by Raymond Carver, there are three main characters: a husband, a wife, and the wife's blind, male friend. The story is told in the first person, from the point-of-view of the husband, and the mood and tone of the story is austere and tense.

At the beginning of the story, the character of the husband is hostile, and angry that the wife's blind friend is coming to visit. The husbands' anger seems out of proportion, and serves as an interesting foil to the wonder and kindness he exhibits at the end of the story. The husband has a strong prejudice against the blind. When the two men are alone, the blind man touches the hand of the husband. At the touch, the husband changes, and he is able to empathise with the blind man. In short, the character of the husband grows, and becomes kinder and more empathetic. At the end of the story, the husband says, of his touch with the blind man, "It was like nothing in my life up to now."

Interestingly, "The Cathedral" is set within the husbands' house. This is an interesting symbol for his small, prejudiced internal world. When the husband and the blind man draw the Cathedral, the husband says, "I didn't feel like I was inside anything," (228), this is a clear symbol of his expanded vision of humanity.

Further, Cathedral is written in what may be considered an almost minimalist style. There are no long, flowery descriptions. Instead, descriptions of the characters and settings are clean and crisp. The result is a story that reveals its characters and themes deeply and clearly.

The theme of the story, despite the minimalist and austere style, is uplifting and positive. At the end, the prejudiced husband's superficial thinking is changed by the blind man's touch. He becomes more empathetic and forgiving, and sets aside his prejudice. Thus, one of the themes of The Cathedral is that prejudice can be healed by simple human contact, and by love.