"Cathedral" Review (P3) by

2024-10-22 17:44:52 UTC

“I didn’t want to be left alone with a blind man” (219)

2024-10-22 17:45:00 UTC

“And his being blind bothered me”

2024-10-22 17:45:07 UTC

It was like nothing in my life up to now.

2024-10-22 17:45:13 UTC

“And his being blind bothered me”

2024-10-22 17:45:39 UTC

“He was leaning forward with his head turned at me, his right ear aimed in the direction of the set. Very disconcerting.” (Carver 224)

2024-10-22 17:45:45 UTC

“Then she got into the hot tub and passed out.”

2024-10-22 17:45:46 UTC

“ the other half of the coin went into the box with her. Pahetic.

2024-10-22 17:45:49 UTC

“It’s really something”(Carver 228)

2024-10-22 17:45:57 UTC

“We ate like there was no tomorrow. We didn’t talk. We ate. We scarfed”

2024-10-22 17:45:59 UTC

“In the poem, she talked about what she had felt at the time, about what went though her mind when the blind man touched her nose and lips”

2024-10-22 17:45:59 UTC

“A beard on a blind man! Too much!”

2024-10-22 17:46:01 UTC

“I feel like we have already met”

2024-10-22 17:46:06 UTC

“Image a woman who could never see herself as she was seen in the eyes of her loved one “

Carlo Rufo

crufo2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:46:09 UTC

"In that wise, Bub, they’re no different than the rest of us, right?”

2024-10-22 17:46:16 UTC

“I didn’t want to be left alone with a blind man.”

2024-10-22 17:46:33 UTC

“I’d always thought dark glasses were a must for a blind. Fact was I wished he had a pair.”

2024-10-22 17:46:33 UTC

Maybe I just don’t understand poetry. I admit it’s not the first thing I reach for when I pick up something to read.

eynclan2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:46:45 UTC

“A wink is the same as a nod to a blind man”

2024-10-22 17:46:48 UTC

“Hearing this, I felt sorry for the blind man for a little bit. And then I found myself thinking what a pitiful life this woman must have led.”

2024-10-22 17:47:05 UTC

“I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was really inside anything.” (228)

2024-10-22 17:47:10 UTC

“I’m always learning something. Learning never ends. It won’t hurt me to learn something tonight.

“Is his wife a negro’ I asked. ‘Are you crazy?’ My wife said. ‘Have you just flipped or something?”

2024-10-22 17:47:23 UTC

2024-10-22 17:47:30 UTC

Carver characterized the relationship between two men in a complex way and it showed the shift in attitude that “I” had toward blind people.

I think that the protagonist is both filled with prejudice and thoughts about the blind man that make him view him as lesser but at the same time he is jealous of him because his wife connects with him better.

2024-10-22 17:47:34 UTC

2024-10-22 17:47:41 UTC

“Too much white in the iris, for one thing, and the pupils seemed to move around in the sockets without his knowing it or being able to stop it. Creepy.” (216)

Catie Yarter

2024-10-22 17:47:42 UTC

“A beard on a blind man!”

2024-10-22 17:47:55 UTC

The husband did not like the blind men at first. The blind man was friendly to the husband regardless his realization of his dislike. The husband ended up accepting the blind men

2024-10-22 17:47:57 UTC

At first the husband was hostile towards the blind man but throughout the night they got closer. The husband got more and more understanding towards the blind man.

2024-10-22 17:48:04 UTC

He makes seem like it’s a very close friendship. He describes it by how they send tapes to each other and how much they talked and laughed together.

2024-10-22 17:48:10 UTC

He characterizes the relationship between the men by beginning the story only noticing the differences between the two, and ending it with both people coming together to understand each other.

2024-10-22 17:48:12 UTC

The main character is weary of the blind man and discriminates against him, mostly due to not being able to comprehend the blind man’s circumstance. The main character slowly starts to understand the blind man throughout the story.

2024-10-22 17:48:18 UTC

“It was then that I glanced at the blind man. What the hell! I flipped the robe open again.”

2024-10-22 17:48:21 UTC

Carver characterizes the relationship between the men as friendly but slightly suspicious of what he might be up to because of his blindness.

2024-10-22 17:48:25 UTC

They have a sort of tense relationship from the perspective of the narrator, but as the story progresses, the hesitation and prejudice of the narrator seems to dwindle as Robert breaks the image the narrator initially had of him,

2024-10-22 17:48:26 UTC

Carter builds up a one-sided relationship full of judgement, ignorance, and resentment to portray the competitiveness and bitterness within men at times

2024-10-22 17:48:36 UTC

Carver characterizes the relationship between the two men like they have a dislike towards each other, with the wife’s husband having more of a dislike or hatred, with him constantly making rude remarks.

2024-10-22 17:48:36 UTC

The relationship between the men is very complicated in the way that the husband acts jealous of Robert and seems to take it out on the fact that he is blind and not the fact that he connects with his wife more than he does.

2024-10-22 17:48:40 UTC

He characterized them as the man being hostile toward the Blond man. However, the protagonist slowly started to feel sympathy for the blind man’s hardships

2024-10-22 17:48:45 UTC

Carver character's the relationship between the two men as being endearing yet stand-off-ish. The husband clearly opened up towards the end however his initial response to Robert-the blind man- was somewhat rude. As a pose to Robert being very kind an understanding.

2024-10-22 17:49:01 UTC

At first the husband didn’t like the blind man but as the night went on he started to understand him more

2024-10-22 17:49:09 UTC

It feels like Carver creates a relationship between the two men where the blind man is teaching the husband and he becomes more open minded throughout the text.

2024-10-22 17:49:11 UTC

Carver depicts the relationship between the two by showing a growth in their relationship. At the beginning, the two men didn’t talk much, and by the end they really grew close.

2024-10-22 17:49:27 UTC

He gives the husband a very stereotypical view of the blind man, and the husband is surprised and reluctant to find out more about the blind man. They start to learn more about each other at the end,

2024-10-22 17:49:32 UTC

Carver characterizes the relationship between the two men by illustrating a sort of one sided and hostile relationship that throughout the story turned into a deeper and more connected friendship through their conversations.

2024-10-22 17:49:32 UTC

The narrator conveys a hostile manner toward the blind man. However, as the story progresses, the two men begin to bond.

Carlo Rufo

crufo2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:49:39 UTC

He characterizes the relationship as tolerance, where the husband limits his interactions with the blind man to his best ability out of prejudice. As the story progresses, the husband becomes more open minded and ends up being able to learn from the blind man and grow.

2024-10-22 17:49:41 UTC

The husband seemed jealous of his wife’s relationship with the blind men even thought they are just really close friends.

2024-10-22 17:49:55 UTC

The author established the story with a prejudice and bias of the narrator towards the blind man. The relationship between them started to transform when they had their interaction, the narrator started to open up his mind.

eynclan2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:49:56 UTC

The relationship between the men is competition, the husband is constantly in his head competing with the blind man. The fact that he is different from the husband makes the husband uncomfortable.

2024-10-22 17:50:53 UTC

The husband doesn’t know how to talk to the blind man. But his wife seem to enjoy talking to him every much. And the husband seems a bit jealous.

2024-10-22 17:50:56 UTC

The gender dynamics of the peace are kind of the blind man being an intruder of the man of the house and the wife is very friendly.

2024-10-22 17:50:59 UTC

The gender dynamics in the piece are like traditional housewife. The wife cooks and cares for the men while they eat and watch television. Although with the wife caring for both the men her husband seems to be a bit jealous, even though all they have is friendship.

2024-10-22 17:51:00 UTC

Thee was jealous present when the blond man bonded well with the wife. As the wife was portrayed as being kind hearted and showed hospitality to the blind man

2024-10-22 17:51:02 UTC

Their relationship is characterized by jealousy and suspicion. Mostly the husband is cautious of the blind man, but his suspicions wane off after his wife falls asleep and he chats more with the blind man—bonding with him.

2024-10-22 17:51:06 UTC

There's a contrast between the husband and wife, both setting more traditional views. However when the blind man enters he mellows the strictness of the traditional allowing both the husband and wife to open up.

2024-10-22 17:51:06 UTC

The relationship between males were not so friendly at first, while the relationship between the female and males were relatively close.

2024-10-22 17:51:10 UTC

The husband did not seem to connect with his wife very much and did not seem open to listening to her stories or trying to be kind to one of her close friends. This is also seen through the relationship between Robert and his wife and how it contrasts with her husband.

There is a male camaraderie of sorts between the two men that is showed in their willingness to talk and smoke together. The two men are connected through the woman of the story who is almost immediately put out of the story when she falls asleep and it focuses on the interaction between the men.

2024-10-22 17:51:12 UTC

The husband usually tends to jump to conclusions and is ignorant and stubborn while the wife is welcoming and friendly towards others, representing the stereotypes of men and women in relationships

2024-10-22 17:51:21 UTC

It seems like whatever the wife says goes and the husband is just following along for the most part.

2024-10-22 17:51:28 UTC

From the tone of the passage, it is clear that the husband is jealous. He feels that his wife should not express that much enthusiasm toward a man that is not her husband

eynclan2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:51:28 UTC

The husband seems to need to be the best in the room, his wife is seen to him as a prize to be won. The blind man is not competing but is seen as competition for the wife’s affection.

2024-10-22 17:51:31 UTC

The husband wants to be recognized and praised by his wife, which brings tension to their relationship after he witnesses how she acts with Robert.

2024-10-22 17:51:38 UTC

At first, the husband seemed to show some jealousy towards the wife’s and the blind man’s relationship maybe feeling like she was giving the blind man more attention than she was giving him.

2024-10-22 17:51:46 UTC

There’s a sort of stereotypical jealousy of another guy where the husband seems to be jealous of the wife and the blind man’s relationship. Also, the wife is portrayed as someone who is very kind hearted and welcoming and the husband can be written as a bit more agitated which is sometimes common gender roles.

hlu2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:51:48 UTC

“Nothing. Cathedrals. They’re something to look at on late-night TV. That’s all they are”.

2024-10-22 17:51:57 UTC

The gender dynamics seem to show that the mean we’re weary of each other at first, because of jealousy or not being able to understand each other.

2024-10-22 17:52:01 UTC

In this story, the men are portrayed as people who grow to understand their differences. Whereas the man’s wife serves as a side character, first bringing up the matter a then bridging of the two.

Carlo Rufo

crufo2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:52:09 UTC

The husband is very resentful and jealous of his wife’s relationship with the man, he views her as someone for him and should only have thoughts of him, which illustrates his close minded nature and intolerance. He doesn’t seem to think very critically, or have any opinions at all, but that slowly morphs into acceptance and appreciation by the end of the story.

2024-10-22 17:52:16 UTC

The wife is very loving and caring to the blind man, and the husband is not. The husband is jealous that the wife and the blind man have a good relationship without him. The husband also is less into getting to know the blind man.

2024-10-22 17:52:18 UTC

The husband and wife were very stereotypical.

2024-10-22 17:52:22 UTC

Jealousy is a common theme throughout the beginning of the short story, with the narrator describing his suspicions of his wife’s relationship with the blind man.

2024-10-22 17:52:37 UTC

The bond between the wife and the blind man was strong they are close friends but the husband and the blind man are the opposite because the husband doesn’t want to get to know him at first.

2024-10-22 17:52:58 UTC

The husband seeks to be admired by his wife and resents the fact that Robert is the focus of her attention during his visit. The husband demonstrates a concerning lack of humility, is vain, and seems to view both his wife and Robert as inferior to him.

2024-10-22 17:53:08 UTC

It gives us the perspective on how it is like to be blind, and live in the darkness your entire life.

2024-10-22 17:53:23 UTC

This line shows the main character trying to open up to understanding Robert’s experience instead of judging him on the fact that he is blind. This symbolizes character development and a shift of tone with how the man feels towards Robert.

2024-10-22 17:53:28 UTC

The gender dynamics at play is mainly the way in which the narrators wife speaks to her friend, triggering the narrator. The narrator can’t seem to trust his wife, he is salty and suspicious. His feelings and actions indicate that he is mainly jealous of the relationship that his wife and the blind man have.

2024-10-22 17:53:37 UTC

The line shows how when the narrator is “blind,” he feels more free and less pressured to act in a particular manner or meet particular expectations.

2024-10-22 17:53:54 UTC

The quote is referring to a new understanding that the husband is taking on when he chose to walk in the blind man's shoes. Him saying “I was in my house…but didn’t feel like…” is him grasping a broder perspective and sympathizing with the blind man, and now trying to relate with him. It gave him openness on to the matter as well.

2024-10-22 17:53:58 UTC

The narrator finally feels a sensation similar to blindness and is able to empathize (or at least come to understand) that life has value and happiness even without eyesight.

eynclan2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:54:19 UTC

The husband is experiencing a sort of detachment from what he is used to experiencing. He is used to the safety of everything being comfortable where as when the blind man comes in he is thrown into a new experience.

2024-10-22 17:54:29 UTC

This quote helps illustrate how the man is now able to understand the blind man beyond his disability.

2024-10-22 17:54:30 UTC

The line reveals the understanding of the husband to the blind man of his situation. How it feels to be blind. It also reveals a symbolism of how the husband is no longer thinking inside his own box and cease to limit his thoughts to his own prejudice.

2024-10-22 17:54:35 UTC

The man was shocked about how he just kept drawing and drawing. He said he’s not much of a drawer but he kept going. So he must’ve just not felt like himself anymore. He dint feel like he was in his house or the same anymore.

2024-10-22 17:54:37 UTC

when the narrator says “not inside of anything”, it symbolizes that he is no longer restricting his thoughts to prejudice and bias, rather viewing the world with an open mind and empathize values of others

2024-10-22 17:54:52 UTC

The husband reached a new understanding. He felt what the blind man’s everyday was for a moment

2024-10-22 17:54:57 UTC

The narrator tries to empathize with the blind man and does so successfully as he realizes that life still has meaning even when you’re blind

2024-10-22 17:54:58 UTC

It represents the narrator’s character development, finally showing empathy for the blind man along with understanding of him and ultimately ridding his initial feelings of stubbornness and resentment.

Carlo Rufo

crufo2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:55:01 UTC

The line represents a feeling of freedom and happiness now that he’s finally opened up his heart. With his eyes staying closed, he learned that he doesn’t have to take everything at face value like he did before - learning to accept new experiences and not restricting himself to close mindedness.

2024-10-22 17:55:11 UTC

This line shows the husband trying to get an understanding of what it’s truly like being blind and it goes to show that blind people may always feel a sense of being “lost”.

2024-10-22 17:55:17 UTC

That the husband felt very uneasy but can relate to the blind man with this quote. Opposed to before when he made those misconceptions.

2024-10-22 17:55:20 UTC

The husband expresses how he feels free when his eyes are closed, he feels comfortable, and he is getting more comfortable with the idea that a blind man can achieve goals and act as one with sight could.

physical bounds and descriptions, such as the man tried describing a cathedral lost value as he understood more. The man’s experience on the train was not impacted by which side he sat on and he found appreciation in things other than physical characteristics, something the woman’s husband couldn’t understand. As he undergoes this revelation he understands the physicality of his home but it loses importance, seeing the blind man’s life through weed

2024-10-22 17:55:27 UTC

2024-10-22 17:55:29 UTC

This quote illustrates how the husband/narrator feels a connection through understanding a similar sensation to the blind man. This shows how the two have connected throughout the story and how he’s come to respect him.

2024-10-22 17:55:29 UTC

The blind man showed the husband what it’s like to be blind which makes the husband more understanding

2024-10-22 17:55:39 UTC

The husband was describing how he felt without vision and this quote represents the feeling of emptiness that comes from being blind.

2024-10-22 17:56:08 UTC

The narrator remains with his eyes closed, allowing for him to come to a better understanding of the blind man. He explains that he doesn’t feel anything, despite knowing that he is in his house—something that he can assume the blind man experiences.

2024-10-22 17:56:27 UTC

I think the fact that the husband made an attempt to bond with the blind man despite his jealousy redeemed his not so great personality at the beginning of the story.

I think that the character is redeemable, his prejudice really seems to stem from a lack of understanding and exposure. He isn’t directly hostile to the man and is open to viewing his experience, empathizing with it when he does

2024-10-22 17:56:33 UTC

2024-10-22 17:56:40 UTC

The husband was intensely concentrated on his action, and the fact that he “didn’t feel like I was inside anything” revealed the fact that he had changed about his stereotypes.

2024-10-22 17:56:55 UTC

The narrator is redeemed because he has changed. His prejudice is what made him unlivable initially, but the fact that he is growing away from this mindset is admirable.

2024-10-22 17:56:55 UTC

I believe that by the end of the piece, the narrator’s character is redeemed by how he’s grown to understand the blind man and embrace his differences.

2024-10-22 17:56:58 UTC

He definitely changed his perspective on the blind man and has made an attempt to understand him, but still hasn’t been fully redeemed.

2024-10-22 17:57:04 UTC

He is more redeemed as he was able to create a bond with the blind man and gain more emotional understanding of him and empathizing him, no longer making fun of or judging him like he was throughout the story.

Carlo Rufo

crufo2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:57:06 UTC

I think he’s very much likable, it took him a while to get to a place where he can continue to grow and rid himself of prejudice, but there’s only steps forward from here as he’ continues to understand and expose himself to new things beyond the TV.

2024-10-22 17:57:10 UTC

The narrators character is still unlikeable since we are not able to tell how he applies this character development, it only ends with him gaining some perspective. I think that it’s clear throughout the story that the main character is unable to sympathize with others.

2024-10-22 17:57:11 UTC

The narrator is redeemed. He started to try and help the blind man by describing the tv, even though it was bad. Also he drew for the man so he could understand what a cathedral looked like.

2024-10-22 17:57:15 UTC

By the end of the piece the narrators character has become more likable. From the beginning of the story of him calling the blind man names to letting the blind man help him draw and experience what he does, his character definitely developed.

2024-10-22 17:57:16 UTC

The narrator's character is redeemed by the end of the piece. After grasping a new perceptive his jealousy has turned into understanding rather than suspicion learning from his judgment.

2024-10-22 17:57:23 UTC

By the end of the piece, narrator’s character is transformed and redeemed. With the interaction between him and the blind man, it shows that he obtained his empathy and compassion towards others.

2024-10-22 17:57:30 UTC

I still don’t think he redeemable in how he acted. I will say that he did learn a lesson and it is a step in the right direction towards being open minded.

2024-10-22 17:57:32 UTC

I don’t believe a single small action leading to empathetic awareness is enough to redeem a flawed character immediately. He needs to prove himself to the Blind Man as a friend and morose his wife as a kindly, good husband

2024-10-22 17:57:36 UTC

I think that the husband is not redeemed yet by the end, but he has the potential to be changed and likable.

2024-10-22 17:57:44 UTC

I believe he is somewhat redeemed. the husband did say a lot of wild things but by the end of it he seemed to realize he can’t judge someone just because of one thing.

2024-10-22 17:57:46 UTC

The narrator redeemed himself as he empathized with the blond man towards the end of the story instead of Judginf and being jealous of him

2024-10-22 17:57:56 UTC

I think the husband is making an effort trying to get to know the blind man more. However, his words were not the most delightful to hear.

2024-10-22 17:58:10 UTC

By the end of the story I would say that the narrators character is redeemable. His opinions on the blind man seem to shift greatly and he forms a greater understanding of him and learns to connect with him. In the beginning it seems like he doesn’t know much about being blind, so throughout the time he learns new things and is opened up to new perspectives.

2024-10-22 17:58:24 UTC

I think his character was redeemable because at the beginning of the story he was really close minded toward the blind man but throughout the story he gets to know him and is more understanding

2024-10-22 17:58:24 UTC

This line shows how much the husband has grown throughout the story. He went from not wanting really anything to do with the blind man to helping him understand what a cathedral is by drawing it with him. The husband begins to really understand the blind man.

eynclan2025_3 — 2024-10-22 17:58:25 UTC

He is somewhat redeemed as he is still somewhat unlikable for his attitude in the beginning. But he is making the right corrections at the end of the story.

2024-10-22 17:59:01 UTC

I think he has redeemed himself because it seems like he won’t make the same mistake of judging someone like the blind man again. I wouldn’t go as far to say that he is likeable but he isn’t unlikeable.

2024-10-22 17:59:04 UTC

The narrator is slightly redeemed at the end of the story, as he comes to a better understanding of what the blind man goes through, and is as a result better able to sympathize with him. It demonstrates that his sour behavior and thoughts at the start of the story were from a lack of understanding, and suspicion.

2024-10-22 18:00:10 UTC

I don’t think the husband’s character is completely redeemed but I think that he has definitely made a start at being more likeable. He begins to want to understand the blind man, begins to enjoy his company instead of just wanting to get this over with.

2024-10-22 18:01:10 UTC

The blind man seemed to have brought a vulnerable side out of the narrator, leaving him in a state of mind that he didn’t want to leave. Opening his eyes figuratively meant he’d have to snap back to reality, something he wasn’t interested in doing.