Symbolism in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”

The story goes on with the narrator finally meeting Robert, although throughout the story, the narrator refers to Robert only as "the blind man". His insecurities only worsen after Robert arrives and she shows more attention to Robert then to himself. " (120) The narrator is learning more about himself then he is learning about cathedrals. He recalls that his wife will never forget the instant when Robert "touched his fingers to every part of her face- even her neck! She never forgot it. The experience of this successful communication transforms the narrator. He never acknowledges that Robert is a person, not acknowledging him as a person because he is blind, illustrates how ignorant a man he is. The narrator lives in a sheltered world he has created for himself, feeling the "blind man" coming to stay the night is an invasion of his enclosed existence. It was like nothing in my life up to now. The narrator is shocked that this man does not walk with a cane or wear dark sunglasses, amazed that he has a long beard and actually dresses and carries himself well. In "Cathedral" the story is about more than the drawing of one, a cathedral is a symbol of togetherness and strength without prejudice and hatred, the narrator is learning that together he can help Robert "see" the cathedral and Robert is able to have the narrator close his eyes and open his mind and see what he could not see before, seeing through the eyes of the blind. His fingers rode my fingers as my hand went over the paper. " (110) The narrator's buried hostility seems at time to be associated with the blind man closeness to his, the narrator's, wife. As though women have to been seen to be important, forgetting that Robert can hear his wife's voice, touch her skin, feel the love in her kiss, know her beauty from the inside out. The character of the narrator can be described as a person who is scared of the unknown and the unfamiliar, the visit from the blind man represents the unknown.