Raymond Carvers Cathedral

Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" "For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known" (1 Corinthians 13). The narrator of Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" is a man living a life of monotony, continuously feeding the cold and bigoted mind that we witness for the first part of the story. The process of guiding Robert through the drawing of the cathedral,removes …

…glass, to a place in which he sees himself clearly, face to face, knowing as he is known. The blind is a catalyst for the narrator's transformation; his presence provokes the narrator's prejudices, and thus makes visible the narrator's shortcomings of character such as lack of imagination and lack of faith. Later, Robert maintains his catalyst purpose and provokes the narrator's awakenings, initiating the narrator's 180o turn into a humble, imaginative and faithful human being.