Who is the "blind" man in the story?
Now it is time to discuss this story, "Cathedral." However, before discussing the "blindness" in the story, use the information from the articles about the author, Raymond Carver, to explain why he wrote this story and what influenced him in his life or in society to write it.
Then discuss: which character is the "blind man" in the story? People can be "blind" to people, emotions, and events around them without being physically bline. What does the narrator mean when he says at the end of the story, "My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything"? What literally happens in the final section of the story? What happens symbolically? Does the narrator seem to be changed? How and why?
What is the significance of the title of the story? Carver’s title suggests that it is significant that Robert and the narrator draw a cathedral together. Why and how is this so significant?
What does “blindness” symbolize in our culture? How does Carver’s story reinforce or undermine that symbolism? What does Robert “see” over the course of the evening?
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