Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” is a captivating short story that introduces an intriguing set of characters and explores themes of emotional detachment and the power of human connection. The narrator, depicted as lacking warmth and emotional involvement, is contrasted with the blind man, who exhibits a profound love for life and a deep understanding of the narrator’s wife. In my essay, I will analyze how Carver uses setting to convey these themes. Specifically, I will focus on the role of location, time, and social conditions in the story’s development.
The theme of disconnect and lack of understanding among individuals is reinforced by Carver through the three mentioned types of settings. Symbolism and setting are two literary techniques used in the short story. Ignorance is symbolized through the stereotype portrayed in the story when the narrator compares the blind man to “someone with a seeing-eye dog. My idea of blindness came from the movies. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to”(2). The story is set in New York, as depicted by the line, “How going to New York, you should sit on the right-hand side of the train” (4).
The author suggests that the story likely occurs in the early 1920s based on the setting mentioned. According to the narrator, blindness is typically portrayed as slow and joyless in movies. This reveals the narrator’s narrow-mindedness when it comes to perceiving blind individuals. The narrative takes place in one evening during the 1920s, a time when middle-class households commonly owned colored television sets. The narrator mentions having both a color set and a black-and-white one but prefers using the color set.
Despite the narrator’s lack of knowledge, the blind man demonstrates a human connection and understanding similar to ordinary individuals. He overlooks his physical blindness and limitations. The story primarily takes place in the dining room and living room of the narrator’s New York home, providing insight into the lives of average human beings. The narrator and his wife serve their guest a simple meal consisting of meat, potatoes, green beans, bread and butter, and a glass of milk, portraying a middle-class couple living a modest lifestyle. This location may be considered plain yet captivating in its minimalistic style. Moreover, it reflects the routine and uncomplicated life shared by the narrator and his wife. As an emotional bond forms between the blind man and the narrator, there is evidence of a human connection and understanding developing between them. Through these social circumstances, we gain insight into the troubled relationships that exist between the narrator and his wife as well as others.
Carver demonstrates that the narrator possesses a closed-minded and mundane personality, as he is not receptive to other people’s beliefs and is an individualist. The narrator is particularly resistant to his wife’s pen-pal relationship with the blind man and questions the racial background of the blind man’s late wife. The narrator’s lack of enthusiasm towards the blind man’s visit, due to his unfamiliarity and blindness, reveals his flawed beliefs. The narrator confesses his inability to describe what a cathedral looks like and his indifference towards them. These attitudes of the narrator highlight the significance of the social milieu in the story, emphasizing its impact on human connection and understanding. Carver effectively captures the reader’s attention through the settings of time, location, and social milieu. In the final sentence, the narrator finds a connection with the blind man, despite feeling detached from his own surroundings.
