Thursday, September 20, 2007

"The Cathedral" Analysis

“Cathedral” was a very interesting short story based around people learning one another’s differences, and shortcomings. In the story, the blind man enlightens the husband to “open” his eyes, and view how amazing the grandeur of the cathedral was, and the creation he had just drawn of it. The husband might have had eyes but took them for granted. It seems that the blind man had something to teach the husband about life. They both viewed life in different points of views, and had a lot to learn from one another.

The husband underestimated himself, and underestimated the amount to which he could feel passion towards something spiritual. He was overwhelmed with his own human ability, and had to close his eyes to create this feeling. This is ironic that in order to realize something, he did not need his eyes. At the end of the short story, in the very last sentence, he mentions not wanting to open his eyes. Some people like to escape, and ignore their own capabilities, but it took this blind man to come into his home, at first unwelcome by the husband, to teach him something about feeling. A lot of the time we are fooled by looking at things for what stands in front of us all. The blind man teaches us all that there is more than what meets the eye. The husband brushes off his potential as an artist, and being able to describe, and capture the essence and aesthetic parts of a cathedral. Many people brush off their talents, and do not give themselves a chance. Once he brushed passed the self-consciousness, and accepted being around someone who was blind, he embraced himself. This story gives passageway to a man’s personal revelation, not only with religion, or maybe not even at all, but with himself.

I believe that it understood from this short story, that most all people need to close their eyes from the masses of the world, and listen to their true self. The cathedral sparked something in the husband to let go of his cultural withholdings about the blind man. In the beginning of the short story he makes fun of the blind man who has a wife he has never seen, and was left with nothing from her death. He even criticizes his wife and the life she once led. He has never much thought into anything on a deeper level until the blind man guides him. They show compassion for one another on a deeper level, which was overwhelming for the husband. He forgot about his inhibitions and searched deep within himself for depth and meaning, which he had previously lacked. People all have a different outlook on life, and instead of the husband giving his, he simply gave his wife’s and the blind man’s from a third person perspective. He seemed not to care about anyone, or respect their pathways. He is not even interested in his own life. He appears dull to the reader and a shallow character until he breaks down into feeling. He starts with having a critical tone towards describing the person he loves, and her friend. At the end he does not answer his wife when she asks him a question; neither does he acknowledge her feelings, but he is an immature character who has not come into his own depth until the end of the story. His experience was so overwhelming, that he needed to look within himself before he could commit to anything more at that moment. It ends with his eyes closed to the world around him, which he is not use to, and that is where the reader is last aware of his mental development towards maturation.(622)

1 comment:

LCC said...

Caitie, you said, "Some people like to escape, and ignore their own capabilities, but it took this blind man to come into his home, at first unwelcome by the husband, to teach him something about feeling." I like the way you can see this story going somewhere and having a meaning beyond simply its events. Thanks.