¶ … Cathedral, a story by Raymond Carver, there are three main characters: a husband, a wife, and the wife's blind, male friend. The story is told in the first person, from the point-of-view of the husband, and the mood and tone of the story is austere and tense.
At the beginning of the story, the character of the husband is hostile, and angry that the wife's blind friend is coming to visit. The husbands' anger seems out of proportion, and serves as an interesting foil to the wonder and kindness he exhibits at the end of the story. The husband has a strong prejudice against the blind. When...
At the touch, the husband changes, and he is able to empathise with the blind man. In short, the character of the husband grows, and becomes kinder and more empathetic. At the end of the story, the husband says, of his touch with the blind man, "It was like nothing in my life up to now."
Interestingly, "The Cathedral" is set within the husbands' house. This is an interesting symbol for his small, prejudiced internal world. When the husband and the blind man draw the Cathedral, the husband says, "I didn't feel like I was…
