The one-eyed man could have died or lost his good eye, as the Nurse points out. He survives unscathed, and sees what his wife forbade him to see. Likewise, Hardie could have faced immanent death in the war but he survives by going AWOL. In both cases, subverting social convention is a key to liberation. The paradox of religion is also conveyed via deft use of language. In "Cathedral," the title image represents the symbol of religious strivings. A cathedral is a house of God; but that house does not necessarily lead to spiritual awakening. On the contrary, the house in which the story takes place does become a zone of spiritual awakening. The blind man and the narrator use the ancient sacrament of cannabis to explore the real meaning of human existence, which is what cannot be taught or ascertained in church. The blind man helps the narrator to "see" love and compassion, just as the sighted man helps the blind man to "see" what a church looks like.

This type of paradox is also explored in "Emergency." The emergency room is a...

However, the emergency room in question becomes a place of existential crisis for Georgie and Fuckhead. Hardie offers one last insight into the nature of spiritual crisis, as he achieves liberation by moving to Canada. Both short stories end on a hopeful note. In spite of the confrontation with death and mortality, the narrator of "Emergency" seems willing and ready to face new challenges on the horizon. He is ready to see what he might be socially prevented from seeing, and to discover new ways of being. The narrator of "Cathedral" certainly achieves liberation by bonding with the blind man who he did not trust initially. Using plain language permits the exploration of deep and existential issues without ever falling pray to a pedantic point-of-view.
Works Cited

Carver, Raymond. "Cathedral." Retrieved online: http://nbu.bg/webs/amb/american/6/carver/cathedral.htm

Johnson, Denis. "Emergency." Retrieved online: http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1991-09-16#folio=030