In addition to your regular response, answer the following question regarding Raymond Carver's short story Cathedral.
The term "epiphany," coined by James Joyce, has been used frequently in 20th century fiction to describe moments of "revelation" in a story where "everything becomes clear" to a character. The critic Malcolm Cowley defines epiphany as "that sudden reaching out of two characters through walls of inarticulateness and misunderstanding."To what extent does "Cathedral" end in an epiphany? How do you know?
Please, do not forget to use headings:
- A Title for your response "Be Creative"
- Basic Passage
- Correlation
- Difficulties
Note: I am looking for complexity in the correlation--a surprising or new angle.
Below is a sample response with headings and separate sections--your response should look like this example:
Title: Diet Coke Is The Reason
Intro to author: We, as readers, know very little about Billy Collins from the small amount of information the book entails. Billy Collins was born in 1941 in a New York City hospital he claims William Carlos Williams worked as a pediatric resident. He earned a Ph.D. at the University of California at Riverside in which he specialized in the Romantic Period. Now, he teaches at Lehman College of the City University.
Basic Passage: “and even now as you memorize the order of the planets, something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps, the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.”
Correlation: I can definitely relate to this! I believe I am the one person out of all my friends around me who has the shortest memory. I feel like I am on the same level as my grandmother who is in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. No, I don’t forget my name or the names of my family and friends I see often. But as it says in the passage, I believe I forget a piece of information or a memory every time I study, learn something new, or create a new memory. I believe this “forgetfulness” of mine is related to my obsessed addiction to Diet Coke. Maybe if I start taking Gingko Biloba, it’ll counteract the Nutrasweet that leads to memory loss. But all joking aside, this poem demonstrates how valuable the present moment is. The knowledge that we will forget make "now" all that more important. We must surrender to this knowledge, this loss. This poem is bittersweet. It is about bothloss and life in the guise of forgetfulness.
Difficulties: I had no problem reading or understanding this poem.
Required questions:
Identify the cause of human suffering—Tragedy
How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
Identify the cause of joy or happiness—comedy
41 comments:
Respect for the Blind
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon in 1938. Carver enrolled at Chico State College and was a student in John Gardner's writing class. He graduated in 1963. Carver's writings were influenced by Hemingway and events and people from his working-class background. Basically, Carver was considered a "pessismist" due to the nature of his writings.
Basic Passage
"But I had my eyes closed. I thought I'd keep them that way for a little longer. "Well?" he said. "Are you looking?" My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything. "It's really something," I said."
This passage shows that Carver has a new found respect for Robert. At the beginning of his story, Carver had a stereotypical view of Robert. Carver thought that because Robert is blind he couldn't take care of himself or do things that people who have sight can. But, Robert proved Carver wrong, especially in this passage when he is helping Carver draw the "Cathedral." Carver learns that just because a person is blind doesn't mean they can't have a vision of something.
Correlate
I can't personally relate to this passage. But I remember an episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger." In the episode, "Walker" lost his sight after a bomb he was trying to get rid of so that it wouldn't blow up in a restaurant, blew up in his face. After, "Walker" got out of the hospital, he went home. He was determined to do things by himself , even though his friends were offering to help him. Eventually, "Walker" learned how to do things for himself and his friends were proud of him and respected him even more. In the end, "Walker" got his sight back. Even though this episode is fictional, it gave me a glimpse into what life is like for a blind person. It caused me to have even more respect for the blind because they don't let their blindness 'disable' them.
To what extent does "Cathedral" end in an epiphany? How do you know?
I believe that "Cathedral" ended in an epiphany because Carver ended up respecting Robert and not stereotyping him.
(1). Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
The tragedy is Robert's blindness.
(2). How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
I think that the tragedy was turned into a comedy in the end.
(3). Identify the cause of joy or happiness- Comedy
The cause of happiness is that Carver began to see things the way Robert did and he learned to respect Robert.
Difficulties
I didn't have any difficulties.
Respect
Cathedral
Raymond Carver was born in 1938. He was a student at Chico State College and took a writing class taught by John Gardner. Carver graduated from college in 1963, and he still continued to study writing at the University of Iowa and at Stanford.
Basic Passage:
“There’s a first time for everything.”
This passage was what stuck out the most when I read Cathedral. This goes so show that even tough Robert the blind man said it and tried the dope for the first time, I found that the husband also tried something for the first time. The husband accepted, and welcomed a total stranger in his house. I think that the husband learned a lot from Robert, I think that he really came to respect Robert.
Correlate:
I can relate with this passage because I believe in order to live and learn that you need to try new things, some of the things that you experience might be bad and some might be good, but that is how you learn. I have said this many of times in my life, and one of the things that stick out the most is training and running two 26.2 mile marathon. It was one of the best experiences in my life.
To what extent does "Cathedral" end in an epiphany? How do you know?
I believe that Cathedral ends in epiphany because the husband welcomes and respects Robert and he is not judging him.
Questions:
1). Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
The found that the tragedy of the story would be that Robert is blind.
2). How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
I found that the story turned into a comedy in the end by how the husband accept Robert and respect him.
3). Identify the cause of joy or happiness- Comedy
The cause of joy or happiness of the story is how the husband sees Robert, and respects him. Also, I found happiness out of how Robert’s blindness doesn’t take away from who he truly is.
Difficulties
I didn't have any difficulties.
Title: Jealousy
Catherdral
Raymond Carver
Intro to author:
Raymond Carver was born in 1938 in Oregon. At the age of 18 he was married and forced to work to support his family yet he still managed to graduate from Chico State college in 1963. Carver has been called a minimalist for his flat diction, his spare plots and his faceless characters.
Basic Passage:
"Her officer-why should he have a name? he was the childhood sweetheart, what more does he want?"
"I heard my own name in the mouth of a stranger, this blind man I didn't even know."
These two paragraphs to me sound like he is a very jealous person. He is coming off as if he cares nothing about these people, and like he is jealous of the time they took up from his wife. He has no intrest in meeting this man, and though some may be due to a feeling of uncomfort it sounds like he is a jealous husband who doesn't like his wife being so freindly with another man.
Correlate:
I have an x-boyfreind who was jealous, he never wanted to meet my freinds, never wanted me around other guys he wanted me completly to himself, kinda creepy thats why he had to go! I can not handle somone trying to control me in any way.
To what extent does "Cathedral" end in an epiphany?
I think it tears down a barrier. He has this wall up for one reason it is a man friend of his wife, and he cares nothing about getting to know him, because he doesnt want him in her life, but also because he is a blind man, and he has no idea how to act, he expects him to be this totally helpless person and he is completly the opposite, he can do everything for hissef, and then he also stays up to have conversation with the husband after the wife feel asleep so it showed that he wasnt there just to be around his wife, but he was intrested in getting to him as well. And in the end Robert told the husband to close his eyes and when he did he got a sense of how robert had to see things and humbled him.
1) The cause of suffering-tradegy
Roberts blindness, roberts wife dieing, the wife tring to kill herself, and ending up divorced due to a lonely marriage, and the husband now being jealous and acting like a jerk, and being very stereotypical of the blind man...take your pick.
2)How could this be a comedy?
In many ways it was, I thought it was hilarious when the guy pulled out the dope, also when he aksed if he should take him bowling. I think there was a alot of comedy in this story.
3)the cause of joy
That in the end the husband accepted Robert more into his home and actually respected him more when he realized he was not this helpless person, but quite normal and a fun person to be around.
difficulties
I had none
Seeing Things In a New Way
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver was born in Oregon, grew up in Washington, married at 18, then moved to California. In California he studied at Chico State College and worked "some crap job or other" until he graduated in 1963. He often writes of every day people and their problems.
Basic Passage
"It's really something," I said.
I think it is at this point in the story the man sees that Robert is not as bad off as he thought he was. All he had to do was to look at it from a different point of view to see what Robert sees. I think this is where we know there is an epiphany. As he closes his eyes he can see what Robert sees and feel that its OK to be blind. He relizes that being blind doesn't make Robert a burden, but makes him a source of enlightenment.
Correlate
I often have to look at things from a different point of view because of my children. The way they see things is sometimes extremely different from the way I see things. A lot of the time their view is much better.
Difficulties
Who was drawing, the man or Robert?
--Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
The tragedy is the way the man feels about the blind man staying with him.
--How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
I think it was turned into a comedy.
--Identify the cause of joy or happiness--comedy.
The cause of joy was at the end when the man had an epiphany.
sheding new light
Catherdral
Raymond Carver
He wa sborn in Oregan and grew up in Washington was married at the age of 18 and moved to California. He attenmded Chico state and worked until he graduated in 1963.Hisn writing involes everyday people and their hardships.
Basic passage
She went in and swalloed all the pills and capsules in the medicane chest and washed them down with a bottle of gin. Then she got into a hot bath and passed out. But instead of dying , she got sick.
Here it seems he is angery at her for her feelingds. And that he want her to just die because it would be easier for him to deal with than the attempt its self.
Correlation
I had a friend that tried to kill him self by taking pills mixed with alcohol and it was a hard and difficult time I remiber being so mad at him .
And as far as Epiphany i feel he has trouble due to the fact that its a man that his wife is friends with. He is in fear of what may come from him letting his gaurd down.
Tragdey
the clear unhappiness of all the characters
Comedy
there was some in the sarcastic tones that he gave off.
Joy
a little when he realizes that just because the man is blind he is not a help less child but just another man working through his own hardship.
Diff
none
Blind leading the Blind
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
"Epiphany"
In the Cathedral's, Robert showed the man how to open his eyes to other things in life. It made the man realize that even though Robert was blind he has seen more than him.
Intro:
Raymond Carver was born in 1938. He was very poor with a small family, but the moved to Chico, California. He started a class in "Creative Writing 101" and this started his writing career. He wrote mant works such as, 'What We Talk about When We Talk about Love' and 'Where I'm Calling From', just to name a few.
Basic Passage:
The blind man said, "We're drawing a Cathedral. Me and him are working on it"
Correlation:
I can relate to this passage. I worked with mentally retarted children. In working with them, I could see may things through their eyes that I could not see through mine. Instead of teaching them things to do in life they taught me about life and how to live openly. They had me to close my eyes so I could open up my heart, just as Robert opened up the man's eyes by closing them.
Difficulties:
I had no problem reading this.
Identify the cause of human suffering: Tragedy
The tragedy is that most people are close minded and close hearted because people are different.
How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
Robert did not let his handicap stop him from life and showing other people how you can see with your heart and it is better that way.
Identify the Joy.
Robert does not have a problem with life even though he is blind.
Comment on Rachel:
I agree with her in that "People that have every sense can not relate to this unless they try." People that have all of their senses take a lot of things for granted. We all need to stop and smell the roses and open our eyes.
Title: Misunderstood
Intro to author:
Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon, and grew up in Washington, where his father worked in a sawmill. He had children at a very early age, and was forced to work. He somehow made it through college, and he continues to write and study at the University of Iowa and at Stanford
Basic Passage:
“Hearing this, I felt sorry for the blind man for a little bit. And then I found myself thinking what a pitiful life this woman must have led.
This passage describes the husband’s feelings towards Beulah, the deceased wife of Robert, a blind man. At first the husband feels bad because the blind man’s wife has just died, then he feels bad for Beulah because she was married to a handicapped person.
Correlation: Personally I cannot relate to this passage because I am not handicapped and I do not know anyone who is. But this passage shows the sad view many people have towards the handicapped, especially the blind. They think that just because they can’t see, they are completely incapable of living a normal life. That leads people to not only misunderstand the lives of handicapped people, but to discriminate against them, like the husband in the story.
Difficulties: I had no problem reading or understanding this short story.
To what extent does "Cathedral" end in an epiphany?
“Cathedral” ends in a pretty obvious epiphany. The husband’s views on Robert completely change from the beginning of the story to the end. This in turn changes his view on blind people as a whole. It’s pretty sad that this is what it took for the husband to stop discriminating against blind people, but at least he finally came to this realization.
Identify the cause of human suffering—Tragedy: The husbands misconstrued feelings towards Robert because he was a blind person.
How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy? I think the story naturally turned itself into a comedy.
Identify the cause of joy or happiness—Comedy: Over some time of having this blind man in his house, the husband realizes that blind people are not helpless, and he gets to know Robert.
An eye opening experience
Cathedral
Raymond Carver.
Raymond Carver was born in may,1938 in Clatskanie, Oregon. in 1963 he graduated from Chico state College, and began writing short stories and poems. his stories were mostly based around the blue collar working class. Carver died of lung cancer in 1988 at the age of 50.
Basic passage:
"They made tapes and mailed them back and forth. I wasn't enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to."
This passage from the beggining of carver's story describes his overall feeling towards the blind man prior to actually meeting him. up to this point in the story the narrator felt only jealousy towards his wife's relationship with the blindman. furthermore he was anticipating what he expected to be a very akward situation, and had all of these preconcieved ideas of what a blind man was like.
Correlate.
I can relate to this passage because i to am guilty of forming opinions of people before i have actually met them. for the most part i have learned that my expectations are far from the truth. i think that the narrator let his feelings of jealousy influence his expectations of the blind man in a very neggative way. although it is very hard to prevent your emotions from influencing your opinions of other people, i think it can be a very valuable trait.
what is the tragedy: the narrators "blindness" to his isolation.
how can this be turned into a comedy? the narrator must come to the realization of his isolation and his bad communicating skills.
What is the comedy? the narrators sudden understanting of the blind man during the drawing of the cathedral.
the epiphany: this story ends with the narrator having epiphany of his flaws thanks to he and the blindmans conversation. his begins to realize this when he notices he cant even describe a cathedral. he realizes he cant communicate well and it has put a wall in between he and his wifes marriage. he then has the epiphany while closing his eyes.
Problems:
i dont completely understand the very last sentance in the story.(My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything."It's really something," I said.) what does this mean?
Blind man rising
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon in 1938. He was from a working class home. Carver often drew the events and characters from his own working class background. Carver writing were influecne by Hemingway.Carver admits that he hold to the dark view of things.
(Basic Passage)
"Bub, it's all right, "the blind man said. "It's find with me. Whatever want to watch is okay. I'm always learning something. Learning never ends. It won't hurt me to learn something tonight. I got ears, " he said.
This passage shows that Robert sees the good in things. He has an uplifting spirit. He is also is the kind of person that won't be limited to his disabilities. Meanwhile, Carver is quite shock that his stereotypes of blind people is being completely shattered by Robert's strong will. In other words, he just won't sit there and complain about his disablility, he goes out and make the best of it. Robert basically loves to learn.
(Correlate)
I can relate to this passage, because I constantly like to learn to try different things. I will not let circumstances rule my life. Eventhough, I was never blind, I can still feel how Robert view the world in his mind. He feels that the world is like an adventure. Society often looks at blind people as pessimstic and dependent, because of their situation. But, in reality their probably the people who got it all together.
(Questions)
The cause of tragedy?
Robert's blindness and his wife has died.
How can tragedy be turned into Comedy?
Carver has a new view on the way he precieve blind people.
Identify the cause of joy and happiness?
Carver finally sees Robert as a person of good heart, rather than seeing an old blind man.
Difficulties
I wonder if the wife and Robert were secret lovers when she work for him during that summer.
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
Carver was born in 1938. He graduated from Chico State College where he was greatly influnced by one on his professors. John Gardner, a novelist, introduced Carver to the works of many diffrent writers. Carver often writes about men and women who are physical and spiritual cripples, alcoholics, men without jobs, and couples in failed marriages.
Basic Passage
"But I had my eyes closed. I thought I'd keep them that way for a little longer. I thought it was something I ougth to do."
Correlate
I feel that many people including myself can relate to this passage. Everyone has looked at something or someone from another perspective in order to understand it or them better. The writer is trying to experience the way Robert has to live his everyday life. The writer feels that this is something he "ought to do" because of the way he viewed and treated him before. He judged Robert because of his blindness and in the end felt bad for making incorrect assumptions about him.
"Cathedral" does end in an epiphany because everything becomes clearer to the writer in the end. His understandings of the blind were changed when he experienced the way Robert viewed everything.
1. The tragedy was Robert's blindness.
2. I feel that the tragedy was turned into a comedy in the end.
3. The joy comes from the writers ability to see Roberts point of view.
I didn't have any difficulties with this reading.
I am commenting on rachel's response:
I agree with rachel's statement that "People that have every sense can not relate to this unless they try." I know that in my response,I said that I couldn't personally relate to the story. But, just because I don't have a disability doesn't mean that I don't know or have known people who have a disability. I have a lot of respect for people who have disabilities because they don't complain or let the disability hinder them. I know that sometimes I take things for granted, but I remember that old saying "You never miss something until it's gone"; and I try to always keep that in mind and be thankful for what I have.
Making The Most of Life
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver enrolled at Chico State and signed up for "Creative writing 101" course taught by John Gardner, who was soon to become famous as a novelist. Gardener encouraged Carver, introduced him to the works of major writers such as Flaubert, James Joyce, and Isak Dinesen. Carver has been called a "minimalist" for his flat diction, his spare plots, his faceless characters. He often writes of men and women who are culturally impoverished small tow people who are physically and spiritually cripples, alcoholics, insomniacs, men without jobs, or couples in failed marriages.
Basic Passage
" But I had my eyes closed. I thought I'd keep them that way for a little longer. I thought it was something I ought to do."
This passage shows the fact that Carver is really connecting with Robert. It is at this point that he realizes, that you dont have to be blind to want to close your eyes and imagine things around you. He realizes that when you dont have to see all the bad things in this world that your actually at peace. It is almost like he totally undestands Robert by this passage. He doesnt state that he wants to keep his eyes closed because he feels bad for Robert, its almost like he likes it that way, that way he can actually escape reality for one single moment.
Correlate:
I can totally relate to Carver right here because there is so many times when I am stressed out or going through something hard I just want to get away and sometimes you cant do it physically, but mentally you can. It is so relaxing sometimes to really try to understand and connect with people who are different than you and you lern way more than you ever imagined. Sometimes you would rather not know things by closing your eyes, than opening them and facing the tragedy of reality.
1. Identify the Tragedy.
Robert's blindness is the main Tragedy, as well as Carvers judgement and close- mindedness of Robert's blindness.
2.How could this tragedy be turned into a comedy?
It pretty much is a comedy and a happy theme in the end.
3.Identify the cause of joy or happiness.
There was a lot of happiness in the fact that Robert saw his blidness as a blessing and lived life to the fullest anyways, as well as the ending proved that Carver had a newfound respect for Ribert, as well as happy lessons about his own life.
Difficulties:
None
In response to Lauren:
I totally agree with you when you said Carver is seeing Robert from a different perspective and really trying to learn from him. We all are so quick to judge people who are different than us, but we all are different and for a reason. Carver really does show his guilt and apologies about making false accusations about Robert before he knew him at all.
In response to Lauren:
I totally agree with you when you said Carver is seeing Robert from a different perspective and really trying to learn from him. We all are so quick to judge people who are different than us, but we all are different and for a reason. Carver really does show his guilt and apologies about making false accusations about Robert before he knew him at all.
Raymond Carver
Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon, but he grew up in Washington. He married at the age of eighteen and made a family which led him into the work force. Carver and his family were broke, but he always wanted to be a writer. So he did not let his hard times discourage him. Carver went to college and made himself a successful career.
“The outside should NOT matter”
Basic Passage:
”Now this blind man was coming to sleep in my house”
“I didn’t answer. She’d told me a little about the blind man’s wife. Her name was Beulah. Beulah? That’s a name for a colored woman. Was his wife a Negro?”
Correlation:
I can relate to this passage. The world today is very judgmental of the outside or the appearance of a person. It could even be a book, movie, or even medicine. The husband looked down on Robert because he was blind. He made personal judgments about Robert, and basically made fun of his wife for caring so much about him just because he was blind. He did not want to listen to anything his wife had to say. Bub (as Robert referred to him as) just did not want a blind man in his house. I think we should try to better ourselves from the rest of the world, and want to be different. I know sometimes it’s definitely hard to not make comments about the outside appearance of something, but I think we should at least make an effort to look deep inside before giving an opinion. Once he meet Robert and learned more about him, the husband realizes his accusations were wrong.
“Is it an Epiphany?”
I definitely think it is one. I think the story gives a good meaning that the world should certainly take into consideration. The husband learns to have respect for Robert and looks pass the point of him being blind.
Identify the cause of human suffering__
The tragedy was in the beginning when the husband only saw the disability that Robert had and did not want to give him a chance.
How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
I think it ended in a comedy because Robert became open to Robert being blind
Identify the cause of joy or happiness__ comedy
Bub gets pass his judgmental state and gave Robert a chance.
Difficulties:
I did not have any!!!
Title: Through Someone Else's Eyes
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon in 1938. He went to college at Chico State College. Carver's writings were influenced by his own background and also by Earnest Hemingway.
Basic Passage:
"But I had my eyes closed. I thought I'd keep them that way for a little longer....My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything. It's really something, I said."
This passage identifies the narrator's epiphany. As you're reading the story, the narrator seems to become more and more receptive to the blind man that he, at first, could not even tolerate the thought of. He makes sarcastic remarks that clearly shows he cannot relate to his wife's friend. But in this passage, at the end of the story, he can finally relate...and he can see things in a different way.
Correlate:
I had the fortunate experience of visiting many Cathedrals in Spain when I toured the country. Each cathedral was amazing. There is truly a sense of awe when you experience the vastness of these unfathomablly man-made structures. Their beauty and greatness really can't be explained by words. The husband in "Cathedral" tries to describe it to the blind man but realizes it's just too hard to do. Similarly, how do you explain being blind? Then when the man begins to draw the cathedral, both men experience something grand and great in itself. There is an exchanging of worlds as they are drawing together. The narrator is able to show Robert what a cathedral is, and Robert is able to show him what it's like to be blind. Neither could have known that until they drew together, because it just couldn't be described in words.
Difficulties:
No difficulties
Identify cause of human suffering-Tragedy:
The husband could not relate to the blind man.
How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
It does turn into a comedy because the husband is able to understand at the end of the story, when they draw together.
Identify cause of joy or happiness:
The cause of joy is the narrator's realization of how things can be through someone else's eyes.
Comment for Celia Loy:
I agree with your interpretation from the passage you chose. I chose the same one and I also thought that the narrator really developed spiritually during the story. He started out almost like a blind man himself, unable to see through someone else's eyes. But then by spending time with Robert, he is able to see.
This is a comment to the mandrake:
I agree that his jealousy made him not intrested in getting to know Robert. He let his feelings of jealousy and his anxiety about his handicap get in the way at first until he realized that this man was simply a friend to his wife and he was not helpless.
Cathedral ends in an epiphany because he soon realizes that he is free from this prejudice he has for blind people.
"FREE YOURSELF"
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
Carver was born in 1938, he attended Chico State University. There he was influenced by John Gardner. Carver's first published works were volumes of poems and he published poetry and essays all of his life.
BASIC PASSAGE
"My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything."
I feel that this passage is where the husband came out of his stereotypical box and basically freed himself. He did not feel constrained by prejudices any longer.
CORRELATION
It's a great feeling to be unbound from racism, sexism, prejudices, or any type of stereotypical diseases. I have never been the type of person to be stereotypical, but I have been stereotyped. It's not a great feeling. I wish everyone could be free from this box and grow and become something beautiful.
The tragedy is the closed mind that the husband has.
The tragedy can be turned into a comedy if the husband would have talked to Robert more and used this a greater learning experience.
The joy in this story is the man's wife wanting to see Robert and her excitment to see him. And the husband's sweet epiphany at the end.
I had no difficulties with this reading.
Title:
"Two blind mice"
Cathedral
By:
Raymond Carver
Background:
Raymond Carver was born in Oregon in 1938. He studied at Chico State College, Iowa State, and Stanford. He had children at a young age and later became an alcoholic.
Basic Passage: “Hearing this, I felt sorry for the blind man for a little bit. And then I found myself thinking what a pitiful life this woman must have led.
Correlation: I can relate to the story in a way because I have to stop and put my self in other people’s shoes from time to time to see how they view things. Some times I ask myself "why don't they get it" but I stop thinking of me and think like they would. I sometimes view thing one dimensionally instead of looking at it from a different perspective.
I named my blog two blind mice because Carver was emotionally blind and Robert was physically blind.
Difficulties: I had a problem understanding the structure of the story until the class discussion.
1) The cause of human suffering—(Tragedy)
-The tragedy in the story is the mans blindness
2) How can the tragedy be turned into a (comedy?)
-This can be turned into a comedy if the narrator goes blind physically
3) The cause of joy or happiness (comedy)
-the cause of joy or happiness is when Carver finally understands Robert
4) Does "Cathedral" end in an epiphany?
- Carver finally realizes and understands the mans blindness and actually accepts the fact that he sees in a different way. In the end, Carter views the world through his perspective.
Connection
Raymond Carver
Cathedral
Raymond Carver married at 18, and worked many odd jobs to support himself and his family while he finished college. He had always known he wanted to write. Carver was heavily influenced by Hemmingway. Carver’s style is minimal. He writes for the layman. His stories are filled with the images of a resigned life. The characters, typically a man and woman, are “culturally impoverished.” A writing style is not the only influence Carver accepted from Hemmingway. Carver indulged in a similar drinking style.
Basic Passage:
“He asked her to send him a tape and tell him about her life. She did this. She sent the tape.”
Correlation:
Our class discussion revolved around an emotional affair. The wife unburdened herself to Robert long before she married her current husband. If anything, she would be betraying Robert if she halted the connection. She was connected to Robert when she shared her face with him. But this is not why I choose this passage. I connected with this passage independently of the story. I really don’t fully know why these lines jumped out at me. He understood, maybe even a lonely. She was alone. I see two people in need who reached out for each other. Is that not what we all do?
Difficulties:
Why did Robert keep touching his beard?
Tragedy: The husband judged another person based on stereotypes.
Cause of joy: He is taught to see.
Comedy: The husband came out looking like the handicapped person.
Epiphany:
The husband is supposed to teach Robert what a cathedral looks like. Yet Robert is the one giving the instruction. Robert is telling the husband to draw people. Robert is pointing out what a good job the husband is doing. Robert is supposed to be the one learning. Yet, “but I didn’t feel like I was inside anything.” The husband reached the point of spiritual transcendence.
In response to Roberto:
The drawing was the key point in the story and what made them see both sides. It is hard to explain something as great as a cathedral when the person has never seen anything. Robert was having trouble explaining himself. The drawing is what really brought them together.
Response to ednuke:
I agree with you that Robert does see the good in things. I also thought that he had an upbeat or uplifting spirit. I also like the point that you made about how Robert didn’t let his handicap get in his way to do the things that he wanted to do. I also found that he makes the best of things.
response to ednuke.
I love to learn. You are right, learning from bad and good experiences should never by, "handicaps," or the misery of others.
Open
Carver
Cathedral
Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon in 1938. He lived with his father, who was an alcoholic, mother, and younger brother. After moving to California with his family, Carver took a creative course at Chico State College that was taught by John Gardner. Gardner then became a significant influence on Carver’s writings.
Basic Passage:
“My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything.”
Correlate:
This university is very diverse and when I came here as a freshman I realized that I had to keep an open mind and be accepting of other people regardless of how different they may be from me. It’s easy to pass judgment on somebody before you know them but when you step out of your comfort zone and spend time with someone different from yourself you gain new perspectives on life.
Difficulties: I had no problems
Questions:
Identify the cause of human suffering?
The narrator passing judgment on Raymond and being closed minded.
How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
If the narrator become more accepting.
Identify the cause of joy or happiness?
The narrator opens up and become more accepting.
To what extent does "Cathedral" end in an epiphany? How do you know?
Cathedral ends in an epiphany because the narrator steps out of his comfort zone and understand what its like to stop looking with your eyes and look with your heart. I know this because he talks about being in his house but feeling like he wasn’t inside anything. He says “it’s really something”. Therefore he had to go through some type of change.
Response to jag2419
I agree when he/orshe correlation that the world is very judgemental. We all in fault one time or another make fun of people based on their appearance. We hardly look whats is on the inside. This is coming from someone that use to weigh 40 pounds heavier and lets say people can be mean. We need to watch it because those people who we make fun of are the ones who will probably be on top in the end, and they would be the ones to say look at me now. I agree that we need make an effort and look deeper because you can't judge a books by its cover.
Comment for Nichen
I completly agree with the fact that he is one of those over bearing, controling husban types. You know the kind you woman, me man uhg ....this type of man still lives in the stone age era.
In response to radar
I agree with you that the wife has an emotional connection with Robert. She also probably feel alone emotionally with her husband. Also I agree with the notion that the wife would be betraying Robert if she halted the connection. You made some valid points in your correlation.
Emotional Affair
Cathedral
Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver was born in Oregon in 1938 in the town of Clatskanie. He went to the College of Chicago State. He was so into writing that after his graduation he continued to study writing at Iowa and Stanford.
Basic Passage
"It's really something," I said.
I think this passage signifies that he finally can see something that he couldn't see before. Even though his eyes are closed mentally his vision is percise and exact. He can know open his eyes to what the blind man can see and he is just overwelmed by what he sees. He just can't belive everything that he is seeing with out seeing at all. I think this is his defining moment of clarity in wich everything finally comes into focus.
Correlate
I used to work for the department of mental health and I learned a lot from the guys that I used to work with. Just because someone is disabled does not mean that they can't teach you something that you have never learned before.
Tragedy:
The tragedy in this story is the mans blindness.
How could this be a comedy:
I think that the turn of events at the end turned the story into a comedy.
Identify the cause of joy:
The cause would be that both men in the story got to understand the others point of view and one learned to see even though he wasn't blind.
Epiphany: It was the moment of clarity at the end that even though you are not blind you can still be blind. It is just to what and to what extent and the end of the story we saw one mans blindness be cured even though he wasn't physically blind he was mentally blind.
This a comment on soupbone4
I didn't look at it in that point of view at first, but I understand what you are saying about a first time for everything. Also, if you don't try new things then you don't know what you are missing.
comment on Randy
I agree with what you say when he has to look at a different point of view. Although the husband is using his physical eyes to look at the world, in the end he learned from Robert and looked through his emotional eyes. And this was a great eye opening/ learning experience for him.
In response to Jag2419
"I know sometimes it’s definitely hard to not make comments about the outside appearance of something, but I think we should at least make an effort to look deep inside before giving an opinion."
I agree with this. Everyone judges from outside appearance first, that's just human nature. I can relate to this a lot. In high school I was often judged before people got to know what I was like on the inside. But my most relevent experience happened about a year ago. I met this great good-looking guy who was used to being judged based on his appearance when I met him. Of course I met him when he was 40 lbs lighter but he still didn't see himself any different. I didnt find out until later what he used to look like. It was then I realized it was how he had been treated in the past that had humbled him and made him the kind, sincere person he is today. The inside is what counts. I think society is blinded to that these days.
The narrater cannot look past Robert's "blindness" at first but when he looks deeper into what Robert is really like... he sees the great guy he really is. When someone is less concentrated on the 'physical' but instead the emotional... I've found that the person is generally more sincere.
Looking through Dark Colored Glasses and Not the Rose Colored One’s from a Cathedral
Bio
Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon in 1938. Carver enrolled at Chico State College and graduated in 1963. He took John Gardner’s writing class and fell in love with the art of writing. Due to his background Carver’s writings have been called pessimistic and simple since it deals with everyday people and their hardships.
Basic Passage
"Bub, it's all right, "the blind man said. "It's find with me. Whatever want to watch is okay. I'm always learning something. Learning never ends. It won't hurt me to learn something tonight. I got ears, " he said.
This passage shows that Robert even though he is blind, the other four senses that he is able to use are heightened and by using just that learning new things for him is still exciting and fun. This also shows his bright spirit unlike the husband. Even thought Robert is blind he is “looking” at life thorough rose colored glasses while the narrator is looking at Robert through dark glasses.
Correlate
I can relate to this message because of my grandmother. Her glasses just happen to be literally tinted a rose color but when it comes to certain issues such as race or other things that she might not get the grasp of understanding she seems to have a pessimistic view on the subject. She also often tells me that I give people too much benefit of a doubt when it applies to certain matters. Sometimes I feel that she is blind on certain things however I am the same way on some things and we all to a certain extent are like the husband ignorant.
The cause of tragedy?
Robert's blindness and his wife has died.
The husband’s attitudes towards blind people.
How can tragedy be turned into Comedy?
If the husband would put himself in the blind man shoes for once maybe he would have a more positive outlook on life.
Identify the cause of joy and happiness?
What I stated just above did occur at the end of the story.
Difficulities
None however I wondered did the wife start having feelings for Robert on more than a friendship level.
in response to jag2549
i agree with you on how the story paralells todays society. the way things revolve so much around physical appearance. i thing it also reflects an overall decrease in spirituality.
response to the mandrake
I completely agree with your point of view. Everyone forms opinions on people way before they should. Its not the right thing to do and nobody wants to talk about it but everyone does it.
This is a comment to Moses:
I agree with your correlation. Most people in the world today only see one side of things. I think we should all stop to think what others would do or how we would feel in their shoes. I can relate to Moses comment and I feel like we as people can be very judgmental of others if we do not stop to think about the situation first.
Comment on Celia Loy
I can relate to what Celia Loy stated about the passage.This passage does show that Carver has a new found respect for Robert. He even shows it at the end when he says he kept his eyes closed a little longer to cherish the moment.
In response to Randy
I also think that the man realizes that Robert isn't as bad as he seems. I don't think his comment, "It's really something" is sarcastic or anything; there was an epiphany there, the realization that the narrator was being judgemental and he could be a better person because of Robert.
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