Raymond Carver's collection of short stories, "Cathedral," delves into the ordinary lives of couples and former couples, portraying moments where their paths converge or diverge unexpectedly. Through subtle yet profound narratives, Carver explores the intricacies of human relationships, highlighting the significance of seemingly mundane moments and the revelations they can yield. With keen insight, he captures the essence of shared experiences and the subtle shifts that shape individual lives, inviting readers to reflect on their own journeys and the moments that define them.
Introduction
The work 'Cathedral' sketches the lives of ordinary citizens through concise prose and everyday dialogues, portraying moments of the extraordinary within the mundane. Written by Raymond Carver, a leading figure in the American short story renaissance and a master of realism, this collection delves into the flaws and wounds underlying seemingly tranquil daily scenes with an uncompromising and indifferent attitude. Carver portrays these lives not with sympathy or compassion, but with honesty and indifference, delving into their realities with exceedingly simple and precise language.
Raymond Carver, born in Oregon, USA in 1948, is renowned as a minimalist short story writer. He married early at the age of 19 and worked diligently to support his family, leaving virtually no room for experimentation. Beginning his significant literary career in 1979, he produced numerous collections of short stories, earning comparisons to Anton Chekhov as a master of the short story form and elevating the standards of American short fiction. 'Cathedral,' considered one of Carver's masterpieces, received critical acclaim, winning the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award in 1983 and being nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.
Though not lengthy, 'Cathedral' leaves a lasting impression, provoking contemplation long after the book is closed.
Characters
In this story, the protagonist is a man referred to as 'I'. He lives with his wife, and one day, an old friend of his wife, Robert, pays them a visit. Robert, presumed to be visually impaired, recently separated from his wife, Beulah.
Plot
The protagonist, referred to as 'I', learns that his wife's old friend, Robert, who recently separated from his wife, will soon visit them after visiting relatives. Robert, who is presumed to be visually impaired, had built a friendly relationship with the protagonist's wife in the past when she used to read reports or case studies to him in Seattle.
His wife and Robert had maintained continuous contact by exchanging voice-recorded tapes like letters. Before marrying the protagonist, the wife had been married to an Air Force officer, who, due to the nature of his job, frequently moved them around. Feeling lonely and unable to cope, she attempted suicide during her unhappy marriage, which ended in divorce before she met her current husband, the protagonist.
Although aware of the intimate relationship between his wife and Robert, the protagonist is not particularly pleased about Robert's upcoming visit to their home.
Robert, who married a woman named Beulah, whom he assisted with his work, but she passed away shortly after, now lives alone. After a long journey, Robert arrives at the protagonist and his wife's home.
Observing that Robert does not wear black glasses or use a cane like typical visually impaired individuals, the protagonist finds it peculiar. The protagonist and his wife warmly welcome Robert, offering him alcohol and cigarettes.
As Robert and the wife joyfully reminisce about the past, the protagonist, feeling out of place, awkwardly turns on the TV. When the wife goes upstairs to change clothes, leaving the protagonist and Robert alone, the atmosphere becomes awkward. The protagonist even offers marijuana to Robert.
When the wife returns downstairs, the protagonist falls asleep on the sofa while Robert and the wife continue talking. A program about cathedrals in various European countries is airing on TV, prompting the protagonist to attempt to describe cathedrals to Robert. However, realizing the limitations of verbal description, the protagonist gives up, but Robert suggests drawing on paper.
The protagonist places Robert's hand over his own as he draws, attempting to convey the shape tactually. After finishing the drawing, Robert explores it with his hand, praising the protagonist for his well-drawn cathedral. He then suggests drawing people near the cathedral, asking the protagonist to close his eyes and draw while he guides his hand.
Following Robert's instructions, the protagonist closes his eyes and draws the scene, with Robert guiding his hand. After completing the drawing, Robert tells the protagonist to open his eyes and see the picture, but the protagonist, for some reason, feels he must keep his eyes closed. When asked about the picture, the protagonist simply responds with admiration, and the conversation concludes.
Review
The relationships between the characters are intriguing in this story. The protagonist, 'I', harbors an inexplicable discomfort about his wife's old friend, Robert, visiting their home, partly due to the burden of encountering a blind person for the first time. He had preconceptions about visually impaired individuals, drawn from what he had seen in movies.
However, upon meeting Robert, who does not fit the stereotypical image with a cane or black glasses, the protagonist is surprised. Perhaps starting with the shattered preconceptions from Robert's appearance, the protagonist finds himself engaged in a riveting conversation with him as they watch TV together.
When a program about cathedrals airs on TV, the protagonist attempts to describe cathedrals to Robert, who has never seen one in his lifetime. Failing to convey the image verbally, the protagonist feels sorry, but Robert suggests drawing instead.
In a particularly striking moment, instead of the typical scenario where a sighted person assists a visually impaired individual, the protagonist and Robert demonstrate a reversed dynamic. Robert encourages the protagonist while guiding his hand as he draws the cathedral, almost as if he's the one helping the protagonist.
"Good for you," he said. "Doing fine, just fine," he said.
Through such lines, it seems that Robert is not merely receiving help from the protagonist but rather providing support, even offering encouragement.
"You probably never thought about it, but you got a talent, yes you do, sure you do,"
he said. This reversal of roles, different from conventional perceptions, prompts reflection on what Raymond Carver, the author, intended to convey. One might consider that he wanted to illustrate how everyone needs assistance and can offer support regardless of their circumstances. Moreover, it highlights how everyone seeks encouragement in their lives and can provide it to others. Reflecting on this, one realizes that people around us are constantly in need of both help and encouragement, regardless of external conditions.
The title of the work is "Cathedral," chosen perhaps not for its deep significance to the protagonist but rather as a convenient topic when Robert, the protagonist's wife's old friend, visits their home after she falls asleep. While the protagonist doesn't attach much meaning to it, opting for the cathedral almost serendipitously, its significance lies in depicting the relationship between an ordinary person and a visually impaired individual.
The cathedral possesses a crucial characteristic of externalizing the intangible essence of religion and faith. Robert, likely congenitally blind, has never seen a cathedral, so he cannot perceive its external features. However, he may grasp the intangible essence of the cathedral, namely religion and faith. Hence, Robert finds it peculiar that there are no people in the cathedral, discerning the essential human faith rather than the outwardly ostentatious building. This might be why he suggests the protagonist to draw people.
This scene becomes clearer towards the end when the protagonist closes his eyes to draw people, implying a deeper understanding of the author's intention.
"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."
The protagonist, while drawing with his eyes closed, reflects on experiencing the world from Robert's perspective, considering the essence rather than the superficial appearance. He wonders if there's a need to open his eyes to see the person he drew because what matters is the essence within his mind, not the appearance. This sentiment is reinforced by the protagonist's contemplative thoughts:
"I still had my eyes closed. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything."
Additionally, the character of Beulah, though not physically present in the story, holds significant meaning. Despite her absence, her death plays a considerable role in the narrative. The story revolves around two couples, with the protagonist and his wife being one, but Robert's wife is deceased. While not directly present, Beulah's death seems to serve a significant purpose in the story.
Significance of Beulah's Death
Beulah's death serves as the direct catalyst for Robert's visit to the protagonist's home. While visiting Beulah's deceased wife's relatives, he ends up at the protagonist's house. The protagonist harbors a sense of wariness towards Robert, whom he has never met before, perhaps influenced by Beulah's death. It's unlikely for a man who recently lost his wife to seek out another man's wife just because they were friends. Moreover, both the protagonist's wife and Beulah had helped Robert, and the fact that Robert and Beulah fell in love and married during this process might have troubled the protagonist. There's a possibility that the person who married Robert could have been the protagonist's wife instead.
However, the Robert the protagonist meets is surprisingly affable, making it hard to believe he recently parted ways with his wife. Eventually, they establish a connection. Spending time with Robert, even briefly, allows the protagonist to see Robert not as a husband of someone he knew or as Beulah's widower but as an individual. At this point, it's possible that Robert also sees himself freed from Beulah's memory and recognized as his own person.
Both having achieved independence from their respective spouses, they recognize each other, and as a result, the protagonist sets aside his prejudices and sees Robert as a person. This setting is significant because we often tend to view a person not as an individual but rather in association with others they are related to. Hence, the author's portrayal becomes even more meaningful.
The tension during the scene where they draw is still vivid in my mind. Subsequently, unexpected emotions slowly seep in. Robert's words come to mind:
You never think it, do you? What life is like. It's odd. You just keep on. Keep on going.
Concluding Thoughts
Many of the short stories I've read in the past often left me with a sense of dissatisfaction upon finishing. However, reading Raymond Carver's collection of short stories, I came to understand the essence of the genre. This book includes twelve short stories, including the masterpiece "Cathedral," portraying somewhat special moments in the lives of ordinary people, mostly couples or former couples.
The author depicts moments where the lives of individuals, who were gradually getting closer, intersect; moments when what had been in harmony begins to diverge; and moments when the subtle gaps that once went unnoticed suddenly widen beyond repair. Witnessing these moments, bystanders are prompted to reflect on similar instances in their own lives, wondering when such moments occurred.