The Cathedral

The Cathedral

In the short story “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, the main character, Bub is blinded by his biased view of people and cultures that he does not understand, and the insecurity of his marriage. Ironically, Bub’s encounters with an actual blind man are what allow him to begin to shed his cold ignorance and blindness to society.
When Bub’s wife brings an old blind friend of hers to visit them, Carver begins to prove that Bub’s insecurity is what fuels his flame of ignorance. Robert’s visit provokes thrill and happiness in Bub’s wife, which is something Bub is not used to seeing. Bub expresses shock at his wife’s exhilaration upon Robert’s arrival, “I saw my wife laughing as she parked the car. I saw her get out of the car and shut the door. She was still wearing a smile. Just amazing.” (508). Bub is not able to keep his wife happy. His jealousy of her previous husband and the close relationship that she has with Robert make ...