LaTesta1

HaylieLaTesta
EnglishIHonors
Abbot
11/3/15

BelievewithanOpenMind

InthestoryCathedralbyRaymondCarver,thenarrator,withthehelpofablind
man,realizesthatevenifhecannotseesomething,itcanstillexist.Untilhemeets,
Robert,theblindman,thenarratorisclosedminded.Headmitsthatheonlyknows
whathehasexperienced,whichhedoesntseemtocareabout.Asthestory
progresses,Roberthelpstoshowthenarratorthatthereareotherwaysoflivingthan
hisowndullwayoflife,and,throughdoingso,releasesthenarratorfromthe
boundariesofhisignorance.Inthisway,Carvershowsthat,withanopenmind,forone
believethoughcannotonecanbefreeing.
Whenthestorybegins,thenarratordismissesRobertasincapableand
incompetent.Thenarratorhasnevermetablindperson,sohisideaofblindnesscame
fromthemovies(Carver94),wheretheyareshownasslowandserious,making
Robertspresenceinhishouseunwanted.Hisinflexibilitytowardsthesubjectleaves
himsoundingignorantlyrude.HehaughtilycallsRobertsmarriagetothelateBeulah,
alongwiththeconsiderablyromanticgestureofsharingacoininthislifeandthenext,
pathetic(Carver96).Thenarratorcommentsthathedoesnothaveanyblindfriends,
andhiswifetellshimthathe[doesnot]have

anyfriends(Carver95).Sheisawareof
thefactthatheisimbecilicduetohisdisdainfornewthings.Hisinsensitivitytoward

LaTesta2

Robertbeforetheyhaveevenmetshowshiswillingnesstojudgebasedon
preconceptions.
Theideaofsomeonelivingalifeinacompletelydifferentwaythanhisis
outrageoustothenarrator.HecanbarelybelievehiseyeswhenheseesRobertwalk
outofthecarwithhisluggage,wearingabigbeard.Hisissurprisedbythisbeard
becausehehadneverseenoneonablindmaninthemovies.Heistrappedinsidethis
boxofsimplejudgementsandthoughtsbasedoffofthingshehasseenonTVandhis
fewreallifeexperiences.AshelearnsmoreaboutRobert,itgetsincreasinglyharderfor
thenarratortounderstandhowRobertliveshislifethewayhedoes,duetotheir
apparentdifferences.Hesearchesforawaytorelatetohimtohelphimunderstand.
Inhissearchforsimilaritiesandsmalltalk,hebringsupthecouplespassionfor
alcoholicbeverages.Tothesurpriseofthenarrator,RobertlovestodrinkScotchwitha
splashofwater.Astheysharethedrinks,thenarratorbeginstorespectRobertasa
person.Untilthispoint,thenarratorhimselfnevercallstheblindmanRobert,andas
theyshareacommoninterest,hecanseethatRobertisnotjustaslow,seriousblind
person.Becauseofhisrealization,hebeginstotakeinterestinthethingsRobertdoes.
HeisimpressedbyhoweasilyRobertisabletoeathisdinner,whilealsokeepingthe
samepaceasthenarratorandhiswife,astheywereintoseriouseating(Carver98).
Aftertheyate,Robertexplainedhislovefortelevision.Hesayshecansomehowtellifa
TViscolororblackandwhite.Thenarratoracknowledgeshisstatement,whichshows
agrowinginterestinRobert.Robertaskstosmokedopewithhimbecausehesnever
doneitbefore,andtheresafirsttimeforeverything(Carver99).Robertkeepsanopen

LaTesta3

mindtowardsnewthings,whilethenarrator,althoughhehasdeveloped,hasalotto
learn.
Asthenarratorcontinuestoopenhismind,Robertcontinuestotakeaninterest
inhim.Inanattempttobepolite,thenarratorasksRobertifheisreadytohitthe
hay(Carver100),towhichRobertreplies,Illstayupuntilyourereadytoturnin.We
haventhadachancetotalk(Carver100).Robertseemstounderstandthatthenarrator
isquiterigidinbelief,andhewantstoteachhimhowtofreehimselffromhisrestraints.
Whenthenarratorgoestochangethechannelonthetelevisiontosomethingmore
excitingthantheMiddleAgesprogramthattheyhadbeenwatching,Robertaskshimto
leaveiton.Robertexplainsthatheisalwayslearningsomething.[...]Itwonthurt[him]
tolearnsomethingtonight(Carver100).Hemakesitobviousthathevaluesgaining
knowledgeandenjoysintelligence,andhewouldliketohelpthenarratordothesame.
Roberttalksaboutthethingshehaslearned,althoughhehasnotseenthem,
whichbringsthenarratortoarealizationthatwillteachhimaboutkeepinganopen
mind.Astheprogramteachesabouttheancientcathedrals,thenarratorbeginsto
wonderhowmuchablindmancanunderstand.Heaskshim,ifsomebodysays
cathedraltoyou,doyouhaveanynotionwhattheyretalkingabout?(Carver101).
Robertexplains,Iknowtheytookhundredsofworkersfiftyorahundredyearsto
build(Carver101).Hecontinues,themenwhobegantheirlifesworkonthem,they
neverlivedtoseethecompletionoftheirwork.Inthatwise,bub,theyrenodifferent
fromtherestofus,right?(Carver101).Heputsemphasisonhispoint,forhetruly
believesthat.Ashedoeswiththenarrator,hewantstoteachtheworldtobe

LaTesta4

broadmindedpeoplewhocanbeassuredthat,thoughtheycannotphysicallysee
something,itisstillthere,muchlikeRobert,himself,hasdoneallhislife.Heknowsthat
hemaynotlivetoseethishappen,and,inthatway,herelatestothebuildersofthe
cathedrals.Asidefromthis,hedoesnotknowmuchmore,headmits.
AfterthenarratorfailstoexplaintoRobertwhatacathedralis,Robertaskshim
ifheisreligious.Thenarratorexplainsthathe[doesnt]believeinit.Inanything.
Sometimesitshard(Carver102).Thenarratoronlybelievesinthatwhichhecansee
therefore,hefindsithardtobelieveinagod.Becauseofthis,cathedralsdontmean
anythingspecialto[him].Nothing(Carver102),whichmakesthemhardforhimto
explain.Forthisreason,Robertasksforpaperandapen.Thenarratorholdsthepen
and,atRobertscommand,beginstodrawacathedral,whileRobertrestshishandon
toptofeelthemotion.Roberttellsthenarratortoclosehiseyes,andheobliges,and
Robertcontinuestoprompthim.Asheisnowusedtothemotion,thenarratorcontinues
todraw.Whentheyfinish,Robertasksthenarratorwhat[doeshe]think?(Carver103).
Althoughthenarratorwastoldtoopenhiseyes,hekeepsthemclosedbecauseitwas
something[he]oughttodo(Carver103).Hecannotphysicallyseewhatitlookslike,but
heknowsthatitisstillthere.Heexplainsthathedidn'tfeellike[he]wasinside
anything(Carver103).Hehasbeenletoutoftheconfinementofhisignorance.He
answersRobert'squestionwithit'sreallysomething(Carver103).Now,withanopen
mind,heisabletoexperienceanewsensation,whichgiveshimareasontofeel
somethingaboutcathedrals.

LaTesta5

Thenarratorhascomefarfromtheignorant,closedmindedmanhewasatthe
beginning.Hemaystillhavefartogo,butRobert'seffortstochangethenarrator'sways
canbeconsideredasuccess.Hewasabletobereleasedfromtherestraintscausedby
hisignoranceandbecomeamorebroadmindedgentleman.Notonlythat,buthehas
becomefriendswithamanthat,duetounjustifiedjudgements,wasalmostcastaside.
Carveremphasizesthisthemeoflearningtoacceptotherwaysoflifeandtobelievein
whatyoucannotsee.

seeeeeeeeeeee.