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Adegunwa Olushola

ENGWR 301

Essay #2- In-Class Fiction Analysis

The Use of Symbol in the story “Cathedral.”

The short story Cathedral written by Raymond Carver is a story in which literary symbols

that take on additional meaning is used. This story offers a variety of ways in which it can be

interpreted. The uses of symbols in this story expand the possible meanings of the story which

hereby heightens the interest and involvement of us the readers. Also, the symbol used in this

story helps to encourage readers to probe the story for values and ideas, to consider and weigh

the suitability of a variety of interpretations. This also allows for an analysis of the story. The

purpose of this analysis is to use my understanding of symbols to describe and interpret the

meaning and relevance of the various literary symbols used in this story.

The title of this story “Cathedral,” suggests that the story is about a Cathedral, a place

where Christians worship. The Cathedral in this story is what brings together two people who are

very different. However, the story is about two men who are blind; one physically and the other

psychologically. This story gives the Cathedral a more definite meaning, even though the

Cathedral is a place where people are valued and accepted as equals. The narrator of the story is

referred to as being blind, not physically but psychologically because he cannot see past his own

ignorance. This also results to an inability to describe the Cathedral to the blind man, “But I can’t

tell you what a Cathedral looks like.” He is very unaware of the things that go on in his own

surrounding. He is also afraid of things that he is not familiar with. The story makes it obvious

that the narrator is also a very judgmental person, “This blind man, an old friend of my wife’s, he

was on his way to spend the night. His wife has died.”(289). He made sure to put emphasis on
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the fact that the man is blind. He did not feel that it was necessary for him to meet someone

before judging them, “A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.” (290).

There are several things in this story that have symbolic significance. The cathedral in

this story represents the fact that no matter what you lack in your life, you can make up for it in

another way. This is because at the end of the story the seeing of the cathedral helped the

narrator realize that people might be different, but can still view things in the same way. In the

story when the wife allowed the Blind man to touch her face, it symbolized the trust between

both of them. It also makes clear the fact that they have known each other for awhile and also

very comfortable with each other. The use of drugs by the narrator in this story also symbolizes

lack of love. When people are not loved by their significant others or do not feel connected to

anyone and they are going through things they usually feel the need to rely on something that

would give them that high that they need. They end up relying on material things and that is what

the narrator of this story is doing by using drugs. “Every night I smoked dope and stayed up as

long as I could before I asleep,” “My wife and I hardly ever went to bed at the same time.”(297).

The drawing of the cathedral also symbolizes creativity because immediately the narrator started

drawing, he began to add more things and his thinking expanded, “I put in windows with arches.

I drew flying buttresses. I hung great doors. I couldn’t stop.” This shows that the narrator could

now see beyond just the surface. He now had a greater understanding than before. It is just like in

life as you complete a task, more doors begins to open.

The narrator of this story is blind psychologically; this is due to the fact that he cannot

see the world from a larger perspective. His view of life does not extend beyond his living room.

He only sees what he thinks he is supposed to see. The narrator in this story symbolizes us

human beings that rely only on our physical strength and abilities; we usually do not feel the

need to delve deeper into things. This is because we tend to judge and prejudice people. Even
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before we meet someone we already have a picture in our head of what that person would look

like.

This story makes we the readers feel that the blind man is at a disadvantage because his

prejudiced while in the real sense the blind man is the one with the accurate view of life and he

also sees better that those with two healthy eyes. The blind man in this story also represents

someone or something that brings more meaning to one’s life or a particular situation. In the case

of the narrator, the blind man brings him a gift of freedom from his ignorant ways.

Even though there are several interpretations of the Cathedral, what the Cathedral really

symbolizes is the interaction and epiphanies that regular people have which changes their life. At

the end of the story, the narrator is able to see the Cathedral, “It’s really something.” The ability

for the narrator to draw the Cathedral also symbolizes is freedom for all his ignorance, anger, and

selfishness. It also gave him a chance to be able to open up, connect, and understand someone

else, “I’m glad for the company.” The main irony of this story is the facts that a blind man helps

a man with two healthy eyes see.