Spiritualism in Raymond Carver’s Work

Running head: CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CATHEDRAL BY RAYMOND CARVER
Critical Analysis of “Cathedral”
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CATHEDRAL BY RAYMOND CARVER
Thesis Sentence Analysis:
“Cathedral” by Caver is indeed a transformational journey for the narrator to discover
the actual light hidden behind the world of a blind man. Rather it can be expressed as his
inward journey of breaking the stereotypical mindset and liberating his soul to understand the
realms of forming genuine human connections (Sadeq, Ala Eddin and Mohammed). Drawing
the cathedral with closed eyes indeed helped the narrator break free from his shallow ideas
and negativity towards the blinds which he had gained from movies. Holding Robert’s hand,
as he began to sketch the Cathedral with his eyes closed he went under a psychological as
well as a spiritual transformation which made him feel alive like never before. The narrator
gradually realised how blind he was, holding strong to his misconception and finally this
blind man Robert helped him visualize it and open his horizons.
Topic Sentence Analysis:
1. The narrator gains true insight as he began to draw the cathedral with closed eyes
and refused to open it even after Robert said he can. The realisation that the narrator gained
exposed him of his wrong doings like cursing and looking down upon blind people who no
doubt had a better and broader vision than him (Weise).
2. The act of looking under the surface helped the narrator take an inward journey of
awakening his soul. Holding the hand of Robert, closing his eyes helped him gain the true
vision which he had been blind to all his life. The disgust, the misconception, the anguish and
pain he had stored in him for years seemed to be liberated through his inward journey of self
realisation (Kita). The narrator realised that he has never felt so connect with any human ever
before as he felt with Robert while drawing the cathedral with closed eyes.
3. The narrator initially seems to be every disgusted and unhappy about Robert visit
their home as he was a close acquaintance of his wife and knew about her fondness towards