ENG 102 Comparative Literature: Human Perception of Truth

This essay undertakes a comparative analysis of two literary works, "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver and "Republica and Grau" by Daniel Alarcon, to explore the multifaceted nature of human perception and the concept of "blindness." The essay examines how these authors use literary techniques to portray the subjective experience of reality, the influence of societal biases, and the limitations of human understanding. The analysis delves into the characters' perspectives, the narratives' thematic concerns, and the authors' use of symbolism to highlight the ways in which individuals construct their own realities, often shielding themselves from uncomfortable truths. By comparing and contrasting the stories, the essay aims to shed light on the complexities of human perception and the various forms of "blindness" that can cloud our understanding of the world and our interactions with others. Ultimately, the essay argues that true understanding often requires a willingness to challenge one's preconceived notions and embrace alternative perspectives, challenging the reader to consider what it truly means to 'see' the world.

Running head: COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: NATURE OF EXISTENCE
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: NATURE OF EXISTENCE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: NATURE OF EXISTENCE
The essay focuses on the topic concerning the perception of reality among people. Two
stories have been compared to understand the extent to which human perception of the truth of
the world is sometimes covered by the veil of blindness. Essentially, human beings like to live in
a world of their own where all desirable things are accepted and all undesirable things rejected.
Hence, people like to see and experience what they like. They create perceptions thus, that
overshadow the truth and give them comfort in the blindness to reality they nurture thus. The two
literatures that would be compared to understand this further would be Republica and Grau by
Daniel Alarcon and Cathedral by Raymond Carver.
In Cathedral, author Raymond Carver gives us essential insights about the perception of
life of a person through the narration. The narrator seems to be unaware about the various ways
in which people live their lives. It seems through the narrative that the speaker is unaware of how
a blind man can actually have a very fulfilling life despite the disability (Carver). In Republic
and Grau, Daniel Alarcon, the blind man is described as a clever person who can take money out
of people by making them feel guilt. The blind man pretends to be more helpless than he is to
trick people. Comparing the two literatures gives a sense that the perception of the world about
the blind is different to the actual realities. In a way this reflects the perception of people in
regards to the nature of lives that people live. Most people do not seem to have a thorough
understanding of the world (Hume). This is especially evident in the first story “The Cathedral”
where the narrator is actually clueless about how a blind man can also have a life that is more
ways is similar to the life of a normal person. In comparison, the story Republic and Grau
initially focuses on how the world pities the blind and people are filled with guilt when they
confront a blind person.

2COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: NATURE OF EXISTENCE
If people indeed remove their blindfolds and see the world as it they might actually be
much disappointed. Comparing the two literary works however points the similar but varying
points of views about people about the lives of the blind. In case of the Cathedral, a more
stereotypical perspective of blindness is provided. In the case of Rebublica and Grau, blindness
as a trait that can even be used to trick people has been provided. Hemingway through his works
had referred to the blindness of stupidity. In that sense, blindness becomes a veil that stops men
form perceiving the bitter truths of reality. In the views of Sophocles, each person is blind to the
truth of the world we live in. Hence, in this case the lives of the blind depicted in both the
writers, works depict the blindness of the physically blind alongside the metaphorical blindness
of people. In the work of Raymond Carver, the narrator cannot understand the life of a blind
man. On the other hand in the story of Alarcon, blindness of the old man is thought to be a sign
of weakness by Maico’s father. In contrast in the same story blindness is being viewed with pity
by the people that got tricked into giving money. The Cathedral, gives a good picture of human
ignorance that is not removed by the social interactions but rather more falsely stereotyped by
the media. In essence it can be understood that people are happy with their own views of the
world, society, the disabled, human life and very much everything else. In doing so people
hardly pay any attention to the little details of the real people, real situations and real events that
take place around them. In this case they can be said to be blind to the realities of the world. In
story “Cathedral” the narrator gets a feel of what it is like to be when he closes his eyes and tries
to draw a cathedral with the blind man’s help. All the perceptions that he had till then about
blindness ends and he wakes up to the reality that he till that point had ignored. Comparatively,
in the story of Alarcon, it can be seen that the blind man’s plight and strength remain largely
unknown to the world (Alarcon). A perspective of either pity or domination can only be created.

3COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: NATURE OF EXISTENCE
In essence, both the stories depict the blindness that creates barriers in front of humans to
understand the true nature of life. The lives of the blind men that are depicted focus on the aspect
of human perception. This proves that the blindness of human beings have reached such an
extent that only through a great revelation can people actually learn to accept the world’s
realities (Aminoff). In Cathedral, this reality is the reality of the life of the blind not being much
different from that of a person with vision. In Republica and Grau the reality is in connection
with the ways in which blindness can actually become a source of business. In essence both the
stories are trying to ask the question that who actually is blind? Is it the people suffering from
physical blindness? Or the individuals that are affected by the blindness of their perceptions? Or
is it the society that is blind to the realities that affect in in search of better more peaceful lives?
In conclusion, it can be said that the more correct view of the world is provided in the
Cathedral, by Raymond Carver. The author provides the actual picture through which the
narrator, who actually represents the people of the world see the blind. However, the blind man
in the story is only a representation of the harsh and difficult truths of life that people tend to
ignore or are “blind” to. Blindness of the physically blind seems to be better poised to accept
reality than the people with vision.

4COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: NATURE OF EXISTENCE
Works Cited
Alarcon, Daniel. Republica And Grau. The New Yorker, 2006,
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/10/30/republica-and-grau. Accessed 15 Apr
2019.
Aminoff, Bechor Zvi. "On mechanisms of human behavior: The “mind blindness phenomenon”
in philosophy, religion, science, and medicine." Philosophy Study. 2015b 5 (2015): 167-
77.
Hume, David. "An enquiry concerning human understanding." Seven Masterpieces of
Philosophy. Routledge, 2016. 191-284.
Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. 1981, pp. 1-13.