Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

"Cathedral" is extremely light on symbols, imagery, and allegory. So, don't worry if
you're having some trouble coming up with anything. In a postmodern work, the
surface is often the most important thing. In this case, everything is right in front of
us, if we can adjust our vision to see it. For example, the woman's pink robe and
slippers are things that help her feel comfortable. If we think about them, they have
value and meaning in their own right. They aren't part of an intricate scheme of
symbols that we have to unlock before we can understand the story. The possible
exception is the cathedral. It's hard not to treat that one like a symbol, even though
Carver says it isn't. So, we talk about it a little in this section, with links to other parts
of the module that discuss it. We also look at some clusters of different kinds of
things we see in the story, and how these are used in the story.

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

As noted in "What's Up With the Ending?" Carver insisted that there is nothing
symbolic about the two men drawing a cathedral. It isn't "a metaphor for art" (source).
Some readers might find this enormously comforting. Others might note that the
drawing of the cathedral can't be a metaphor for art, because it is art. The two men
are making art. The process of creating this art seems to come in three phases. The
first phase is exemplified by this quote:

How could I even begin to describe [a cathedral]? But say my life depended on it.
Say my life was being threatened by an insane guy who said I had to do it or else.
(3.10)

The narrator is reaching to express what he sees by creating something that looks
like it, out of words. For an artist to create art, there is usually a trace of this urgency.
That's part of what motivates the artist to create. In any case, the narrator keeps
trying and trying but he just can't do it. He can't find the right words for the task. He's
completely frustrated. But, when Robert suggests drawing, the frustration gives way
to fluidity.

In the final stage, when the narrator closes his eyes, he loses himself even more
deeply. Notice that none of this comments on the quality of the drawing. The readers
can't judge the actual piece of art created. They can only judge the narrator's
description of the experience of creating it. When we see how much he needs the
experience, the narrator's words resonate. When we consider the possibility that his
wife is headed for another suicide attempt, the words take on ever deeper
significance.
For Robert, the coin is a symbol, and it's a symbol of the relationship he had with
Beulah. It's a symbol because it represent things beyond monetary value, and only
has value to Robert in light of what it signifies about his life with Beulah. It's cut in
half, so it can't be spent. Even if it could be spent, ten-pesos has never been much.

On another level, as a coin, it's meant to represent money that is held in trust
elsewhere. A coin is a form of credit, or, a symbol of "real" money. This is interesting
because it shows how people often find and create symbols in their lives, and how
symbols are used for practical purposes, in the real word, not just in literature. But as
we were saying, the coin is valuable for Robert because it connects him symbolically
with his wife. It gives him something to remember her by. It's a substitute for the real
thing.
The tapes function similarly to the coin – they are substitutes for the real thing.
Powerful substitutes yes, but still substitutes. At one point in the evening, Robert says
to the narrator's wife, "This beats tapes, doesn't it?" (2.19). This connects with the
narrator's admissions that his "idea of blindness came from the movies" (1.1), and
that he's "never met, or personally know anyone who was blind" (1.31). Even though
the tapes might seem closer to something real than the movies, neither one comes
anywhere near the real thing. In "Cathedral" face to face, hand-to-hand contact is
always the best.

There's also something rather ironic going on. The narrator is trying toshow or
describe something to the narrator which he's only (to our knowledge) only seen on
television. The drawing of the cathedral is a copy of a copy of a copy. The narrator
isn't even copying the cathedral he sees on television. He's drawing a cathedral from
memory. Can Robert or the narrator experience a cathedral without touching/seeing
one? Not precisely, and that's part of the point. What they need is to experience each
other. They need warmth, and physical contact, the act of creating something
together. And that is what's real. The story acknowledges that tapes, movies, and TV
are important ways to communicate. Ultimately, "Cathedral" privileges face-to-face,
and hand-to-hand contact as the most effective method of exchanging information.

Where It All Goes Down

One night in a New York home, late 1970s or
early 1980s
First published in 1981, "Cathedral" is set in the days when the switch from black and
white to color television was in its early stages, and when cassette tapes were a
cutting edge technology. The basic setting of the story is a middle-class home
somewhere in New York, over a single evening.

In a story called "Cathedral" one might expect setting to be a little more complicated
than that. It is, but not by much. After lots of drinks, a huge meal, and some
marijuana, an ordinary living room is transformed into what could be considered a
scared place, kind of like a cathedral, but one where the people in it are worshiping
only each other. When Robert and the narrator draw the cathedral together in front of
the narrator's sleeping wife, something amazing is happening, something that isn't
necessarily visible to the eye. When the woman wakes up, she can't quite process
what she sees. Robert has his hand over her husband's hand, and the two of them
sitting on the floor drawing on a paper grocery bag.

Soon after she opens her eyes, the narrator closes his, but continues drawing, with
Robert's hand tight around his. To the implied reader the narrator exclaims, "It was
like nothing else in my life up to now" (3.45). Perhaps the experience is so amazing
because the narrator is able to find a way to communicate with Robert not only
without words, but in a way he never imagined before. He's amazed by the process,
but also by the intimate connection with Robert. In terms of setting, the second to the
last line tells us so much:

My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was
inside anything. (3.49)

For the narrator, the literal setting of the story, his home, is not his problem. Rather,
he is trapped by routine, by monotony, and by his own limited vision. The quoted
moment, for however long it lasts, is a description of his freedom from those aspects
of the setting of his life. He doesn't just feel like he isn't inside his house, but also like
he isn't inside himself.

Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and,

more importantly, can we trust her or him?
First Person (Central Narrator)
Point of view isn't complicated in "Cathedral." The narrator is describing an important
experience in his life. He's leading us through the changes he undergoes over the
course of a single evening. He has a say-anything sense of humor, and isn't afraid to
make himself the butt of all the jokes. He's like a standup comedian, but sometimes
he goes too far, and stops being funny. Some people might be offended by his blind-
people jokes.

Most of the jokes are in his head, told only to the reader. (He does tell one to his wife,
though. And she doesn't appreciate it; it's about taking Robert bowling.) As you read
"Cathedral" and go through our Shmoop guide, think about how you would
characterize the narrator's jokes. Are they funny? Offensive? Inappropriate? Or just
downright rude? Read on for some more material to consider.

The narrator's jokes, like many jokes, rely on the assumption that the reader is a
reasonable person, and will laugh when shown something unreasonable, like these
lines: "This blind man, feature this, was wearing a full beard. A beard on a blind man!
Too much, I say" (1.18). We're just surprised that the narrator didn't make a joke
about how blind people can't shave. (They can.) This whole thing strikes us as
very Seinfeld. (By the way, we can definitely see parallels between "Cathedral" and
the "Glasses" episode. Like "Cathedral," "Glasses" plays with ideas of sight and
blindness, and ends on a happy note.)

Sometimes, though, this joking can turn ugly, or even start off ugly and just get uglier.
Before Robert's visit, the narrator seems dangerously close to crossing the line. The
following quote features the narrator's reflections after hearing Robert's story from his
wife, but before meeting him:

Hearing this I felt sorry for the blind man for a little bit. Then I found myself thinking
what a pitiful life [Robert's wife] must have led. Imagine a woman who could never
see herself as she was seen in the eyes of her loved one. […] A woman who could
never receive the smallest compliment from her beloved […]. She could […] wear
green eyeshadow around one eye, a straight pin in her nostril, yellow slacks and
purple shoes, no matter. (1.16)

That technique is also known as dramatic irony, and happens when the reader knows
more than the character. It also sounds like he's objectifying Beulah, treating her as
object that has little or no value if she isn't being looked at and appreciated. We can't
quite imagine that the narrator is serious. He's still trying to keep us entertained. Or is
he?

Whether or not you think that the narrator is offensive, "Cathedral," the story, is
definitely not. After all, Robert, figuratively speaking, is no more or less blind than the
other characters. The story suggests that all eyesight is overrated. So, it's really very
pro-blind people in spite of the narrator's jokes, and exaggerated assumptions.

ANALYSIS: GENRE
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Realism, Comedy, Postmodernism
When the story is over, we might feel like something mystical has happened. Indeed,
it has, but all within the confines of what reads a lot like reality. "Cathedral" builds
around a familiar scenario – a dinner among middle-class, middle-aged people in a
New York home. And seeing the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary is what
realism is all about.

As you know, a "comedy" doesn't have to be funny, and not all funny stories are
considered "comedies." If a story begins in confusion and separation, and ends in
unity and clarity, it's a comedy. "Cathedral" fits that definition and is humorous to
boot. Admittedly, some people might find the humor crude, sad, or even sick. For
those readers, the narrator's transformation might be in his ceasing to make offensive
wise cracks as he connects meaningfully with Robert.

Not all postmodern works deal in realism, but postmodernism and realism
complement each other nicely. While realism tries to show regular people living their
lives, postmodernism interrogates reality. Now, don't be daunted by postmodernism.
It can get very complicated, but a basic knowledge of postmodernism doesn't have to
hurt. Here's a little history, and some of the key ideas that we see playing out in
"Cathedral."

Postmodernism literally means "after Modernism." What's known as "High

Modernism" was in large part a response to the devastating events of World War I.
Similarly, postmodernism is a response to the events of World War II – particularly to
the Holocaust and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as other
instances of genocide and horror. The magnitude of these catastrophes caused many
artists and philosophers to question all their previously held assumptions, including
ideas of what is real and what is imaginary. In spite of these somber themes,
postmodernism is playful, fun, experimental, and loaded with contradictions, parody,
surprises, and games.

The expansion of information through the communication technologies is a big focus

of many postmodern dialogues. It observes how we process information, how we sort
through the huge amounts of information coming at us to decide what to keep and
what to throw out. "Cathedral" was written in 1981, when these technologies were
just picking up speed. Carver looks at newspapers, audiocassettes, television, and
movies, while later postmodern writers might look at cell phones, and personal
computers as well. It often engages heavily with popular culture, drawing
commercials, movies, television, etc. into the dialogue. Here we see that the story's
biggest moment is a result of watching TV.
Postmodernism also resists moralizing or instructing. This might be helpful if you're
struggling with the themes of drugs and alcohol in the story. Notice how no judgment
is passed on either one. The drinking and marijuana smoking are presented as both
possibly debilitating for the characters, and as possibly opening them to new ways of
"seeing" their lives. It's interesting to think about the fact that Carver, a notoriously
heavy drinker, had permanently stopped drinking when he wrote the story. And while
you're doing that, you can look at a few fun elements of postmodernism we see
running through "Cathedral."

The first concept we want to look at is bricolage. It is similar to the word "collage" but
focuses on resourcefulness in gathering and using materials, rather than on the
materials themselves. In literature, it refers to a literary work created from diverse
resources.

The most obvious example of bricolage in "Cathedral" is when Robert and the
narrator use an ordinary ballpoint pen and a paper grocery bag to create a mutual
understanding of a cathedral. This understanding is tailored to their own personal and
joint needs. They take the idea of a cathedral, which holds little personal value for
either of them, and form it into something they can use. They don't need to go
shopping for the perfect piece of paper and the best pen. They find what they need in
what they already have.

The second postmodern concept to explore is simulation. Postmodern philosopher

Jean Paul Baudrillard is a big player in postmodern theory. InSimulacra and
Simulations he observes that in the age of information technology, copies of things
(particularly media images – which are copies of "real" things) have become
indistinguishable from their originals. Or, in some case, the copies have become
more powerful than their originals.

In "Cathedral," neither the real cathedrals featured on the television, nor the originals
themselves hold much meaning for Robert or the narrator. The copy they create
together with pen, paper, and imagination will likely change their lives forever. At the
same time, the copy is an original, too, an original experience which might be
impossible to repeat or copy.

If you want to learn a little more about postmodernism, check out of discussion of
"Writing Style.
 ANALYSIS: WHAT'S UP WITH
THE TITLE?
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Cathedrals don't make an appearance in this story until the third section, and then it's
fairly obvious why the story is called "Cathedral." Cathedrals are the subject of the
television documentary and of the narrator and Robert's drawing. A cathedral is a
cathedral is a kind of church. There aren't any secular (nonreligious) cathedrals. Most
critics don't see "Cathedral" as having explicitly religious themes, though such
themes aren't excluded. A much smaller group of critics see Carver's work, including
"Cathedral," as espousing Christian principles. Since the evidence we see leans
toward the secular view, that's the view we're exploring in our discussion of the title. If
you disagree with us, we hope our discussion provokes an interesting essay.

None of the characters seem to be actively religious, but the woman's religious views
aren't discussed. Similarly, we don't know if Robert is a religious guy, but we do know
that he's never given cathedrals much thought until this evening. The narrator's point
of view is presented most clearly in this conversation:

[Narrator:] "In the olden days, when they built cathedrals, men wanted to be close to
God. In those olden days, God was a part of everyone's life. (3.14)

[Robert:] "Let me ask you a simple question, yes or no. I'm just curious and there's
no offense. You're my host. But ask if you are in any way religious? You don't mind
my asking? (3.15)

[Narrator:] "I guess I don't believe in it. In anything. Sometimes it's hard."(3.16)

There's nothing to indicate he changes his mind about religion by the end of the
story, but maybe he does learn to believe in something, like maybe that he needs a
friend and has found one in Robert.

The narrator's position is basically an echo of Carver's own views on the subject of
religion. When asked in an interview whether he was religious Carver answered, "No,
but I have to believe in miracles and the possibility of resurrection" (source).
Cathedral are massive structures "that took hundreds of workers fifty or a hundred
years to build" (3.9). They require lots of special materials, design, and tools.
Conversely, the drawing of the cathedral is built by a couple of men, in less than an
hour (roughly), using basic materials. So maybe getting closer to each other is less
complicated and difficult than getting closer to God. Of course, the drawing of the
cathedral only influences the three people in the room. It's isn't likely to physically
withstand the test of time. A cathedral remains for thousands of people. Still, the
drawing isn't necessarily the important part of Robert and the narrator's experience.
What's important is the experience itself, and how it impacts their lives after the
experience is over.

ANALYSIS: WHAT'S UP WITH

THE ENDING?
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If you like simple endings that give you something to think about long after the story
is over, you'll appreciate the ending of "Cathedral." It's this simple: Robert and the
narrator finish drawing the cathedral. Robert tells the narrator to open his eyes. He
doesn't. He feels good about the experience. The end.

We don't know if the feeling will last, if the narrator will continue his relationship with
Robert, or if his relationship with his wife will improve. For now, the important thing is
the moment, and the complexity and the simplicity of his experience.

Here's what Carver says about the ending in an interview with Claude Grimal:

CG: Could you talk about the endings of your stories? The ending of "Cathedral," for
instance?

RC: Well, the character there is full of prejudices against blind people. He changes;
he grows. I'd never written a story like that. […] Then, when I wrote that story, I felt it
was truly different. I felt a real impetus in writing it, and that doesn't happen with
every story. But I felt I'd tapped into something. I felt it was very exciting. The sighted
man changes. He puts himself in the blind man's place. The story affirms something.
It's a positive story and I like it a lot for that reason. People say it's a metaphor for
some other thing, for art, for making . . . But no, I thought about the physical contact
of the blind man's hand on his hand. It's all imaginary. Nothing like that ever
happened to me. (source)

We agree with all of that, though we think Carver leaves out what we see as an
important aspect of the ending – what it means for Robert and the narrator's wife. As
we discuss in "Characters," Robert and the woman are also going through rough
patches in their lives – the woman's marriage is in a bad place, and Robert has just
lost his wife.

In the reality of the story, the woman's main problem is making sure Robert is
"comfortable" (1.52, 54). Robert's comfort, she knows, depends on the narrator being
nice to him, and she doesn't trust him to do it. Robert's problem is the same as the
woman's, in a way. He's just lost his wife, and is in the area visiting her family. Surely,
he's in as much need of comfort as the woman thinks he is.

The narrator delivers. He helps Robert feel comfortable. In spite of his discomfort and
jealousy, he focuses on Robert, and does everything he can for him. The narrator
even wants to make sure Robert understands what's on television. He rises above
himself, and is rewarded in a big way.

For Robert this might be the difference between a night that increases his loneliness
and sadness and a night that gives a genuine connection with another person. Only
after the story is over will the woman understand what has happened. Knowing that
her husband can connect with the person who seems to be her oldest friend and
confidante might help heal the marriage. Just as the narrator learns to see blind
people in a new way, she might learn to see her husband in a new way. The fact that
the narrator is learning, through his experience, how to express himself when he
can't find words, might help him express his feeling to the woman. These characters
can become bridges to each other's happiness and healing.

ANALYSIS: PLOT ANALYSIS

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Most good stories start with a fundamental list of
ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication,
climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion.
Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and
add some spice.
Initial Situation
A blind man is coming to spend the night at the
narrator's house.
The narrator has issues with blind people. Not that he's ever met a blind person. But,
he has seen them in the movies. In any case, he isn't looking forward to this blind
man, Robert, his wife's "old friend," coming to visit (1.1). That's how "Cathedral"
begins.

Conflict
The blind man has a history with the narrator's wife.
We learn that the blind man, Robert, and the narrator's wife have been corresponding
for the past ten years, revealing to each other the most intimate details of their
respective lives. It's obvious that the narrator is jealous of Robert. That's the conflict,
and that's maybe also part of why the narrator has issues with blind people.

Complication
Robert arrives.
When Robert arrives, things are a little awkward. The narrator isn't sure what to say
to Robert. The woman is sure that every word the narrator says is a veiled blind joke,
even though he's actually being nice to Robert. The complication is the simple fact
that three people are hoping to get along and have a good evening. Because they all
have baggage, and linked histories, the situation feels complicated.

Climax
Either the dinner, the drinks, or "two fat numbers."
Actually, we could say that all three make up the climax of "Cathedral." The climax is
the stage of the story where the characters emotions are at a high level. In
"Cathedral," as the characters connect through what some might call hedonistic, or
indulgent activities. The connection is rather fraught because of the loneliness and
dissatisfaction and personal issues each of the characters is experiencing. The
combination of warmth and discomfort contributes to the sense that something is
going on which is bigger than it appears.

Suspense
Late night television.
The narrator's wife falls asleep, leaving the narrator and Robert alone. Will Robert
and the narrator find a way to connect? And most importantly, will the narrator find a
way to describe a cathedral to Robert?

Denouement
The narrator's wife wakes up; the narrator closes his
eyes.
The dénouement stresses the deficiencies of eyesight. When the narrator's wife
wakes up and sees Robert and the narrator drawing the cathedral, she can't process
what she sees. Nothing mysterious is going on. It's obvious what they are doing. But,
it's unusual – it deeply challenges her ideas about what Robert and her husband
would do if they were left to their own devices. By closing his eyes, at Robert's
insistence, the narrator admits that being able to see might actually be limiting his
experience.

Conclusion
The narrator keeps his eyes closed.
Simple, but intense. Now that narrator has experienced seeing without his eyes, he
feels free. We don't know if the feeling will last, if he'll continue his relationship with
Robert, if his relationship with his wife will improve, etc. For now, the important thing
is the moment, and both the complexity and the simplicity of his experience.