Cathedral” is a fictional story by Raymond Carver. The story focuses on a friend of the narrator’s wife, Robert. The narrator says that Robert is blind and had just lost his wife, Beulah to cancer. He had come to spend the night at their place after visiting his dead wife’s relative in Connecticut. The narrator’s wife had not seen Robert since she worked for him ten years back in Seattle. However, the two had kept in touch all that long as they made and mailed tapes back and forth. It is evident that the blind man and the narrator’s wife were great friends and the blind man asked to touch his face during her last day in office and she agreed. Fiction Essay “Cathedral”- Raymond Carver

The narrator says that he was not excited at Robert’s coming and that his being blind bothered him a great deal. However, he had no option as the blind man, and his wife were great friends. At one instance, the narrator suggested taking Robert bowling, and at this, his wife responded and noted that if he lived her he would act fairly to her guest. Also, she added that if her husband had a friend came to visit; she would go out of her way to make the friend feel comfortable. The narrator was not convinced until his wife narrated about the blind man’s late wife. After picking Robert from the depot, she introduced him to her husband, and the two began to catch up. They also discussed the long train ride as the three took a glass of drink.

Fiction Essay “Cathedral”- Raymond Carver

The three had dinner together and continued to take drinks and the narrator says that they ate everything that was brought on the table. The narrator’s wife and the blind man began talking about the events that took place within the ten years they were not together. All along, the narrator had nothing to say and reached for the remote to switch on the TV. Wife of the narrator then went upstairs to put on her robe, and the two gentlemen began smoking cannabis. She was surprised when she came back from the changing room. Her husband explained that they had just decided to smoke cannabis. She then laid on the couch, waiting for Robert to get ready for bed. She laid on the couch waiting for her guest to get ready to sleep so that she could direct him. APA style