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Literary Analysis of Cathedral by Raymond Carver
Literary Analysis of Cathedral by Raymond Carver
Literary Analysis of Cathedral by Raymond Carver
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Stereotypes are no secret. Everybody develops them in some way or another and uses them in social interactions. These generalizations, both positive and negative, about a characteristic(s) of a group (“Stereotypes) have existed throughout modern and historical societies. The husband in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” interacts with Robert based off of stereotypes formed from social norms and media portrayals of disabled persons. He treats Robert in a negative manner at first relying on those prejudices, but as he comes to know Robert, he re-develops his stereotypes and interacts with Robert in a more positive way. Dr. Munyi of Kenyatta University states in “Past and Present Perceptions Towards Disability: A Historical Perspective” that fear, ignorance, and superstition are among many social factors that have led to the development of stereotypes and prejudices towards disabled people. Throughout history people with disabilities have been thought to be possessed by the devil, inferior, witches, helpless, et cetera and have therefore been isolated because of the negative views placed on them. These perceptions are developed beginning at childhood as children are particularly vulnerable to views passed on from parents and social norms of the time (Munyi). The media also has a strong influence on stereotypes. Children and other heavy television viewers soak up the views projected on them by the media without question (Farnall and Smith). Especially because few “normal,” non-disabled, people interact frequently with disabled people, the stereotypes are strongly relied on and rarely change among communities (Munyi). Also, with respect to the blind, many of the stereotypes, especially negative ones, have stemmed from generalizations formed... ... middle of paper ... ...Programs Office. n. pg., 7 July 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. “How to Communicate With Someone Who is Blind." Chicago Lighthouse. chicagolighthouse.org. 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. Kemp, NJ. "Social Psychological Aspects of Blindness: A Review." Current Psychological Reviews 1.1 (1981): Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Munyi, Chomba Wa. "Past and Present Perceptions Towards Disability: A Historical Perspective." Disability Studies Quarterly 32.2 (2012): n. pg. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Saetermoe, CL, D Scattone, and Kim KH Kim. "Ethnicity and the Stigma of Disabilities." Psychology & Health 16.6 (2001): 709-712. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Smith, Eliot, and Diane Mackie. "Changing Stereotypes: Overcoming Bias to Reduce Prejudice." Social Psychology: Third Edition. London: Psychology Press, 2007. 176-181. psypress.co.uk. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. "Stereotypes." changingminds.org. n.p., 2013 Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
In Raymond Carver’s story, “Cathedral,” the story tells of how a close outside relationship can threaten a marriage by provoking insecurities, aggravating communication barriers, and creating feelings of invasion of privacy. The husband in the story is given the gift of seeing the cathedral through a blind man’s eyes. Although the title suggests that the story is about a cathedral, it is really about two men who come together and share a vision and realize it is he who is blind. As the story begins, the character of the husband has a negative personality. He lacks compassion, is narrow-minded, and is jealous of his wife’s friendship with a blind man named Robert.
Both Raymond Carver’s short story “Cathedral” and John Updike’s short story “A&P” contain two main characters that stereotype a group of people, but in the end this provokes them to have a revelation in the way they view themselves and the people around them. For Sammy in the story “A&P” it is the young, girls who bring about his change of heart and for the husband in “Cathedral” it is the blind man Robert. The two story lines relate as the two main characters view the stereotyped groups of people negatively. The girls and the blind man are viewed as intruders into the main characters’ daily lives. The two catalysts “the girls” and “Robert” are the cause of change, a real eye opener for the two main characters of the stories,
In Raymond Carver’s short story “Cathedral”, the husband’s language and behavior are closely monitored and amended by his wife symbolic to the way that I have witnessed political correctness restricting casual communication. The husband, who is the unnamed narrator, is completely put off by the idea of his wife’s very close friend, who happens to be blind, visiting their home from Seattle following the recent death of his wife (par. 1). His discomfort is evident by his thoughts and comments that focus almost singularly on Robert’s handicap. The husband is completely unaware that his remarks and actions might be considered offensive in nature and is continually reminded to be thoughtful by his wife (par. 8). Despite her best efforts, the husband propels recklessly from one potentially offensive situation to the next while his wife does her best to make conversations as gentle as possible to ensure Robert’s comfort. The additional pressure applied to an already uncomfortable situation for the husband, became more of an annoyance than encouraging a delightful reunion of which her husband could enjoy being included.
The human race is comprised of a plethora of shapes, sizes, colors, and figures. Some of these images are regarded as ‘distorted’ in dominant culture, but these distortions are what makes every person unique and should be celebrated. Stereotypes, whether positive or negative, take these ‘distortions’ and assign behavioral attributes to them. This assumes that all persons who meet a certain set of physical requirements behave in a similar way. Due to the diversity of the human race, this outcome is highly improbable. Despite this, stereotypes are often used to describe a group of people, usually amplifying a negative trait that may not b...
The Web. 15 Jan. 2015. Izumi, Yutaka and Frank Hammonds. " Changing Ethnic/Racial Stereotypes: The Roles of Individuals and Groups."
"Disability the facts." New Internationalist Nov. 2013: 20+. Advanced Placement Government and Social Studies Collection. Web. 27 May 2014.
In our global economy requiring functional and respectful relationships between nations, prejudice and stereotypes can be a destructive force both in the world and in individual societies, especially in diverse ones.
Women with disabilities are seldom represented in popular culture. Movies, television shows ,and novels that attempt to represent people within the disability community fall short because people that are not disabled are writing the stories. Susan Nussbaum has a disability. She advocates for people with disabilities and writes stories about characters with disabilities . She works to debunk some of the stereotypes about women with disabilities in popular culture. Women with disabilities are stereotyped as being sexually undesirable individuals , that are not capable of living normal lives, that can only be burdens to mainstream society, and often sacrifice themselves.Through examining different female characters with disabilities, Nussbaum 's novel Good Kings Bad Kings illustrates how the stereotypes in popular culture about women with disabilities are not true.
People who have physical disabilities often experience negative situations and connotations that they must overcome to thrive in society. People who offer narratives about their disabilities often give the most accurate representation about the challenges those with disabilities face. Ms. Marenge, reported that one of the hardest things about leaving the rehabilitation center after becoming paralyzed was living in a house that was inaccessible, and having to rely on her family to carry her up and down the house (Casey Marenge, 2011). Similarly, a student with muscular dystrophy, says that she wishes more places were wheelchair accessible, because when they aren’t she feels that society is holding her back, and she can’t reach her full potential. Alisha also reported that t making friends is hard because some kids would ignore her at school because of her situation and she is often separated from the mainstream students at school. Alisha, doesn’t want to be defined by her disability, however, she believes that many people who look at her only see her wheelchair (Alisha Lee, 2011). Despite the many negative ways people who suffer from physical disabilities are affected, it is important to note that they don’t always feel bad for themselves, and that having a disability doesn’t stop them from loving
There are many times where male/female relationships are depicted ending in happiness with the two lovebirds riding off into the sunset. This idea of a perfect relationship, although it is great for love stories and bestselling novels, is simply not practical and rarely ever occurs in reality. In fact, it is more common to see the exact opposite of a perfect relationship in reality; with divorce rates rising and the growing number of people in unhappy relationships, it seems as if the idea of a perfect relationship drifts further and further away. Often there are relationships that breed problems. These problems are depicted through the relationships in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral,” Isabel
The social model defines disability as a social construct that creates unwanted barriers for individuals, and a public concern, (Smart & Smart, 2006). Examples of these barriers include “inaccessible education systems, working environments, inadequate disability benefits, discriminatory health and social support services, inaccessible transport, houses and public buildings and amenities, and the devaluing of disabled people through negative images in the media, (Thomas, 2007, p. 13). Swain, et al (1993), states that “disability is not a condition of the individual. The experiences of disabled people are of social restrictions in the world around them, not being a person with a ‘disabling condition,’” (as cited by Lutz & Bowers, 2003).
Most people find stereotypes to be obnoxious, especially when they have to do with sensitive subjects like gender or race. “Stereotyping is a generalization about a group or category of people that can have a powerful influence on how we perceive others and their communication behaviors” (Floyd, 61). Because they underestimate the differences among individuals in a group, stereotyping can lead to inaccurate and offensive perceptions of other people. Although stereotypes are prevalent in almost every society, becoming aware of our perceptions of others, as well as differentiating between both positive and negative stereotypes can help us overcome those stereotypes.
In the essay “Disability,” Nancy Mairs discusses the lack of media attention for the disabled, writing: “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anyone’s life.” An ordinary person has very little exposure to the disabled, and therefore can only draw conclusions from what is seen in the media. As soon as people can picture the disabled as regular people with a debilitating condition, they can begin to respect them and see to their needs without it seeming like an afterthought or a burden. As Mairs wrote: “The fact is that ours is the only minority you can join involuntarily, without warning, at any time.” Looking at the issue from this angle, it is easy to see that many disabled people were ordinary people prior to some sort of accident. Mairs develops this po...
Throughout this course, I am amaze by how much I’m learning about what it was and it is to be disable in today society. But just like any other crisis, it’s crazy what people with disability went through in the passed and how far they have come and. Form perceiving disability as liability to the public and rejecting people with disability in schools, work places and communities, to accepting them open heartily and having laws that helps protect the form discrimination. Staying with the topic of disability, I would like to look at both the positive and negative impact on not only an individual living with a disability but also what the family have to go throw. Many people have views about the disabled but do not have them from first hand experience. As human, it is part of our nature to be judge mental. We sometime judge without even know them or putting ourselves in their predicament, but experiencing disability first hand, I’ll say it has it ups and down.
...eglected social issues in recent history (Barlow). People with disabilities often face societal barriers and disability evokes negative perceptions and discrimination in society. As a result of the stigma associated with disability, persons with disabilities are generally excluded from education, employment, and community life which deprives them of opportunities essential to their social development, health and well-being (Stefan). It is such barriers and discrimination that actually set people apart from society, in many cases making them a burden to the community. The ideas and concepts of equality and full participation for persons with disabilities have been developed very far on paper, but not in reality (Wallace). The government can make numerous laws against discrimination, but this does not change the way that people with disabilities are judged in society.