Bigotry In Cathedral

Stephan Labossiere, a relationship coach states, “Many times we are our worst enemy. If we could learn to conquer ourselves, then we will have a much easier time overcoming the obstacles that are in front of us.” Most people, during their time in this world, face a challenge or fear that will determine who they truly are. Some people push themselves to overcome that certain challenge while others die knowing it is something they could not achieve. The people that persevere through the challenge will tell one it took days of practice with support from others to help keep them going. In the short story, “Cathedral,” by Raymond Carver, the narrator defeats his jealousy, discomfort, and prejudice feelings through the character of Robert, who is

The narrator throughout “Cathedral” is full of jealousy. Carver begins with am exposition about the narrator's wife and her past lover, the officer. His wife is not happy to be an Air Force officer’s wife so she tries committing suicide but instead just got sick and threw up. The narrator says, “Her officer why should he have a name? He was the childhood sweetheart,”(Carver2). The narrator is jealous that the officer is his wife’s childhood sweetheart also he shows some anger towards him like he is to blame for his wife’s past. When the blind man arrives at the narrator’s house and he gets a glance of the blind man for the first time right away Carver writes, “This blind man, feature this, he was wearing a full beard! A beard on a blind man! Too much, I say”

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(Carver4). The narrator judges the blind man and makes fun of his appearance to satisfy himself this clearly displays his jealousy and bigotry.

In addition, the narrator shares one joke with his wife. As they are talking in the kitchen he tells his wife, “Maybe I could take him bowling” (3), obviously being inappropriate and making a fool of the blind man. Carver shows the readers who the narrator truly is by

If you don’t like me, okay. But if you had a friend, any friend, and the friend came to visit, I’d make him feel comfortable”(pg3). Carver brings in the narrator’s wife as support, to give the narrator a reason to defeat his jealousy and bigotry toward the blind man and make sure he will have a comfortable stay.

Furthermore, the narrator deals with his discomfort towards the blind man as he stays at his house. The narrator just sitting listening to his wife and blind man speak feeling awkward about how to join the conversation or what to say. He asks the blind man if he had a good train ride and which side of the train did he sit on? His wife was not happy with what he asked like why does it matter which side of the train he sat on, yet we see how the narrator is trying to interact with the blind man and start a conversation. They all head towards the dinner table the narrator helps spread butter on bread for the blind man. They all start eating and no one talks at all. The narrator feels the discomfort and just admires the way the blind man finds everything on his plate and eats. As awkward as the meal was it was a way of bonding and connecting as Cesar

Chavez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association says, “If you really want to make