Disability Criticism In Iyanla Vanzant's Cathedral

“I have learned the hard way to mind my business, without judging who people are and what they do. I am more troubled by the lack of space being provided for the truth to unfold. Humans cannot seem to wait for or honor the truth. Instead, we make it up based on who we believe people should or should not be,”Iyanla Vanzant. When reading “Cathedral,” by Raymond Carver the blind Robert was constantly judged by the husband. This story is about a blind man visited his old friend the wife. The husband did not want to be around the man because he was blind. The husband put a channel on the tv and it starting talking about cathedrals. Robert the blind man asked the husband to describe a Cathedral he didn’t know how to describe the beauty of a Cathedral.

People who have disabilities have trouble fitting in socially. Many people tend to judge those who are disabled before getting to know them. In the story, the husband judged the blind man Robert multiple times. For example when the husband did not go with his wife to pick up Robert from the train station. He had never met a blind person before and does not know how he should react. Many readers may say he should just be himself. In the story, an example is ““But if you had a friend, any friend, and the friend came to visit, I’d make him feel comfortable.” She wiped her hands with the dish towel. “I don’t have any blind friends,” I said. “You don’t have any friends,” she said. “Period. Besides,” she said, “goddamn it, his wife’s just died! Don’t you understand that? The man’s lost his wife!” I didn’t answer. She’d told me a little about the blind man’s wife. Her name was Beulah. Beulah! That’s a name for a colored woman. “Was his wife a Negro?” I asked.” (Carver 105) In this quote, the husband judging Robert because he is blind and black. The husband in this story is similar to a lot of people in society. People are constantly criticized badly on their appearance. Due to society and people judging other the husband already had an idea of how Robert might be. Throughout history, people tend to think the disabled are not capable of everyday things. Like Robert people who have any kind of

Robert was judged throughout the story because he was blind. The husband was the main character who discriminated the blind man before even getting to know him as a person. In this story, there are many ways to analyze disability criticism. The four significant ways this story relates to disability criticism is the social aspect, hidden judgment of the wife, physical limitations, and being disabled does not make you less intelligent. At the end of the story after Robert traced the husband drawing of what a cathedral looked liked. In the story when it said ““It’s all right,” he said to her. “Close your eyes now,” the blind man said to me. I did it. I closed them just like he said. “Are they closed?” he said. “Don’t fudge.” “They’re closed,” I said. “Keep them that way,” he said. He said, “Don’t stop now. Draw.” So we kept on with it. His fingers rode my fingers as my hand went over the paper. It was like nothing else in my life up to now. Then he said, “I think that’s it. I think you got it,” he said. “Take a look. What do you think?” But I had my eyes closed. I thought I’d keep them that way for a little longer. I thought it was something I ought to do. “Well?” he said. “Are you looking?” My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything. “It’s really something,” I said.” (Carver 113) In this quote is a great example