Alejandra Yanez Eng 1B Blog

1. Who is the main character or protagonist of the story?
         The main character in Cathedral is the husband (the blind man's friend's husband). He is the narrator and the point of view is coming from solely him; this type of narration is participant. The story unfolds through the eyes of the narrator who is recounting both, how he and his wife met and his personal account about Robert's visit (the old blind man). In other words, how Robert touched both their lives. .

 2. Make a quick list of the character's physical, mental, moral, or behavioral traits. Which seem especially significant to the action of the story?  

• The narrator of the story is judgmental, jealous, fearful, sarcastic, and anti social. Carver writes, "A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to (81). Just by reading the 1st paragraph it is crystal clear that the husband does not like the idea about having a blind man coming to visit his wife. All throughout the story, except for the end, the narrator’s mental and behavioral traits seem to be that of isolation and fearfulness. He is not keen on his wife having such a meaningful relationship with someone she met ten years ago. His wife even makes a comment, "you don't have any friends" (83).  Nothing is given about the characters physical traits, but just by the way his character development unfolds one can assume he is a white man, probably in his thirties who drinks his sorrows away. Throughout the story the narrator kept drinking his drink after drink and would isolate himself from communicating with the Robert and his wife. 

•   No physical traits are given about the narrator’s wife, but her behavioral and mental traits are the pivotal points as to how she got to meet Robert. Before she was married to her husband, she tried to commit suicide. Carver writes, "She went in and swallowed all the pills and capsules in the medicine chest and washed them down with a bottle of gin" (82). Her actions for trying to kill herself were feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and isolation. It is not until she meets Robert that her whole demeanor changes. Carver states, "I saw my wife laughing as she parked the car. I saw her get out of the car and shut the door. She was still wearing a smile. Just amazing" (84). Her husband is going through a reminiscent feeling she went through before meeting Robert. 

• Robert the old blind man's physical traits... "This blind man was late forties, a heavy-set, balding man with stooped shoulders, as if he carried a great weight there. He wore brown slacks, brown shoes, a light-brown shirt, a tie, a sports coat. Spiffy. He also had this full beard" (84).  He is not your typical blind man because "he didn't use a cane and he didn't wear dark glasses". There is something about this old man that makes one want to go more in depth of who this man truly is. As the reader, one knows that there is something more to this man than meets the eye. He is genuine, warm, caring, compassionate, and open minded. He states that "we learn something new every day" (88). The way he touches people is so soothing that it changes people's behavior and mental status. It did for both the husband and the wife. 

 3. Does the main character have an antagonist in the story? How do they differ?
         Technically there is no antagonist in the story, but I think possibly the narrator can be his own antagonist. He isolates himself from everyone and he does not allow himself to socialize with people outside his comfort zone. His own wife tells him that he has no friends (83). His solution for his despair is to drink, roll and smoke a blunt. Carver writes, "I got our drinks and sat down on the sofa with him. Then I rolled us two fat numbers. I lit one and passed it. I brought it to his fingers. He took it and inhaled" (87). I concluded that he most likely does this every night after his wife goes to bed. He mentions that they never go to bed at the same time (87). He waits for her to go to bed and then rolls up a joint. He smokes it by himself and in his living room, while watching cathedrals on TV late at night. He is a loner, but he forces this on himself. He alienates himself from people, even from his own wife. He fights against himself. He can choose to struggle against himself or fight to change his way of viewing and living life in isolation. 


4. Does the way the protagonist speaks reveal anything about his or her personality?         
          Yes, as I mentioned earlier. To me this guy seems lonely; he has this emptiness in him that does not allow him to reach out to others. He is quick to judge and he is not a people person. Carver writes, "They talked of things that had happened to them-to them!- these past years. I waited in vain to hear my name on my wides sweet lips" (86). From the time Robert gets to his home, instead of being active in socializing with him, he just stays there in silent. He does not do much when it comes to being involved with people. He is quick to judge though. He hated the idea of some old blind man coming to his home and spending the night to pay a visit to his wife. If anything he seems irritated at the fact that his wife could not stop smiling and gazing at the old man since he got to their home. He seems not to give people a chance, but instead he boots them out before they can get close. His wife is probably the only exception. 


5. If the story is told in the first person, what is revealed about how the protagonist views his or her surroundings? 
        The story is told in first person. He views his surroundings as being his gateway from having to deal with his lack of participation with other people. By hiding behind his TV he feels that he does not have to confront his issues, when in fact his surroundings are the very thing that is jeopardizing his state of mind. Also, how keeps a close eye on his wife and Robert at all times. His jealousy gets the best of him and makes him keep a constant eye on both of them. The story being in first person lets us tap into what emotions like distrust and insecurity the husband has over his wife being so close with Robert. It is not a matter of assumption, but rather actual truth me as the reader gets just by reading.


6. What is the character's primary motivation? Does this motivation seem reasonable to you?
          The character's motivation is primarily to ensure that nothings happen between his wife and Robert. Even though he is old and blind, he still feels somewhat threaten by his arrival. The comments he would make to his wife about the old man were sardonic. Carver writes, "Her name was Beulah. Beulah! That's the name for a colored woman. Was his wife a Negro?" (83). His comments or "jokes" tend to reflect on his discomfort of having he old man stay at his home. Even when Robert arrives, he feels jealous because his wife instead of looking at him looks and tends to Robert. He waits in agony for his wife to bring him up in a conversation.



7. Does the protagonist fully understand his or her motivations?
        The husband does not really understand his own motivations. I mean, he comes to his own assumptions about what Roberts real intentions are with his wife. He is just so quick to judge this man without getting to know him personally and not just what he hears from his wife. I bet he must feel pretty stupid after he comes to a realization about Roberts intentions and the impact he had on him by just by one touch. 



8. In what ways is the protagonist changed or tested by the events of the story?           
          Robert comes to visit! The husband has an epiphany after Robert guides his fingers to draw a cathedral. Carver writes, "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" (93). He realizes that he tends to alienate people and isolate himself from others. This realization comes from the midst of the drawing "session" he has with Robert. This epiphany is slowly built; Robert asks the husband if he is in any way religious (91). They began to converse and Robert has an idea and from their on the motion of the pen takes over. His character seems a bit more caring after he sees what things are really for. For once he let himself go completely and realized what he has been fighting against and that was himself. 





My Protagonist