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I was struck by several things while reading Cathedral. The narrator begins with a set opinion of what blind people are like, and by the end of the story he has completely been proved wrong. What makes these changes most apparent is the fact that the narrator seems to confide in the reader. He admits that his idea of what blind people are like is completely derived from what he has seen in movies (though he doesn't seem to realize how superficial this fact is). The fact that he is frank barely mitigates how superficial he is. He does confess up-front that "[He's] never met, or personally known, anyone who was blind." But instead of maintaining an open mind about it, he draws conclusions before ever meeting Robert. Luckily, he is not so set in his opinions that he can't be changed by Robert, and as the story progresses the narrator seems to come to realize that it was he himself whose eyes need to be opened.
- Erika Preve's blog
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Cathedral
I agree with the comments made here as well. I am also interested in the use of names in the story. Robert constantly calls the narrator "Bub" and the narrator never calls Robert by his name. Since the two men only speak when they are alone, there is no need for the narrator to call Robert by any name. It creates a closer bond between the two and I believe that it allows them to open up to one another and for the narrator to accept Robert. Another factor that may have helped in easing the situation is that the two men smoke. Robert is clearly new at this habit of the narrator's. Since Robert tries it so willingly and trusts the narrator, it makes it easier for the narrator to trust him and draw the cathedral later on in the evening.
Cathedral
Erika I agree with you about the narrator in this story. Though he has stereotypes about Robert, he is proven wrong by the end of the story. I think Robert has not only opened his eyes about blind people, but may have changed the stereotypes he has of other individuals.
What struck me about this
What struck me about this story almost immediately was the way the narrator's thoughts were conveyed. His frankness about his conceptions made me feel like I was a part of his thoughts. Honestly, I think that way sometimes. Even if it's for a second, sometimes I do jump to conclusions about people I meet or even pass on the street. This aspect of the narrator's thoughts made it easy to not like him at first, but also made the story very relatable.