Critical Summary Of Cathedral By Raymond Carver - 1223 Words

Critical Summaries 1-4 1. â€Å"Cathedral† – Raymond Carver This story is told in the first person, depicting the narrator’s experience meeting his wife’s friend Robert. The characters in the story are Bub, the narrator, his wife, and the blind man, Robert. Bub’s wife is caring, empathetic, and affectionate; Robert is kindhearted, appreciative, and open to new experiences. In contrast, Bub is closed to new experiences, selfish, and judgmental. The story takes place in Bub’s home, primarily in his living room, where the three talk about many different things. The wife’s role in the story is to give premise for Robert’s visit, and to keep Bub in check, behaviorally. Robert serves as a contrasting personality to Bub, and his life experience is†¦show more content†¦Bub is unable to empathize with Robert’s disability, and judges him harshly for being blind. He makes snide comments and remarks, such that his dead wife needn’t worry about makeup or wearing matching garments, because Ro bert can’t see her anyway. However, after sharing a large meal, drinking lots of alcohol, and smoking marijuana, Bub makes himself open to being understanding, and becomes less standoffish. When asked to draw the cathedral, he realizes that he doesn’t need to open his eyes to see it. This revelation immediately allows him to empathize with Robert, and completely shatters his previous position. It is implied that Bub has experienced a new level of personal growth, and will likely view the world differently with it. 2. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† – Edgar Allen Poe Another story told in the first-person, â€Å"Fall of the House of Usher† is told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator, as he visits a childhood friend, Roderick Usher. The only other major character in the story is Madeline Usher, Roderick’s twin sister. The story takes place in Roderick’s manor, which has fallen into a state of extreme disrepair. The narrator takes note of this dilapidation, and the estate’s condition becomes a key theme in the story. Roderick’s quarters are dimly lit, with barely any light coming in through the windows. Later in the story, a severe storm hits, and the Narrator is in his room as the estate weathers it. In summary, this