Cathedral Essay Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

El Ikor Professor Ravita English 1102 February 21, 2013 . Judge not, lest ye be judged. Two’s company and three’s a crowd. These are all well- known cliches that Raymond Carver was able to incorporate into his short story Cathedral. These cliches were able to take form as the story’s theme. The narrator (Bub) had a noticeable and open prejudice towards blind people. Carver was able to grasp how a person with a physical disability is coddled by society instead of being treated like an equal being.

Bub’s anxiety and lack of enthusiasm was apparent when his wife invited her blind friend, Robert over for a visit. In the text Bub stated that he was not looking forward to having a blind man in his home. Within the story the narrator shows his ignorance and lack of factual knowledge of blind people. The narrator needed a personal experience with a disabled person before being able to comprehend the degree of his ignorance. His experience with a blind man taught him more than he was expecting to learn. Bub was able to discard his pre conceptions of Robert through interaction and surveillance with and of him.

There was not an open welcoming of Robert’s visit from the narrator. Bub’s displeasure for having a blind person in his home originated from uneducated and ignorant beliefs. He truly believed that blind people were never happy and always moved slow. In the story, the narrator is shocked that Robert is able to easily feed himself. Bub’s stereotypical thoughts are evidence of the first cliche, “Don’t judge a book by its cover. ” In the text Bub stated that he’d seen movies of blind people but he never truly interacted with a blind person before. He was very judgmental of Robert before even meeting him.

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From the moment Robert arrived, the narrator began to realize that his pre conceptions of the blind were fallacies. Carver’s use of this cliche conveys one of the underlying themes in the story. Carver’s use of the second cliche “Judge not, lest ye be judged,’ is evident throughout the entire story. Not only did Bub pre judge Robert before meeting him, but also he pre judged all blind people by grouping them into one helpless category. Robert continued to surprise Bub with his normalcy and similarities. Bub assumed that Robert was going to be helpless and in need of constant care.

His assumptions towards blind people were unwarranted and derived from a superabundant intake of television. The fact that something as simple as a beard on a blind man surprised him is evidence that Bub’s ignorance was out of control. Bub was not able to differentiate between fact and fiction therefore he judged without plausible cause. After just a short time with Robert, Bub understood that his previous judgments and assumptions were incorrect. Bub saw that Robert, a blind man, was not as helpless as television would convey him as. Bub’s anxiety about Robert’s visit stemmed from more than him being a blind man.

Bub also felt uncomfortable with the relationship Robert had with his wife. Robert and the narrator’s wife were able to keep a healthy friendship for a decade without seeing each other. Bub and his wife’s relationship lacked communication. In the text it is apparent that the narrator and his wife have constant small tiffs with each other. Robert and Bub’s wife sent each other tapes for years telling stories and keeping touch. Carver used the cliche, “Two’s company and three is a crowd,” as another theme for the story. Robert did not want to feel like the third wheel in his own home.

Bub was jealous of the relationship Robert and his wife shared. The fact that Robert was a blind man connecting with his wife on this level did not make Bub welcome him into his home any more. Carver’s insertions of these latent cliches were fundamental to the story and the growth of Robert’s mental character. All of the cliches ultimately incorporated into the theme of the story. The stories most pre dominant or all powerful cliche was most certainly don’t judge a book by its cover. The narrator was completely insensitive to having a blind man in his home because of his pre conceived ideas.

Bub was able to discard his pre notions of Robert through interaction and surveillance. After spending time with a person that he had these predetermined judgments of, he was able to willing open his mind and see that he was wrong. Bub was able to see more similarities than differences a blind person has with himself. Bub is able to grasp the concept that Robert’s lack of sight does not define him as an individual. He was able to learn valuable lessons from Robert. The underlying cliches without a doubt played there role throughout the story to teach Bub these lessons.

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