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Explanation and Analysis:
“Cathedral” is a short story that belongs to the genre of realism. Realist literature seeks to capture life, people, and relationships as they really are rather than romanticizing them. Some scholars place Carver’s work in a subgenre of realism called “dirty realism.” Dirty realist literature features minimalist language, mundane subject matter, working-class or middle-class characters, and a lack of growth or resolution for said characters. (While “Cathedral” meets most of these criteria, it is different from much of Carver’s other writing due to the real emotional growth the narrator experiences by the end of the story.)
One realist element of “Cathedral” is the way that Carver captures dialogue between his characters. Rather than having them speak in lyrical or poetic ways, he has them talk over each other, repeat themselves, and generally speak the way that people would in real life. Take the following passage, for example, which comes after the narrator, his wife, and Robert have a large dinner and smoke marijuana together:
My wife covered her mouth, and then she yawned. She stretched. She said, “I think I’ll go upstairs and put on my robe. I think I’ll change into something else. Robert, you make yourself comfortable,” she said.
“I’m comfortable,” the blind man said.
“I want you to feel comfortable in this house,” she said.
“I am comfortable,” the blind man said.
Here the narrator’s wife repeats that she wants Robert to feel comfortable twice, and Robert affirms that he is comfortable twice. This is something that others writers might have edited out so as not to be repetitive (and therefore keep readers engaged), but Carver, as a realist, is more committed to staying true to the way people speak than moving the plot forward in a particular direction.
This moment is also notable because it demonstrates the intimacy and care between the narrator’s wife and Robert. They have been friends for over 10 years now, exchanging audio recordings of life updates consistently throughout that long span of time. Here the narrator’s wife demonstrates her love and care for her friend by insisting that he be as comfortable as possible during his stay with her.
Related Themes:
