Stereotypes in Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay - 1335 Words

Stereotypes are no secret. Everybody develops them in some way or another and uses them in social interactions. These generalizations, both positive and negative, about a characteristic(s) of a group (â€Å"Stereotypes) have existed throughout modern and historical societies. The husband in Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† interacts with Robert based off of stereotypes formed from social norms and media portrayals of disabled persons. He treats Robert in a negative manner at first relying on those prejudices, but as he comes to know Robert, he re-develops his stereotypes and interacts with Robert in a more positive way. Dr. Munyi of Kenyatta University states in â€Å"Past and Present Perceptions Towards Disability: A Historical Perspective† that fear,†¦show more content†¦Because of this the husband was completely ignorant about blind people and could only rely on his preconceived notions about the blind to interact with Robert. The husband thought al l blind people always wore dark glasses and used a cane or guide-dog. He didn’t think blind men smoked because they couldn’t see the smoke. He even says â€Å"My idea of blindness came from the movies.† Those movies had portrayed blind people as slow, never laughing, and being guided by guide-dogs implying and enforcing the stereotype that the blind/disabled are helpless, weird, and/or inferior. Kemp says in a paper from 1981, the same year â€Å"Cathedral† was published, that there are three main ill-mannered views of the blind: non-acceptance, the blind are helpless and dependant, and the sighted must help the blind. These are all negative and are representative of the way the blind were viewed during the time of the story showing how the husband saw Robert as a blind man. Stereotypes may vary from community to community and person to person, but the husband’s views are not exclusively unique. A study by (Saetermoe et al.) and showed that differ ent ethnic groups of America view different disabilities with different levels of harshness. The paper says that many discriminatory practices exist because we place stigmas on all sorts of disabilities. With respect to blindness, the study showed that other ethnicities have also placed stigma on the blind and socially isolate themShow MoreRelatedRaymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† vs. Tess Gallagher’s â€Å"Rain Flooding Your Campfire†1575 Words   |  7 PagesRaymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† and Tess Gallagher’s â€Å"Rain Flooding your Campfire† are good examples of intertextual dialogue between two writers. These two stories show us how two writers can grow and develop short stories differently from the same experience. There are similarities between the stories, such as the use of a first person narrator, the plot, setting, and also there is an interchange between the narrator and the blind man in both stories. But withi n these similarities there are alsoRead More Blind Faith in Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay920 Words   |  4 PagesBlind Faith in Raymond Carvers Cathedral      Ã‚   In the story Cathedral by Raymond Carver, the main character, goes through a major personal transformation.   At the beginning of the story, his opinions of others are filled with stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice.   Through interaction with his wifes blind friend Robert, his attitude and outlook on life changes.   Although at first he seemed afraid to associate with a blind man, Roberts outgoing personality left him with virtually noRead MoreComparing Two Dramatic Comedies: Raymond Carver’s Cathedral and Guy de Maupassant’s The Jewelry827 Words   |  4 PagesA reader looking for a story where there is drama, but still humor will be satisfied with Raymond Carver’s Cathedral and Guy de Maupassant’s The Jewelry. 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Maryann wasRead More The Character of the Husband in Raymond Carvers Story Cathedral1108 Words   |  5 PagesThe Character of the Husband in Raymond Carvers Story Cathedral In Raymond Carvers Cathedral, the husbands view of blind men is changed when he encounters his wifes long time friend, Robert. His narrow minded views and prejudice thoughts of one stereotype are altered by a single experience he has with Robert. The husband is changed when he thinks he personally sees the blind mans world. Somehow, the blind man breaks through all of the husbands jealousy, incompetence for discernmentRead More Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay955 Words   |  4 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;As with many short stories, Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral† only has a few pages to develop his main character and create a scenario he or she must learn from or achieve something from or change because of. In such a short amount of space, word choice is integral in constructing a solid impression of the characters and their personalities in the reader’s mind. Carver’s simple use of language and sentence structure combined with his choice for point of view creates anRead MoreAnalysis Of The Story Cathedral By Raymond Carver1305 Words   |  6 PagesStory â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carver is about true blindness and the effects of emotional contact. Peterson studies the use of determiners, a and the, that refer to the blind man in the story and its effects to establish the atmosphere of the story. He states that the change in determiner seems subtle, but these subtle changes are significant because the changes show how narrator feel about Robert throughout the story. Nesset studies the sexual polices and the love lives in several Carver’s storiesRead MoreLiteral vs. Figurative Blindness Essay example1176 Words   |  5 Pagesplays a part or pride. In Cathedral by Raymond Carver, it describes a few myths that society has portrayed and opinions of the visual impaired. The main focus is getting to know the person before drawing a conclusion. Its not fair to anyone to be neglected whether you are visual impaired or have the functionality of what is considered to be a normal human being. Exposing people to literal and figurative blindness is a true eye-opener. In Raymond Carver’s story, Cathedral, depicts a charismaticRead MoreCompare and Contrast - to Room Nineteen Cathedral734 Words   |  3 PagesIn both Doris Lessing’s â€Å"To Room Nineteen† and Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral†, the protagonists exhibit a kind of selfishness. Although they share this similarity, they present their selfishness in different ways, and ultimately make very different life decisions based upon this. The Rawling family had â€Å"everything right, appropriate, and what everyone would wish for, if they could choose.† The husband and wife, Matthew and Susan, had a picture-perfect marriage, â€Å"†¦people to whom others came for