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The narrator in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” is not a particular sensitive man. I might describe him as being self-centered, superficial, and egotistical. And while his actions certainly speaks to these points, it is his understanding of the people and the relationships presented to him in the story which show most clearly his tragic flaw. While Robert is physically blind, it is the narrator who cannot clearly see the world around him. In the eyes of the narrator, Robert’s blindness is his defining characteristic. As we move from the beginning to the end of the story, you will see a change in the narrator’s insight on life. The opening line of “Cathedral” reads, “This blind man, an old friend of my wife’s, he was on his way to spend the night”(1055). Clearly the narrator cannot see past Robert’s disability; he dismisses him in the same way a white racist might dismiss a black person. Another example that shows that the husband is “blind” comes i