Cathedral | Themes

Cathedral Themes

Alienation and Loneliness

Like the characters in many of Carver's works, the main characters experience, or have experienced, alienation and loneliness. The narrator is unhappy in his work, jealous of his wife, and unconnected to other human beings. In addition to not being connected to others himself, he seems to resent his wife's connections to other people as well. When he speaks of the impending visit by the blind man he states, "I wasn't enthusiastic about his visit.... A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to." Further, once Robert arrives at the narrator's home, the narrator makes no special effort to engage him in conversation. He prefers to remain isolated and observe. Indeed, as the conversation lags, the narrator turns on the television, an act that is not only rude, but one that provides evidence of the narrator's complete disengagement with his wife and her friend.

The...
(read more)