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CathedralRaymondCarver大教堂雷蒙德．卡佛文章中英文分析《大教堂》是他最著名的短篇之一。主人公的妻子多年来与一位盲人朋友保持联系。一次，盲人朋友终于要来拜访这对夫妇，妻子兴致勃勃，主人公却非但不激动，反而竭力克制自己毫无理由的敌意和鄙夷。和其他一些故事一样，主人公对生活这种无所谓和厌弃相混合的态度，始终是个没有提示的谜题。除了从卡佛自己的生活经历入手，恐怕很难找到别的解释。《大教堂》结尾，主人公在闭着眼睛和盲人一起画画的过程中，绷紧的神经终于放松下来。不是四两拨千斤，而是花大量篇幅在天平一端放了过多郁闷之后，在另一端放一茶匙淡淡的欢欣意思意思。然而，这便是雷蒙德·卡佛。CathedralSummaryCathedralopenswiththenarratortellingthereaderinaconversationaltonethatablindfriendofhiswife'siscomingtovisitthem.Thenarratorisclearlyunhappyabouttheupcomingvisit.Hethenflashesbacktothestoryofhowhiswifemettheblindmanwhensheworkedforhimasareader.Atthetime,shewasengagedtomarryanofficerintheAirForce.Whenshetellstheblindmangoodbye,heasksifhecantouchherface.Thetouchofhisfingersonherfaceisapivotalmomentinherlife,somethingthenarratordoesnotunderstand.Althoughhiswifehasmaintainedcontactwiththeblindmanfortenyears,thiswillbethefirsttimeshehasseenhimsincehermarriage,subsequentdivorce,andremarriage.Robert,theblindman,hasjustlosthiswifeandwillbetravelingtoConnecticuttovisitwithherfamily.Alongthewayhewillspendthenightatthehomeofthenarratorandhiswife.HiswifetellsthenarratorthatRobertandhiswife,Beulah,wereinseparable.ThemesAlienationandLonelinessLikethecharactersinmanyofCarver'sworks,themaincharactersexperience,orhaveexperienced,alienationandloneliness.Thenarratorisunhappyinhiswork,jealousofhiswife,andunconnectedtootherhumanbeings.Inadditiontonotbeingconnectedtoothershimself,heseemstoresenthiswife'sconnectionstootherpeopleaswell.Whenhespeaksoftheimpendingvisitbytheblindmanhestates,''Iwasn'tenthusiasticabouthisvisit...AblindmaninmyhousewasnotsomethingIlookedforwardto.’’Further,onceRobertarrives...Thenarratorisnotanarticulateman;consequently,thenarrationisfilledwithgapsthatthereadermustfillinCathedral”PlotSummaryThestory’snarratorinformsthereadersthatafriendofhiswife’s,amanwhohappenstobeblind,isonhiswaytovisit.Thenarratorisnotenthusiasticaboutthevisitbecauseblindpeoplemakethenarratoruncomfortable,mainlybecausethenarratorhasnorealexperiencewiththeblind.Inadditiontohisuneasinesswiththeblind,thenarratorisuncomfortablewithhiswife’srelationshipwiththeblindman.ThewifeandRobert,theblindman,havemaintainedacloserelationshipviataperecordingsmailedbackandforth,andthenarratorfindsthisunsettling.Despitethenarrator’sfeelingsaboutthevisit,Robertshowsup,andthethreeofthemdinetogether,andRobertandthenarratorgettoknoweachotherCharactersRobert:Robert,theblindman,isalong-timefriendofthenarrator’swife.Roberthasmaintainedacloserelationshipwiththenarrator’swifesincesheworkedforhimyearsago.Sincethen,theyhavestayedintouch.Robertworkshardtogettoknowthatnarrator,too,whileheisvisitingthem,pushingthenarratortotalkandinteractwithhim,bringingthenarratoroutofhisshellofclosed-offignorance.Thenarrator’swifealsoseemstohavesomeinternalstruggle,mainlyduetowhatisdivulgedaboutherpast.Shewasmarriedbeforeandsufferedfromloneliness.Shehasattemptedsuicideinthepast,andnowsheisinadifficultmarriageonceagain.Surely,hadthestorybeentoldfromherperspective,thedepthsofherinternalstrugglewouldbebroughtfurthertolightAttheendof“Cathedral,”thenarratorhasalife-changingmoment,oranepiphany,whiletryingtotellRobertwhatacathedrallookslike.Thenarrator,whenfirsttryingtoexplainwhatthecathedrallookslike,strugglesforthewords.However,uponRobert’sencouragement,loosensup,anddrawsthecathedralwithRobert,guidinghishandwithapencilontopaper.Thisisaclosepersonalconnectionandintimatemomentofcommunicationforthenarrator,anditimpactshimgreatly.ThenarratorisabletoconnectwithRobert,andthisisthemomentwherethenarratorcanputasidehisinsecuritiesandactuallyinteractwithsomeoneelse.Itchangesthenarrator;hesays,“Itwaslikenothingelseinmylifeuptonow”(Carver108).ThroughoutCathedral,theboundariesthenarratorhasplacedonhisinteractionandcommunicationwithothersareerodedbyRobert’spatientpersistenceingettingtoknowhim.Asaresult,thenarratorconfrontshisowninsecuritiesandmisconceptions,notjustaboutRobertandtheblind,butalsoabouthisownabilitytointeractwithothers.