Cathedral Analysis

Alien Invasion.

Have you ever had an intruder break into your house? Or have a guest that was simply not welcome? This is how the husband (who I will refer to as "Jack" in this paper) feels in the beginning of "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver. In Jack's mind, Robert, his wife's blind friend, is an unwelcome guest invading his house, his space, his dwelling. Going back to primal instincts, Jack's territory is invaded by another alpha male and he is threatened. Not only does Jack feel threatened by Robert, but Jack feels his dwelling is threatened on three distinct levels: the physical dwelling, the people within the dwelling (the wife, who I will refer to as Alice), and the image of Jack as the "king of the castle" within the dwelling.

The story revolves around Jack's narrow-minded jealousy of a blind man named Robert, whom Alice read to and kept company one summer eleven years ago. Alice and Robert sent tapes back and forth enabling them to remain close friends, surviving many moves, marriages, Alice's divorce, and Beulah's (Robert's wife) death from cancer. Now, Robert is in town visiting his Beulah's relatives when he asks to visit Alice and Jack. Alice was absolutely thrilled with the news and enjoys Robert's company throughout the night. Jack was not as thrilled, in fact he was uncomfortable about a blind man staying in his house, and even more irritated that his wife was so happy and giggly around Robert.

Jack feels threatened by Robert coming into the house. Having Robert stay over was not Jack's idea and he is very uncomfortable with this arrangement; "A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to" (1). He knows that his wife wants Robert to stay at his house and Jack is complying with Alice's wants, although he's not secretive about his distaste for the blind man; "Now this same blind man was coming over to sleep in my house" (2). His house is not the only thing threatened by this intruder.

Jack has no friends (2); he has a...