What is a ghost story without suspense? Or a great detective story without tension? Simply nothing. It is the elements of suspense and/or tension that make a story great. As stated by Raymond Carver “There has to be tension, a sense that something is imminent, that certain things are in relentless motion, or else, most often, there simply won’t be a story.” These elements (“tension”, “something is imminent”) allow a reader not only to be engaged in the story but also keeps them at the edge of their seat.
In the short story “Cathedral,” the author, Robert Carver uses tension to keep the readers glued to the story. Right from the start, readers can sense uneasiness the narrator feels upon knowing that his wife’s blind friend, Robert, is going to stay at the house for the night. The narrator is bothered by the man’s blindness and is unhappy about him staying. He claimed: “A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to” (Carver 265).
Upon Robert’s arrival the tension builds up to the peak when Robert asks the narrator to describe a cathedral that was shown on the TV. The narrator finds himself to be in a crisis because he couldn’t even begin to describe the cathedral even if his “life depended on it” (Carver 276). With much attempt, the narrator is still unable to describe the cathedral, saying, “I’m just not good at it” (Carver 276). The narrator is incapable of describing what he sees with words because the truth is he doesn’t understand cathedrals: “…[C]athedrals don’t mean anything special to me. They’re something to look at on late-night TV. That’s all they are” (Carver 277). But, with the help of Robert, the narrator is able to overcome the panic by drawing the cathedral on paper with his eyes closed. By doing so, he is able to both see and understand, something, which he lacked early on in the story.
As I was reading the story, I thought that the narrator was unhappy with Robert coming to the house because he didn’t like the relationship that his wife had with Robert. It is evident that the wife and Robert are very close friends. Ever since they met they have kept in touch with each other by mailing tapes back and forth. I felt the narrator is jealous of the closeness that his wife and Robert have together because it is that closeness that is lacking in his marriage. While the wife is able to laugh with Robert, she is only able to give frowning looks upon her husband (the narrator). The narrator is unable to feel the closeness or a bond with his wife: “They talked of things that happened to them – to them! I waited in vain to hear my name on my wife’s sweet lips…[B]ut I heard nothing of the sort. More talk of Robert” (Carver 271). There is no feeling of love between the narrator and his wife. This is apparent for the wife gives him a look of irritation when he goes to turn on the TV in front of Robert or the fact that they hardly go to bed at the same time.
Raymond Carver has created a piece of work that keeps you (as a reader) wanting to finish reading the story. Written in short proses, the story is easy to follow. The one main element that keeps the story “Cathedral” going is the element of tension that Caver uses. Tension is first brought to the surface when the narrator has knowledge that his wife’s blind friend Robert is going to stay over their house. Along the way, there are droplets of hints about the tension between the narrator and his wife. As a reader you can assume that there is no closeness or love between the husband and wife. The wife gives the narrator demeaning looks, while the narrator fails to understand his wife. It is Robert who helps the narrator bridge the gap between seeing and understanding through a very unique and yet simple method; the art of drawing with eyes closed.
I agree that suspense is something vital to a good story. In reading the Cathedral by Raymond Carver, I was so anxious to finish it because I wanted so badly to know whether or not the narrator would be changed by his new circumstances. It is true that it is the tension that keeps the story moving along. The way Carver writes and portrays the narrator is so blunt and explicit that it gave rise to the curious question: could he change? For example, the narrator uses harsh, sometimes cold, words in recounting his reactions. For instances “pathetic” to describe Robert’s marriage to Beulah (p. 268), and a sarcastic “just amazing” to describe his wife’s jovial reaction to Robert (p. 268).
The way the narrator’s jealousy is portrayed is something that certainly adds some suspense to what’s going on in the story. As Nikita said, it is the closeness between his wife and Robert that he envies. Carver’s description of the narrator’s nightly ritual (smoking a joint and staying awake for as long as possible) is so telling of his loneliness – something his wife clearly does not feel in the presence of Robert. In addition to this, the obvious lack of genuine care the narrator has towards his wife adds to some obvious tension to the story. For example, on page 274, carver writes: ” She turned so that her robe slipped away from her legs… I reached to draw her robe back over her, and it was then that I glanced at the blind man. What the hell! I flipped the robe open again.” Such words paint this narrator to be so cold and unsympathetic, making the reader wonder evermore if he is capable of any change or compassion.
In paragraph three Nikita writes of the change that came over the narrator. From what I see, this is a resolve to the tension of the totality of the story. The shocking willingness of he had to help Robert understand a cathedral speaks volumes. As Nikita wrote, this scene really is the apex of tension in the story. Of course we can still question whether or not his relationship with his wife will change, but this softening of his character is a tremendous start. Do you think there is hope for the relationship between the narrator and his wife? Could Robert be the cause of any changes between the two of them, even though he did spark much of the tension?
– Alyson Bonura