A character that I would have to say speaks to me the most would have to be
the husband in Cathedral by Raymond Carver. I say that he related to me the most
because he seemed to be the jealous type of person and a man that noticed
everything and made a bigger deal to most things that probably were nothing. Just
to give a brief summary of the story it was about a man who’s wife had a male friend
coming to visit her and he didn’t feel the greatest about it.
“She made the first contact after a year or so,” (page. 1496), little details like
this that are stuck in someone’s memory I would say is because although it doesn’t
matter whom contacted whom first, bottom line is they are still in touch, it still
mattered to him was it his wife that tried contacting him or was she okay with
leaving him in her past. “Now this same blind man was coming to sleep in my
house,” (Page. 1497). Another great example of how the husband felt jealous, he
wasn’t just stating the obvious that the man he was describing was the same man
visiting he meant that the man that HIS wife had a past relationship with and was
still very close to, whom had touch and caressed all over her face was now coming to
see his wife. I think that it was one thing for them to have a long distance
relationship but the moment that he decided to come visit it just wasn’t the same. I
would’ve been the same way, I actually do not think that I would have even allowed
that type of friendship going on for so long in my marriage nor would I have allowed
the to sleep under the same roof. It was clear that he didn’t want him coming in
their home when the wife stated that she would be upset and feel unloved if he
didn’t welcome her guest.
Also I am the type that likes to be reassured or have some sort of validation
and the husband is the same way I could tell when he said, “ I waited in vain to hear
my name,”(Page 1500). I would have felt some type of way as well, it was as if she
was describing and going over all the great things and big moments that had
occurred In her life and she didn’t for one moment mention his name.
I think that this character speaks to me because I have been in similar
situations with my relationship’s, female friends are in absolute no-no. Hearing how
the wife felt about rather he would accept her friends or not made me realize that in
relationships you have to have real trust. Trust isn’t keeping your significant other
away from the world it’s being able to trust and support them no matter where they
are and with whomever. Without being open-minded you are passing up plenty of
chances you have to meet great people, ill never know what bonds I’ve past up on
because I didn’t want to give meeting certain people a chance just because of events
in their past. The husband had a really great time with the blind man once he finally
gave him a chance.
Raymond Carver, Cathedral. The Norton Anthology American Literature.
Nina Baym. Robert Levine. New York, London. 2013.