The Cathedral
In the Raymond Carvers story The Cathedral, irony has been applied as a main literature device. He used it to show the contrast between what is expected and what really happened later in the narrative. This paper is therefore going to look at the types of irony depicted in the story, thus explaining how they have been used.
The writer applies dramatic, situational and verbal irony too. Dramatic irony happens when the reader knows something that the writer does not really know or understand (Werlock, Abby, & James, 7). Verbal irony is where the writer writes or says anything that means another thing or he uses a phrase to convey his meaning that is completely opposite of literature meaning (Facknitz, 6). Situational irony occurs where the expected does not happen, but the result is humorous. He uses these types of irony as feature to create humor in his narration (Messer, 8).
Dramatic irony can be clearly identified from the text through the following instance. When the narrators wife tells the narrator that she used to exchange tapes with Robert when she became desperate of relationship with her husband who was a soldier (Zhou, 5). Furthermore, she says that they used to share their secrets with one another since was desperate of her relationship with her soldier husband. This consequently shows that there was something that was going on between Robert and the narrator’s wife. Although Ed’s wife says that they had been friends, their relationship was more than Ed could think (Werlock, Abby, & James, 8). Most women do not necessarily share their secrets with male friends without any genuine reason. On the other hand, Robert had also lost his wife Beulah and was now single. This clearly shows that Robert and Ed’s wife were more than just friends and they were therefore looking forward to getting something together.
Another instance of irony is when Beulah, Robert’s wife became her reader before they got engaged and thereafter they got married in the church (Facknitz, 6). His wife later contracted cancer after eight years of their marriage and she finally passed on. This is ironical simply because Robert drinks alcohol, smokes cigarettes and marijuana when he visits Ed’s wife. According to the dictates of the Christians who are saved, one is not supposed to smoke or take alcohol. Robert seems not to care about his religion or otherwise if he is saved or not (Werlock, Abby, & James, 9). He decides to drink alcohol and do things which he is not supposed to be actually doing as a saved person. It is also ironical that Beulah could live with a husband who could hardly see her or even compliment about the way she had dressed. This made it hard for Ed to pity Beulah since she really lived a very hard type of life bearing in mind that she was happily married to a blind man who never showed her how much he loved her and she dies from cancer after eight years of their marriage (Zhou, 5).
It’s ironic that the narrator seems to be ignorant disdained by blindness while he is just limited on his own sight (Peterson, 8). The narrator can be able to see but he is not able to realize whatever is making him not to be able to achieve his goals in life. This story is ultimately on transcendence. This is through existence that is beyond the physical things (Carver, 30). The writer lacks an insight of wonder for things, potential to be great, humanity and curiosity that can make someone to be alive even though he or she is limited from physical factors. In order to understand this, one can analyze this through his personal voice, the narration is from his vivid personality (Messer, 8). He is forthcoming with his readers through what he shares insecurity on myriad but also in personal qualities that he reveals. He is crude, glib and mean, this is through the absence of power to deliver anything and this affects his story. Though in the characterization there is irony in that disguises the author’s main problem. The character seems to observe themselves more than they are able to control themselves.
The writer also applies verbal irony, through the following instances. When Robert asks Ed to bring a pen and a paper and draw the cathedral for him (Carver, 33). Robert then feels the size of the paper as if he is able to understand the type of paper that Ed is supposed to draw on. He then asks Robert to draw the Cathedral something which he will not even be able to see. It ironical since he cannot be able to see whatever is being drawn and he still insists that the Ed draws the cathedral on the paper (Werlock, Abby, & James, 10).
On the other hand, it is also ironical for Ed to ask Robert which side he had sat on the train. This is because it was of no significance for Ed to know which side Robert had actually sat while on the train. Robert was blind and he could not therefore be able to understand whether he sat on the left or right side of the train (Peterson, 10). In addition it was also ironical when Ed asked his wife if Beulah was a Negro. This question did not please Ed’s wife who did not answer as there was no reason as to why she should answer such a question. Ed was asking questions which could not be answered since they were not significant at all. It was also not expected of Ed to ask such a question as the person who was being talked about was actually Robert (Zhou, 6). It was supposed of Ed to ask his wife questions concerning Robert and not questions of whether Robert’s wife was a Negro. This consequently showed how Robert was not interested in his wife’s story.
Situational irony is depicted is also depicted from this narration, when Robert tells the narrator that he has two television sets. One which is of color while the other one is black and white. It is ironical that Robert has two televisions when he cannot be able to see. One might question why he has a two different types of televisions when he cannot actually be able to watch anything at all. Moreover, Robert knows the differences between the two TV’s and he can be able to tell the one which is black and white and the one which is colored (Messer, 8).
On the other hand, it is ironical for Robert to tell Ed that after smoking marijuana, he could not be able to sleep early (Peterson, 12). This is because marijuana is a drug known for making a person to feel relaxed thus falling easily asleep. Robert had also taken a very huge meal and they had also drunk alcohol and one could not afford to stay awake for long but Robert was not the type of a person to sleep at such a time (Carver, 35).
Conclusion
Irony was the greatest contributor in this story, the greatest part of this narration came from came from Ed’s thoughts with some dialogues and memories from the past. From the text, now that the blind man was to visit the husband, he thought of how he would take him bowling. He told his wife that he had a friend who was to visit him and he wanted to make him comfortable. This is interesting because he husband makes use of his thoughts to show his personality of which came out to be sarcastic. The husband kept on thinking on what he was going to react or say in the current situation throughout the blind man’s visit in which was a substantial situation. He thought only revolved on the Beulah husband life and how he looked like. This thought was rather ironic than a plain meaning. He thought of how his wife died for he knew how Beulah looked like.
Work Cited
Carver, Raymond. Cathedral: Stories. , 2015. Internet resource.
Werlock, Abby H. P, and James P. Werlock. The Facts on File Companion to the American Short Story. New York NY: Facts On File, Inc, 2010. Internet resource.
Zhou, Jingqiong. Raymond Carver's Short Fiction in the History of Black Humor. New York: P. Lang, 2006. Print.
Messer, H. Collin. "Fleeing The Wasteland Of Alcoholism: Alienation, Recovery, And Hope In Raymond Carver's Cathedral." Studies In Short Fiction 37.1 (2012): 43-58. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
Peterson, Polly Rose. "Psychological Distance In Raymond Carver's CATHEDRAL." Explicator 70.3 (2012): 167-169. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
Facknitz, Mark A.R. "'The Calm,' 'A Small, Good Thing,' And 'Cathedral': Raymond Carver And The Rediscovery Of Human Worth." Studies In Short Fiction 23.3 (1986): 287. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Apr. 2011
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Weise, Jillian. "Cathedral By Raymond Carver." Literary Review 57.4 (2014): 122-130. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
