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Barriers exist in all formsthe widest categories including emotional, social, and physical.

Often, these barriers interfere with our understanding of each other, whether it be through an inability to relate or through a strong repulsion. These can be hidden in the form of subtle prejudices, subconscious biases that even people themselves do not realize and mistakenly think they can control. In The Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, the narrator is highly suspicious of a visting blind man. This suspicion and unfounded hostility exists despite the fact that the man is coming to find solace after just losing his wife. Throughout the storys progression, Carver emphasizes that these barriers inhibit people from truly understanding each other; only through taking the chance to communicate and empathize can people truly learn to love each other. When the blind man first arrives, the narrator blantantly exudes hostility, but, as the blind man cannot see his frustrated body actions, the man feels free to express his anger through scowls and a strained kindness in his voice. The narrator obviously wants the blind man gone; the mans blindness is indescribably unnerving for me, perhaps because he has always had the gift of sight. What he doesnt realize is that the blind man has not the gift of physical sight, but spiritual sight. He is able to see into others and treat them not by appearances but by their hearts intentions. The blind man can likely sense that the narrator is unwelcoming and actively tries to ease the atmosphere by using the casual bub to address him. The fact that he even chances to smoke a dong, which he never has before, to please the man shows he is well-versed in human relations and is equal to the narrator on many levels. The narrator notices the blind mans eyes are white to a shocking degree, as if a clear film has enveloped them. Ironically, a film envelops not the mans eyes but his mind; hes unable to pull aside the cover and view others clearly, instead, hes blinded by preconceived notions. Through interacting with the blind man, the narrator gains new admiration for the mans faculties during dinner, yet he still harbors contempt for him. The dinner is the first step to connecting these two men; the narrator prays before, signifying that they are about to share a communion. The connection is no longer on a physical leve, it has been moved to aspiritual level. Nobody speaks and they share an intense moment of silence, each fully absorbed in their own meals, having no grudges, no contempt, no ill feelings toward anyone. Afterward, the wife purposely leaves the room in an attempt to allow Robert a chance to know the blind man. When she closes her eyes, Robert is the only one left seeing. The roles have been reversed. The blind man was the only one not to see; now Robert is the only one to see. This foreshadows a flip in positions as Robert no longer holds a position of self-superiority, he has been reduced to a disadvantage in this situation. While watching the video. Robert tries to describe a cathedral to the blind man. He stumbles and cannot develop a coherent or detailed description, rather, he seems to ramble and not relate to the man anything of worth. Robert is the blind one who cannot navigate the road to describing a cathedral and falls as he has nobody to guide him. The blind man now takes on the role of of guider and invites Robert to draw a cathedral for him. Although the blind man follows Roberts hand around, he is the one giving Robert the encouragement and helping him draw the cathedral. By the end, Robert has seen his folly and connects to the man on an unseen level. He finally closes his eyes and is able to see.

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