My Writing Portfolio Analysis Paper

Sinara Isoyan Expository Writing (Section D) Instructor: Christian Garbis Date: December 7, 2016 Analysis Paper A Visual Experience of Transcendence Cathedral written by Raymond Carver is a raw and straightforward story about the relationship of a married couple and a blind person; however it has more than meets the eye. Initially, the narrator is full of contempt towards his wife’s blind friend as he constantly scorns the blindness. This whole idea is quite ironic, because the narrator is absolutely oblivious to his own blindness, which is presented rather metaphorically as he is unable to see anything beyond the surface level. The short story is essentially about transcendence, which is the existence and experience beyond the normal and physical level. The title of this piece is the most significant symbol of the entire story as when the narrator draws the cathedral towards the end of the story, he is transported into another world and it is as though he has reached some sort of an epiphany. At the end, the narrator is able to transcend. The cathedral drawn by the narrator represents the basic notion of transcendence, because for the first time, the narrator is able to see beyond the surface and appreciate the actual meaning that lies within the drawing, within his representation of a cathedral. The difference between looking and seeing is prevalent throughout the entire story and this difference is heavily emphasized through the two main characters, the narrator and the blind man. While the narrator’s world is quite unambiguous and dull, the blind man’s ability to see beyond the surface makes his life creative and curious, and this is what accentuates the irony between the one who can see and the one who cannot. The narrator’s utter detachment from life 1