Raymond Carver is one of the all-time greatest postmodernist short story writers in America. His story “Cathedral” is just one fantastic example of his genius. In “Cathedral,” Carver skillfully utilizes the postmodern elements of fractured narrative, nihilism, and the anti hero to tell the story of one eye-opening evening in his main character’s life.
Postmodern literature is characterized by an absence of completely linear narrative. The narrative in “Cathedral” is no straightforward tale told directly from beginning to end, Carver utilizes several flashbacks to fill his reader in with necessary information. The first flashback begins with the second paragraph of the story and continues onto the second page, as far as “I’d heard all I wanted to” (161). This initial flashback covers the history between the main character’s wife and the blind man, as well as her previous marriage, information that is very pertinent to the rest of the story. The second flashback starts on page 162 with “Belulah had gone to work for the blind man…” It ends later the same page with the single-word sentence “Pathetic.” This flashback gives a brief history of Robert and Belulah and also a glimpse into the main character’s feelings toward his visitor.
Another important feature of postmodernism is nihilism, or belief in nothing. In “Cathedral,” Carver gives us a perfect example of a nihilist in the main character. Late in the story, when the narrator and Robert are sitting around talking while the narrator’s wife is asleep on the couch, they begin to discuss cathedrals, and by extension, religion. While describing a cathedral to Robert, the narrator says “In those olden days, when they build cathedrals, men wanted to be close to God. In those olden days, God was an important part of everyone’s life.” (168). He refers to religious beliefs in past tense, meaning that, in his opinion, the importance of God is somewhat diminished in modern times. Later on, the narrator says “I guess I don’t believe in it. In anything. Sometimes it’s hard. You know what I’m saying?” (168). The narrator is a nihilist. Not only does he not believe in religion, but it also seems so far removed from his modern existence that he can’t see why anyone would believe in God at all.
The anti-hero who somehow manages to perform a meaningful task is a prominent part of postmodernism, as well. Carver’s main character is a social outcast, his wife says as much on page 162, “you don’t have any friends,” she said. “Period…” He’s also a frequent drug user. “Every night I smoked dope and stayed up as long as I could before I fell asleep” (166). He seems incapable of relating to other human beings, referring to Robert only as “the blind man” for the majority of the story. He never mentions his wife’s name or even his own throughout the course of the story. Somehow, he manages to help Robert discover what a cathedral really looks like and is rewarded with a revelation of his own because of it. The last line, “it’s really something” (169) is the narrator’s realization that he’s just taken the first step into a larger world in spite of his anti-social tendencies. It’s doubtful that his life will be the same afterwards.
Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” is a consummate piece of postmodernist literature. Carver places a nihilistic anti hero within a non-linear narrative to deliver the story of his main character’s awakening to his own shortcomings. The ability to deliver such a meaningful message within the confines of such a seemingly-normal story was one of Carver’s greatest talents.
