Chapter 22:He's Blind For a Reason

Foster's Ideas

“There are a lot of things that have to happen when a writer introduces a blind character into a story, and even more in a play. Every move, every statement by or about that character has to accommodate the lack of sight; every other character has to notice, to behave differently, if only in subtle ways. In other words, the author has created a minor constellation of difficulties for himself by introducing a blind character into the work, so something important must be at stake when blindness pops up in a story. Clearly the author wants to emphasize other levels of sight and blindness beyond the physical. Moreover, such references are usually quite pervasive in a work where insight and blindness are at issue.” (pg 202/03)

Foster proves in this quotation that introducing a blind character into a piece or literature is quite a challenge for authors. When authors do decide to make a character blind they have to think of the consequences and reactions as well as all other aspects of the story and how it would pertain to this physical disability. There is a lot of work involved in ensuring that a blind person is represented correctly and that the character is authentic. Sometimes its more work for the author to make a blind character than it is the significance of the blind person in the story. Usually when a blind person is involved they are meant to be a symbol, something for other (main characters) to thrive off of. Ironically enough sometimes blind characters are used to help the sight of other (symbolically of course).

In the “Cathedral” Carver introduces the blind man to help the narrator see things in a different light. By introducing something different than what the narrator was accustomed to he had to conform to his wife’s desires to accept the man and along the way learned a lot about himself. Although Carver could have chose someone of a different race, religion, or ethnicity to represent something out of the normal he chose a blind man so that the narrator would have a sense of remorse for acting the way he did at the beginning of the short story. This also gave the narrator time to adjust without offending his guest, because the man was blind he could not see the face of disgust when he walked into the house but at the same time he could not see the face of approval when they were drawing the cathedral together.

Foster makes a valid statement by explaining the significance of blind characters in a novel; not only that but how difficult it may be for the author to inquire a way to fit them into the novel. Like Foster said there is usually a good reason why an author would put a lot of effort into having a blind man teach the lessons.