Even with his inability to see, Robert can still connect, or show empathy for the narrator’s wife and she can also empathize with Robert. It may also be significant that the audiotapes that Robert and the narrator’s wife send each other involve sound and not sight. Robert’s touching of the narrator’s face may also be symbolic as it suggests the connection of two people. This is noticeable by the fact that she had previously attempted to write a poem about the incident of Robert touching her face. Also Robert appears to have left an impression on the narrator’s wife.
The strong bond or connection that the narrator’s wife has with Robert is noticeable by her continued sending of tapes to Robert, updating him about her life. Again this could suggest a detachment from others. It is as if the narrator prefers to be ignorant of what Robert might think of him, rather than hearing something that he may dislike. The narrator’s insecurity regards Robert is also noticeable through his refusal to listen to one of Robert’s tapes which makes mention of the narrator. It is possible that the narrator remains insecure about his wife’s first husband, just as he is insecure about her relationship with Robert. It is interesting, that though he has the opportunity to tell the reader the first husband’s name, he never does. Just as the narrator is jealous of his wife’s connection or relationship with Robert, the reader also suspects that he is also jealous of his wife’s first husband. For the first time he is seeing, rather than looking. This is ironic as later in the story it will be through Robert’s guidance that the narrator begins to see things in a fresh light or as some critics might suggest, it is at the end of the story that the narrator finally opens his eyes to the world around him. The narrator also appears to have a very limited viewpoint on blindness.
If anything the narrator views Robert’s visit as an inconvenience. Not only is he displeased with the fact that Robert is visiting but the reader also senses that in some ways the narrator is also jealous of the connection that his wife has with Robert. Taken from his collection of the same name the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed man and from the beginning of the story the reader realises how detached the narrator is. In Cathedral by Raymond Carver we have the theme of jealousy, insecurity, isolation, detachment and connection.
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