Cathedral Case

The short story "Cathedral" uses imagery, diction, and sentence structure to form the author's attitude and tone. The tone at the end of the short story is transcending, where the author is finally able to see that the blind man is more than how he appears. The narrator's sudden realization that the blind man is more than just a disabled, creates the superior, beyond limits emotions that the narrator and reader feel. The narrator's attitude changes from the beginning to the end; the narrator is indifferent about Robert and finally achieves a level of comfort with him. The author's choice of diction is colloquial and is easy to understand for all readers. "Sure. You got it, bub. I can tell. You didn't think you could. But you can, can't you? You're cooking with gas now. You know what I'm saying? We're going to really have us something here in a minute." The word choice above represents the colloquial diction which is seen throughout the passage and provides for all readers to comprehend at a neutral level. The sentence structure, is short and simple declarative sentences which impact the emphasis on the encouragement that Robert is giving the narrator, this shows that blind is not incapable and is able to lead, which causes the narrator's sudden realization that this blind man has much as an ability to see as anyone else. "So we kept on with it. His fingers as my hand went over the paper. It was like nothing else in my life up to now. But I had my eyes closed I thought I'd keep them that way for a little longer. I thought it was something I ought to do." The author displays the vivid image of the blind man grasping the hand of the narrator to draw the cathedral, through the imagery and sentence structure the authors transcending tone is understood. The use of the image of the blind man's hand and the narrator's hand, hand in hand gives the superior feeling to the audience and the narrator that he finally recognizes the blind man to be more than a blind man, but to finally see him as a normal human being. "My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn't feel like I was inside anything. It's really something." These lines are the closing to the short story which really change the author's attitude and provide the transcending tone. The author's attitude changes from being indifferent to Robert to being content. Robert asked if the narrator can see the drawing, and Robert's answer is truly sincere because he finally achieved the perception of the blind man, where he can actually form the image and feel the same strength in seeing it as the blind man does. The transcending tone impacts the meaning of the short story, by allowing the narrator to finally see an individual with disabilities, as just an individual.