REVIEWS: Cathedral – Nuances of Conversation

Cripes–I’m only on page 3–and there’s so much to go into that I’m going to have to drop some of the lesser points.

The visit begins with tension:

So when the time rolled around, my wife went to the depot to pick him up.  With nothing to do but wait–sure, I blamed him for that–I was having a drink and watching the TV when I heard the car pull into the drive.  I got up from the sofa with my drink and went to the window to have a look.

The obvious question: if he had nothing to do but wait, why didn’t he go with her?  He watches closely his wife’s movements as she gets out of the care:  "She was still wearing a smile. Just amazing."  From a prior conversation between the two I get the sense that she is down-to-earth, honest and caring.  She is trying her best to include her husband in her relationship with Robert–at least to the point of sharing her experiences, but he really prefers to stand back and sulk:  "This blind man, feature this, he was wearing a full beard!  A beard on a blind man!  Too much, I say."  This is a hoot.

I note something interesting here:

My wife said, I want you to meet Robert.  Robert, this is my husband.  I’ve told you all about him". 

She doesn’t introduce her husband by his name–

Then comes a time of one-upsmanship:

"I feel like we’ve already met," he boomed.
"Likewise," I said.  I didn’t know what else to say.  Then I said, "Welcome.  I’ve heard a lot about you."

This wording specifically shows that the narrator wants to let Robert know that he knows all about what’s going on; he’s not in the dark or on the outside of this.  His other option would have been something to put the man ill at ease, to claim his superior position as her husband such as letting him think he was unimportant to her and not discussed at all.

Another subtle indication of his reluctance to show his feelings except via oblivious sarcasm: 

My wife finally took her eyes off the blind man and looked at me.  I had the feeling she didn’t like what she saw.  I shrugged.

Interestingly, he proceeds to describe Robert’s appearance, noting that he had "never met, or personally known, anyone who was blind."  What I think the narrator was more interested in was measuring the man as a potential rival for his wife’s affections.

While the narrator does purposely allow some slips to come through ("Which side of the train did you sit on, by the way?") he does attempt to behave as a proper host.