The Allegory of the Cathedral Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and Carver’s “Cathedral” provide insight into parallel worlds. The protagonists in each story are trapped in a cave of ignorance because each is comfortable in the dark, and fearful of what wisdom a light might bring. The narrator in “Cathedral” is forced by the “blind man” to take a risk. This risk leads him into new world of insight and understanding. In the beginning of “Cathedral” the narrator illustrates his reluctance to leave his cave of ignorance. This cave of ignorance is the same as in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”. The narrator shows his ignorance and fear when he says, “ I wasn’t enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me.”(Carver). The narrator felt that being blind was like being in a type of prison and the preconceived notion of self-imprisonment was frightening to him. He felt that blindness was exactly like being a prisoner in Plato’s Cave, a scary world where no light ever penetrated.
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