Monday, 12 January 2009
Cathedral
Well in class today I had alot of insight and was able to see that there were alot of different view of this short story. But as we discussed we came to the themes of relationships and being blind. And what came to my mind as I sat there was that when we enter into a relationship whether it be a student-teacher relationship or a one-on-one relationship with someone we're interested in or someone we just met, we enter that relationship, blindly and how this is related to the story for me is that I think that by having the narrator draw that it open both the eyes of the narrator and the minds eyes of Robert of this friendship relationship that they were entering in at that moment in time. Well I hope this is something that all of you have thought of and if you have anything to add please do this hit a great spot for me as I related this part of the story with those relationships that we develope every day.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Good point, K-Cel. We do go into relationships blind, and I think that sometimes we remain that way intentionally. You've heard the phrase "Love is blind," and while I can see that it is important to overlook another's faults, doing that isn't always a good thing. I have a good friend who recently divorced, and she told me, "I should've seen what he was really like when we were dating, but I ignored his faults because I loved him." We all do this to a degree - look at a situation the way we want it to be rather than the way it actually is. Is this ever a good thing? I'm wondering. It obviously wasn't for my friend, but might there be situations where it is important to intentionally be "blind"? I'm not sure I have an answer for this yet. I'm more or less just thinking out loud. But thanks for making me think about it!
ReplyDeleteOoo ooo! I love this topic!
ReplyDeleteJust a few stirred thoughts...
I was talking to my boyfriend about this a few weeks ago, and I've come to be very pro "Love is blind." I think its important to be intentionally blind in a relationship. We need people in our lives who are willing to love us despite our faults and shortcomings and see us for what we can be, to see the "bigger picture" in us. This kind of love is often part of the force that motivates us to be more than what we are, and, if we're lucky enough, a kind that hangs around even after we've failed.
I've known and dated my fair share of "good-for-nothings," and know that when it comes to relationships, its necessary for a balance to exist; to be able to see something for what it is and know whether to love it or leave it. It's not a pure blindness, I suppose, but more like being blind with one eye open... I know it goes beyond the simplicity of this, but I love my cute boyfriend despite his laziness and forgetfulness, and he loves me despite my dramas. =P It's something we've learned to do together, things we've learned to make up for.
In fact, my dramas probably entertain him sometimes...
Yes, I think balance is crucial, Sarah. There has to be a certain amount of blindness in any relationship (not just love relationships), but there are some things that we should never turn a blind eye to. Last night I was watching a VERY high-class, intellectually-stimulating show called "What Would You Do?" where a pair of actors went to a bar and acted like they were on a first date. The woman got up to use the restroom, and while she was gone her date spiked her drink in front of other customers to see if they would say anything. Some did, but others pretended not to see. That kind of intentional blindness is the very thing that I was complaining about in class on Monday, namely that we are a very self-obsessed, insular society, and that we don't want to look up from our iPhones long enough to see that there are people that need our friendship and love, and often our help.
ReplyDeleteSomething else you made me think about is that the "faults" of others can also be something we come to love. I am the stereotypical absent-minded professor sometimes in that I will be so absorbed in some piece of literature or scholarship that I put my shirt on inside out, forget to pay a bill, etc. My wife has come to love this about me. I mean, I'm sure she would be FINE if I always remembered to pay the bills, but she realizes that this is part of the person I am , and she loves my quirks and foibles. That kind of blindness is something I am grateful for every day.