In the “Introduction” section, the editor of your textbook makes a strong case for the necessity of literature. She makes the following statement after posing the questions “Why Read Literature?” (6):

Literature written by people from various backgrounds and depicting various places, times, experiences, and feelings will give you some understanding of how others’ lives and worldviews may differ from your own–or how they may be very much the same. (7)

Literature as a whole, and perhaps even more definitively the genre of Fiction, uses the storytelling platform to convey representations of the human experience. Reading and learning about others–their lives, their cultures, their beliefs, their struggles, their strengths and weaknesses, etc–even in a fictional/make-believe capacity, can teach us how to relate and respond appropriately to real situations in which we experience a variety of people different from ourselves. Fiction helps to emphasize the human experience as a valuable one all across the proverbial board, so to speak.

For today’s discussion, I’m hoping to show you how the above specifically applies:

Consider what you know/think about the concept of “disability.” Specifically, think about blindness and any preconceived notions you have about those who live with this condition. Do you feel the same way about them as you did before you read the Carver’s “Cathedral”? Why or why not? What lessons about “disability” might be taken from this story?

Category: Essays