Fantasy, Imagination, and the Quest for Transformation

Throughout its history, literature has gone through myriad different forms and styles. In
the latter half of the 19th century, Romanticism and the fantastic tales of Victorian literature
dominated the literary landscape. Writers began to reject these fanciful tales and responded with
Realismwhich portrays realistic characters living realistic lives. William Dean Howells and
Henry James were two key figures of this wave of 19th century Realism. Their novels portray
businessmen and travelers, which serve to teach us lessons of morality, in stark contrast to the
caricatures we see in Frankenstein and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. In the last part of the 19th
and the first part of the 20th centuries, modernism then came to dominate the arts. Modernist
artists sought to usurp anything traditional with radical innovation. Writers such as William
Faulkner and Marcel Proust gave the world modernist magnum opuses that could not be outdone.
With such works already in the artistic annals, writers such as Richard Yates turned once more to
Realism to provide real stories of real people living real lives. Yates, in his work Revolutionary
Road, gives us a look at the suburban dystopia that is emblematic of American society. Roughly
40 years later, in a postmodernist age, Raymond Carver, in his short-story Cathedral, would use
a different kind of Realism to describe the lives of his own characters. Yates and Carver both
adhere to, yet modify, the aims of Realism in their use of language, their portrayal of class, and
the multitude of ways their characters deal with an underlying sense of alienation and emotional
detachment.
The first way the authors modify the aims of Realism is in their use of language. Realism
as its name would suggestfavors realistic descriptions of real-world situations. Both authors
adhere to this aim: Yates writes about suburbia and Carver about a transformation during an
otherwise mundane visit amongst mediocre people. But the language they use is distinct. Yates
uses florid language to make an impact upon us. His style can be seen in the passage where
Frank and April are arguing after the play: He swung out one trembling fist for a backhanded

blow to her head and she cowered against the fender in an ugly crumple of fear; then instead of
hitting her he danced away in a travesty of boxer's footwork and brought the fist down on the
roof of the car with all of his strength (29). The details of the of the trembling fist, the fear that
April exhibits, and the boxer's footwork are a few examples of the kind of language that is
absent from Carver's story. Carver prefers hyper-minimalist language. We see this
demonstrated in a passage that describes the meal the three characters shared: We dug in. We ate
everything there was to eat on the table. We at like there was no tomorrow.We didn't talk. We ate.
We scarfed. We grazed that table. We were into serious eating (2832). Without the details that
are commonly present in literature, Carver's passage leaves us almost startled in its simplicity.
This is what is going on. These people are eating. Thats it. The impact is different in each work
with Yates we are captivated by his eloquence; with Carver we are inspired by his brevity.
The two authors also approach the issue of class differently. As Realist writers, they both
undoubtedly seek to give us a reasonable look at the respective class each is writing about. They
diverge in which class they discuss. Yates writes from a middle-class perspective. Revolutionary
Road is set in post-WWII, Cold War era, East Coast suburbia. Cathedral is also set on the East
Coast, but Carver is writing from a decidedly working-class perspective. The main symbol we
see of class distinction between the two couples is the fact that the Wheelers only drink alcohol
and smoke cigarettes, but the couple in Cathedral drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and smoke
cannabis as well. Cannabis was undoubtedly a working-class class activity in the 70's and 80's.
The husband also describes the cannabis being of poor quality, 'This stuff is mild. It's dope you
can reason with,' I said. 'It doesn't mess you up (2834).' Smoking cannabis, especially of poor
quality, is a symbol of the working-class.
Related to classbut also reflecting an underlying sense of alienationis the different
way the couples deal with conformity. The Wheelers are initially described as headstrong
idealists who move to the suburbs and adopt the middle-class lifestyle in irony. But for Frank, the
pull of conformity is ultimately too great. His job in at Knox Business Machines in New York

begins to define him and he becomes acclimated to the salary he receives. April is much
different. She is a stay-at-home mother and aspiring community actress, and her desire to
maintain her independence ultimately costs her her life in a failed abortion attempt. Conformity
whether in the adoption of it for Frank or the fear of it for Aprildefines the Wheelers' lives.
But while the couple in Cathedral are definitely alienated from societyreflected by their lack
of stated ambitions, rather apathetic exchange with the blind man, and their aforementioned
cannabis-smokingthere is little anxiety surrounding that alienation. They seem to have a
modicum of acceptance of their lot in life, something the Wheelers are without.
Both authors deal with their protagonists' underlying sense of emotional detachment in
different ways. Yates' work shows us the horror of unrequited love in the life of Frank Wheeler.
Frank cares about April deeply, but he cannot handle the way she pushes him away. She is almost
entirely emotionally detached from him. The passage where the Wheelers got into an argument
after the play shows intense turmoil between them. Frank obviously cares more about April than
she does about him. In a similar vein, Carver's story reflects a sense of emotional distance
between the husband and the wife. In the passage where the woman is catching up with the blind
man, Carver mentions that the husband is waiting for his wife to mention him to their guest, but
she never does. Both men seem to care more about their wives then they care about them. But
they deal with it in different ways: Frank is tumultuous, while the husband is rather stoic.
Another way the emotional detachment is reflected is through the sexuality of the two
couples. Frank and April's marriage is mostly sexless, evidenced by the fact that Frank is
constantly sleeping on the sofa. Carver alludes that his couple has a healthy sexual relationship:
She turned so that her robe had slipped away from her legs, exposing a juicy thigh (2834). This
sentence reflects a healthy appreciation of the wife by the husband. Yates shows us a different
sexual dynamic in the Wheelers' lives: When she did pull away from him, once, it was only to
remove the constriction of lace from her shoulders and let it fall away from her breasts, whose
nipples were hardening and rising even before he covered them with his hands (112). This

passage reflects a sense of apprehension in the Wheelers' sexuality that is not seen in Cathedral.
Yates makes sure to state that April is bound to pull away from Frank, which shows that the
emotional detachment between Frank and April persists even in the bedroom. Sex is usually a
time of connection and intimacy between couples. Not so for the Wheelers. Conversely, the
husband in Carver's work even leaves the wife's robe open in front of the blind man, showing his
confidence in their sexual relationship. Frank has no such confidence. He is so starved of the
solace he seeks from April that he has an affair with Maureen Gruber.
We again see the vast emotional distance between April and Frank in the breakfast
passage right before April performs the failed abortion on herself. Their silence and apathy veils
the deep boiling resentment and hatred April has towards Frank. In Cathedral, the wife doesn't
let her anger seethe. When the husband turns on the TV, Carver tells us, My wife looked at me
with irritation. She was heading toward a boil (2833). In Carver's story, the visible emotion
seems to suggest that underneath the temporary frustration lies a healthy relationship, while in
Yates' novel, the apparent tranquility covers up an unhealthy and distressed relationship.
In both works, the feeling of alienation leads to fantasy, imagination, and a need for
transformation. For the Wheelers, this is manifested by their desire to move to Paris and start a
new life. Paris symbolizes the fantasy of the life they have always wanted. They imagine their
new lives are going to be magical. The time they spend planning this escape is the only time that
we see Frank and April even remotely happy. Unfortunately, when they conceive their third
child, Frank abandons the idea, refueling April's alienation. In Carver's work, the fantasy
manifests itself in the journey of the husband with the blind man. When the man tries to describe
the cathedral to the blind man, he realizes the limits of his mind. He searches for new ways of
describing the cathedral which leads to a quasi-spiritual journey. The story ends with what
appears to be an out-of-body experience for the husbandthe culmination of that journey.
Although both authors are Realists, they employ the mechanisms of fantasy and
imagination differently in their works. Yates demonizes fantasy and imagination, while Carver

celebrates it. We see Yates' almost fervent adherence to Realism in the fact that Frank screams at
April that her desire for an abortion and the trip to Paris are fantasies. Yet Carver uses fantasy
and imagination as tools of rebirth and discovery, rather than mere distractions.
The fantasy and imagination also assume a spiritual dimension in both works. The
Wheelers seek their transformation through secular culture and their trip to Paris, but the
husband in Cathedral finds it through his near-spiritual encounter with the blind man. April's
failed abortion has a spiritual twist as well. She is supremely frustrated and does not wish to have
a third child. She is willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for her desires. She tries recklessly to
reclaim the fantasy she desperately yearns for and it culminates in her death. Her failed abortion
can be seen as a spiritual attempt to rid her being of the unwanted fetus and her death a release of
her life of angst and resentment.
Yates and Carver both adhere to, yet modify, the aims of Realism ironically. Yates uses
florid language and seemingly affluent characters to reveal the tragic, gritty truths of alienation
and emotional detachment. His novel focuses on the tragic fate of its protagonists. April and
Frank Wheeler live the quintessential American dream, yet they are deeply unhappy. They latch
onto fantasies which are merely frivolous distractions from their entrenched alienation. This
culminates when April refuses to let go of her delusions. She dies in the prime of her life and
leaves Frank a shell of a man. Revolutionary Road's Realism deluges us with anguish and loss. In
stark contrast, Carver uses succinct, harsh language with alienated, lower-class characters to
show us that life can be full of endless possibilities. His short-story is about psychological
progress and the blossoming of human empathy. The husband is initially not too keen on the
blind guest of his wife. However, he grows, his prejudice dissolves, and in the end he achieves a
beautiful transformation. Cathedral's Realism leaves us with hope and inspiration.
Works Cited
Baym, Nina. Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7th ed. Vol. E. New York: W. W. Norton,
2007. Print.

Yates, Richard. Revolutionary Road. 3rd Vintage Contemporaries ed. New York: Vintage, 2008.
Print.