-
1 CE
Backstory on Robert/the blind man
The narrator details how Robert knows his wife. She had met him one summer doing a job - reading for him. Over the years they kept in touch, through her first marriage, suicide attempt, and her eventual marriage to the narrator. -
2
Robert plans his visit
After his wife passes away, Robert visits his in-laws in Connecticut. He calls the narrator's wife and makes arrangements to visit. -
3
Robert arrives
The narrator's wife goes to pick up Robert. They arrive at the house and the narrator meets him for the first time. He is uncomfortable since he hasn't met a blind person before, but manages to make some conversation and gets them all something to drink. -
4
Dinner
The three of them eat dinner. The narrator is amazed that Robert knows how to use silverware and navigate a dinner plate. -
5
The livingroom
The three of them make their way into the livingroom. The narrator's wife and Robert talk and the narrator, for the most part, just listens, though he answers when Robert asks him about his life (which he doesn't seem to enjoy very much). -
6
Smoking
The narrator turns on the TV. He, his wife, and Robert all smoke some freaking weed, man. His wife falls asleep. -
7
TV
Something about church and the middle ages is playing on TV. The narrator attempts to describe what's happening to Robert and Robert talks about what he knows about cathedrals. -
8
The cathedral
Robert asks the narrator to describe the cathedrals on tv to him. When the narrator struggles to do so, Robert suggests they draw it together. He clasps his hand over the narrator's as he draws so he can "see" it. At the end, the narrator closes his eyes and feels as if he is truly seeing for the first time.