The tone of Raymond Carver's “Cathedral” is sincere. The author generates sincerity through the use of imagery, diction, and the narrator's direct address to the reader. Tone allows for a dynamic change in the reader, from revulsion to sympathy. At first the reader can perceive more than the narrator (Bub) can perceive. This creates a curious response that requires a change in Bub's awareness. However, the reader then follows a path of compassion as Bub lowers his self-aware shield, shares a close friendship, and goes through an epiphany. The sincere tone directs us toward an ambiguous ending that leaves a question for readers to answer: What is Bub's epiphany? Both men's (Bub and Robert) ability to perceive situations provides contrasting images. The author uses an understanding of the “sight” of both men, but more importantly their relationship with Bub's wife. This is shown when Bub recalls the time his wife convinced him to listen to one of Robert's tapes. Bub tells us that the tape began as “a few minutes of harmless chatter” (Carver 518). This statement provokes contrasting images in the reader, as he/she experiences this “harmless chatter” from the point of view of both men. Bub believes that this “harmless chatter” is unimportant. However, the reader knows that Bub and his wife have relationship problems that can be improved through unconditional conversation. The recordings demonstrate that Robert, despite his blindness, has the ability to understand Bub's wife on a deeper level because he truly listens. The relationship between Bub and his wife provides a distilled mental image in the reader's mind. This is a picture of a problematic relationship, which Bub ultimately ignores. The cathedral scene... in the center of the paper... trust, which generates a change in the reader's response. Author Raymond Carver uses his heartfelt tone to ask the question: What is Bub's epiphany? Bub's sudden realization is that he understands the world from a new perspective. In the final passage of the cathedral scene Bub realizes that he can gain freedom through ignorance of his surroundings and through the use of his new perception. The new perspective of Bub's “sight” drives a change in the reader's response. The reader feels sympathetic as Bub gains the ability to free himself from his confinement. Raymond Carver expresses a sincere tone through the use of imagery, diction, and the narrator's direct address to the reader. These three story elements and the ambiguous ending of “Cathedral” are used by Carver to produce a progressive response and create lasting curiosity in the reader..