Cathedral

The use and abuse of alcohol appears in nearly every story. For many characters, alcohol becomes the cheapest and most easily accessible form of therapy to cope with their dissatisfying lives. In “Vitamins,” the narrator and wife constantly drink, even before the narrator goes to work. They throw a party for their friends who are also desperate and miserable in an attempt to share momentary cheer by drinking. Myers (“The Compartment”) refers to his ex-wife who became an alcoholic when she grew unhappy in their marriage. In “The Bridle,” Holits handles his own failure and misery by drinking more and more frequently, until he becomes so drunk that he seriously injures himself. The narrator in “Cathedral” deals with his unhappiness and insomnia by drinking and smoking marijuana until he falls asleep.

In some cases, alcoholism destroys the characters’ lives. Wes and Edna’s marriage (“Chef’s House”) was ruined by Wes’s alcohol addiction. Now that Wes is sober, she takes him back. But in the end, he leaves her because he believes that his addiction to alcohol is stronger than their relationship. J.P. and the narrator in “Where I’m Calling From” check into a facility to get sober because both men drove their wives away with their alcoholism.