Cat's+Cradle+notes

Cat’s Cradle – end of book notes

Aspects of Cat’s Cradle are an allegory (story with aspects that parallel another story)
 * Narrator – Jonah
 * Old Testament – swallowed by a whale
 * Because he was running from an obligation to God, so the ship was in a terrible storm
 * He told the sailors his situation and that they needed to get rid of him
 * Because they were dying, they finally did it
 * Pushed him overboard, a large fish swallowed him
 * For sailors, traditionally
 * A “Jonah” is someone who brings bad luck
 * The narrator says he’s the person who needs to be in a certain place at a certain time. (Doing certain things)


 * Published in 1963, one year after 1962
 * 1962 year of the Cuban missile crisis
 * parallels:
 * island in the Caribbean
 * absolute ruler on the island
 * issue centered on the island that could destroy the world
 * Dr. Felix Hoenikker – “father of the bomb”
 * Bad father, ugly
 * Not connected to other people
 * Leaves a tip for his wife on the breakfast table
 * Pays no attention to fighting children
 * Lives in his own world, only concerned with his science
 * Vonnegut’s archetypal scientist
 * Unconcerned with consequences of his inventions


 * Angela – oldest child, plays amazing clarinet
 * Acts as mother to everyone, even dad
 * Marries handsome, accomplished man
 * Surprisingly
 * Apparently married her for ice-nine
 * He works for the government
 * Frank – Minister of Science and Progress in San Lorenzo
 * Supposed to inherit all power, but he doesn’t really want it
 * Ice-nine purchased his position
 * Newt – four feet tall, makes his life hard
 * Treated like a child, but very adult
 * Had a successful love affair
 * With Zinka, Ukrainian, really a Soviet spy
 * Affair was purchased with ice-nine
 * Dad the scientist didn’t consider the implications
 * His children were all used by others to get at their inheritance


 * Bokonon – island-speak for Johnson
 * Invented a religion – Bokononism
 * Based on the idea that all religions are false, and all religious truths are lies
 * Including this one!
 * Bokononism in San Lorenzo
 * Is theoretically illegal
 * But everyone is a Bokononist in secret
 * Making it illegal is what makes it popular
 * We are all connected to some other people (karass)
 * These groups all have a task
 * Vonnegut on benefits of connection
 * And futility of trying to control life
 * Beauty – Mona
 * Narrator falls in love with her before he’s met her


 * Beauty leads us to be illogical
 * Meets her and makes apologies to the reader for her not being what he imagines
 * She is the prize for the next leader of San Lorenzo – adopted daughter of “Papa” Monzano
 * Very Bokononist – laughs in the face of inevitable doom – dies voluntarily
 * So – what is Vonnegut telling us?
 * Scientists aren’t concerned about the world, just want to play with the fate of the planet
 * People are self-serving
 * The kids all used their ice-nine to fulfill personal desires
 * People who are concerned about others
 * Ineffective, make speeches
 * A little silly
 * Died beautifully
 * All symbolic