Showing the Futility of Life in the Short Story Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
“One of the oldest games there is, cat’s cradle. Even the Eskimos know it.… For maybe a hundred thousand years or more, grown-ups have been waving tangles of string in their children’s faces.… No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat’s cradle is nothing but a bunch of X’s between somebody’s hand and little kids look and look and look at all those X’s.… No damn cat, and no damn cradle” (166). This quote is repeated throughout this book to show that the mindless things humans do on a daily basis do not truly matter in the scheme of things. Some of the characters find out what is genuinely important in life when the world is coming to an end. Cat’s Cradle, a long short story by Kurt Vonnegut, is almost a sample work that seems to be used as a tool to depict society, and even life in general, as a useless task that is started as a joke and ends just as humorously. This quote is imperative to the plot because the speaker, Newt Hoenikker, is retelling a memory of his past and noticing that a game, which was once so enjoyable for young people, is just as worthless as any other piece of string. Newt, a midget named after Sir Isaac Newton, is the son of the man who created the atomic bomb and one critic said “Each Hoenikker child is a Grotesque precisely because he was reared by his famous father with scientific curiosity rather than love” (Schatt 81). This implies that science is the opposite of love and for someone to devote his or her life to science alone can make that person more unfeeling than the rest of society. The author Kurt Vonnegut is best known for his black humor and satirical writing usually pertaining to science, corrupt societies, and futile life. The tremendous amount of symbolism in Cat’s Cradle helps to prove the main theme of his story that is meant to show the reader that no matter how one spends their life; it will all end the same horrific way. Cat’s Cradle begins as the narrator, John, is writing a book called “The Day the World Ended” about the events that occurred on the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The plot later twists while John is researching the family of “the father” of the atomic bomb, Felix Hoenikker, and discovers the atom bomb’s smaller, more lethal predecessor that ultimately destroys the whole world. John’s research brings him to an island in the Caribbean Ocean called San Lorenzo where he encounters a society that is more helpless than that of the United States. He also learns a new religion to which he took on to as if he had been searching for it his entire life. A man, who was once leader of this small country, created this religion; to keep the unhealthy and miserable population occupied. This religion like any other, of course, is based on lies and banned from this island, but that did not stop everyone, including the man that banned it, to believe in its ideas. Each character can be said to represent an aspect of culture whether it is art, literature, music, religion, or law. Symbols like this are found throughout the story and it is evident at the end of the story why the book as written this way. Everything from the design of the buildings to the physical features of the characters are crucial signs to illustrate the main point of the book. Vonnegut uses symbolism to expose the futility of life in the book Cat’s Cradle.
The first area of the book that uses symbolism to display the senselessness of life is the societies of Ilium and San Lorenzo. Ilium, in upstate New York is where Felix Hoenikker once lived and where John starts his research, only to find that the society in the United States is futile. Julian Castle, an American man that works at the only hospital in San Lorenzo looks back at his life in the U.S. and states, “Man is vile, and man makes nothing worth making, knows nothing worth knowing”(169). Although his job is to treat human life, he still doesn’t understand the reason behind mans existence. The repetitiveness of his job leaves him no time to think about “why” he does what he does, he just knows that he should. Vonnegut uses Castle as a character that bridges the gap between science and religion. One certain critic refers to the annihilation of the entire world within this book by saying: “In such an absurd universe the very moment of history which once gave the end of the world philosophical and theological meaning now had become meaningless” (Schatt 68). The moment of history Vonnegut is talking about is the end of the world and the reason it gives meaning is because that is what philosophy and religion is based on. Religious people and philosophers spend all of their life trying to find a meaning but when the world is ending they realize that their search is useless. In a conversation Castle is having with Newt about Newt’s most recent painting of a cat’s cradle Philip declares, “So this is a picture of the meaningless of it all! I couldn’t agree more” (169). Castle is so confidant in the pointlessness of art that he grabs Newt’s painting and threw it in the waterfall. Castle is always doing drastic things based on his instinct. He is not concerned with regret because he knew life is all a joke. All Bokononists are aware that life is futile and they knew they should just enjoy the time they have and seize every living moment.
Secondly, within this book there are also similarities between the United Stated and San Lorenzo. Vonnegut’s tool to show that all societies are ineffective is by making up his fruitless island of San Lorenzo and showing how it is just like the society we live in. A distinguished critic marks that, “Good societies could be built only by pitting good against evil and by keeping the tension between the two high at all times” (Schatt 64). This seems to be true in all places and San Lorenzo is meant to represent the common aspects in every society. Discovering that San Lorenzo is purposely created with the tensions of good and evil allows the reader to look back at the United States and see the same thing there. As Bokonon says in his seventh book, “The hand that stocks the drug stores rules the world…let us start our Republic with a chain of drug stored, a chain of grocery stores, a chain of gas chambers, and a national game. After that we can write our constitution” (126). The author is trying to present to the reader that our society is built without a foundation and since we rely on small businesses they control us as opposed to the governments. When John first meets Philip Castle he asks John if he is an aspirin salesman and John responds, “I’m not a drug salesman, I’m a writer” (153). Being the Bokononist that Castle is he replies, “What makes you think a writer isn’t a drug salesman?” (153). This just displays the fact that no one is more valuable than another and everybody is serving a purpose in the social order. To satirize the American culture, Bokonon jokes about the way Americans think it is important to write everything down. In San Lorenzo there are no books except the “Books of Bokonon” which are all handwritten because the printing of the book is banned along with the religion. When the first man in history dies of ice-nine, John says, “I record that fact for whatever it may be worth. ‘Write it all down,’ Bokonon tells us. He is really telling us, of course, how futile it is to write or read histories. ‘Without accurate record of the past, how can men and woman be expected to avoid making serious mistakes in the future?’ he asks ironically” (237). Bokonon knows that even if people read the mistakes made throughout history they will still make them if that is what they want and are destined to do. Most everything in the history of the United States has been recorded and many of the mistakes have been repeated despite the records. These similarities between the societies of the United States and San Lorenzo help generalize the futility of life.
Similarly, just as the society of the United States is futile the society in San Lorenzo also reflects uselessness. When John first sees the island he asks if the citizens there might be interested in industrialization and Philip Castle responds “The people of San Lorenzo… are interested in only three things: fishing, fornication, and Bokononism” (234). This makes it clear to John that anything more than what the society is used to will not be valued. None of the people on San Lorenzo are interested in bettering their lives or making a difference. They are satisfied with their boring lives and do not see a point in finding the meaning of it. In a tour guide about San Lorenzo it writes, “Everybody was bound to fail, for San Lorenzo was as unproductive as an equal area in the Sahara or the Polar Icecap” (133). San Lorenzo is thought to be idle since there is no economic or industrial progress there other than Castle Sugar that owns everything on the island. When John finally gets asked to be president of San Lorenzo he says he is flattered “But the honor is somewhat a worthless one since San Lorenzo is an absolutely worthless country” (“Cat’s Cradle” 1135). John knows that he is asked to be president for a reason so he feels he must accept the offer. He does not hesitate long before agreeing to take over the country because he is aware that the little island is so meaningless that running it will not be difficult. San Lorenzo is an island made up to exaggerate the futility of the societal aspect in the United States.
Likewise, in Cat’s Cradle, there are also many ways in which the author, Kurt Vonnegut, uses the differences between San Lorenzo and the United States to show the futility of society. An American living on San Lorenzo tells John: “There’s only one aspect of progress that really excites them… the electric guitar” (234). That line is meant to show that the people of San Lorenzo are so simple minded that they can be amused by something as meaningless as a guitar, just as American children are amused by a piece of string. As one critic observes, “There being no possibility of improving the standard of living, all that keeps alive the citizenry’s interest in staying alive is the constant tension between church and state, the former being that improvised by the outlawed Bokonon” (“Cat’s Cradle” 1135). On San Lorenzo the populous has to be amused with things like hunting for Bokononist or keeping the religion a secret, while in the United States there are so many other useless things to be thrown in the faces of the citizens. Explaining the reason for creating Bokononism Castle tells that “Truth was he enemy of the people, because the truth was so terrible, so Bokonon made it his business to provide the people with better and better lies” (172).
Furthermore, Vonnegut uses Christianity to display the utter futility of religion. Bokonon tells a story of an Episcopalian woman he once knew that alleged to understand God’s ways. He claims “She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he can see what God is Doing” (3). He thought knowing too much was the danger in trying to understand something. Whenever it was perceived that someone was trying to search for a truth in religion, “Bokonon simply observed that much investigations are bound to be incomplete” (Klinkowitz 47). He felt that if religion could be figured out it would no longer be based on faith therefore it would no longer be a religion. Felix Hoenikker once made a bet with a woman that he knew. He bet that she could not tell him anything that was absolutely true, “…So I said to him, ‘God is love.’ He said, ‘What is God?’ What is love?’” (55). Hoenikker can never accept anything for what it is. He never will understand anything without substantial proof. Most scientists in this book did not understand Christianity and “…How truth, all by itself, could be enough for a person” (Schatt 52). Scientists are known for backing all their ideas with proof and to no have evidence of something or be able to see or touch it makes faith harder to grasp for these people.
In addition, Bokononism like Christianity is just another meaningless religion based on faith and lies. At the beginning of Cat’s Cradle there is a saying that goes, “Live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy” (frontispiece). Foma is a Bokononist word that means lies. According to Bokonon, living by lies are what people that believe in a religion do. People use religion to base their lives on what they hear is right in their religion, whether it is what they believe or not. Bokonon believed that “A useful religion can be founded on lies” (16). Its purpose, at least in San Lorenzo is to keep its followers occupied with something they could believe in and relate to. Christianity is also about pleasing its followers. As long as priests keep feeding the people lies than people will keep accepting them if it is what they want to hear. The only times Bokonon ever refers to religion in general is in “Books of Bokonon” where he writes “on religion: ‘Of course it’s trash!’” (118). Although Bokonon invented this religion he knows better than to think that there should be deeper meaning behind it. The similarities between Bokononism and Christianity prove the futility of believing in a religion.
Subsequently, the Bokononist religion was created by the author as a religion that captured the main aspects of other religions and satirized them to develop the theme of futility. As “Papa” Monzano is dying he admits, although he has put his citizens to death for the same crime, that he is a Bokononist. He explains his position by stating, “I agree with one Bokononist idea. I agree that all religions, including Bokononism, are nothing but lies” (219). The first page of the “Books of Bokonon,” almost a Bible for Bokononist, states “All of the true things that I am about to tell you are shameless lies” (4). This indicates that everything, spoken or written, is phony, no matter how true it may be. Although the basis of this religion is genuine and accurate it is meant to deceive and convey a wrong impression in order to keep the society alive. When Frank Hoenikker, Felix’s son, is turning his presidency over to John he murmurs something. “Busy, Busy, Busy is what a Bokononist whispers whenever [he] thinks about how unpredictable the machinery of life really is” (32). Bokononists believe that a “machine” is in control of the world instead of the power of a man like God. They also believe this machine can malfunction and cause pain to them if it brakes down. Bokononists have nothing to solid to rely on and this is why Bokononism is futile to real life.
Also, the contrast between Christianity and Bokononism is also imperative to the idea of pointlessness in life. The main difference between these two are that Bokononism is an illegal religion to practice therefore its followers are not forced to believe in anything. Bokononism is created “…As a way to distract the people of San Lorenzo from their pitiful lives. What is sacred to Bokononists? Not God; just one thing; man (94). Bokononists pray to no one, there is no church to go to, and the creator of this religion is still alive and among the followers. When Newt and John are alone among the last of the human race left on earth they see a mass suicide led by Bokonon himself. Newton tells John, “Well, maybe you can find some neat way to die, too… it was a Bokononist thing to say” (285). Bokononists are not unnecessarily optimistic; it can only set them up to be hurt. Even the way they see the life and death as being created from the mud and returning to the mud without ever finding Gods purpose. Bokononists know not to look for a purpose to their fruitless lives. Interestingly, in the Bokononist creation story, man is created from mud, not ____ like in the Bible. The first sentence of the “Books of Bokonon” testifies: “Don’t be a fool! Close this book at once! It is nothing but foma!” (118). This is a warning that one should not put too much faith into the words contained in the book. Vonnegut showing the differences between Christianity and Bokononism was a strong device in showing the futileness of religion relating to life.
Additionally, the scientific aspect of Atom Bomb shows futility in the lives of the human race. While John is doing an interview with Hoenikker’s boss the outcome as he puts it is “Every question I asked implied that the creators of the atomic bomb had been criminal accessories to murder most foul” (39). There was no possible way John could make Felix out to be a good man when he created a weapon that could destroy life in such vast quantities. John is on a quest to make Felix look good in the book he is writing and admits “…But how the hell innocent is a man who helps make a thing like an atomic bomb?” (63). John specks so casually of this man who was key in destroying so many lives and ending and entire world war. Hoenikker’s motto was “Stop and look and wonder and sometimes learn” (13). Felix did not care if he learned from what he did. He was more in marvel of what he fashioned, all the time. Hoenikker would observe his own work but it was not necessary for him to dwell on what he did. On the day the first Atomic bomb was dropped he was just playing with a piece of string that came on a package from an adversary, a man that was against everything that Felix was. The way the atom bomb situation was handled shows the senselessness of existence.
Moreover, the Atom Bomb has similar characteristics to Ice-nine because they are both made of such little meaningless particles yet they have an impact so large they are able to shape existence. Hoenikker’s children joke about the way their father spoke of his creations. Ice-nine was created on Christmas day while Felix should have been watching his children open presents he was in the kitchen inventing “…Something that is going to turn everything upside-down and inside-out like the atom bomb” (34). It is hard for people that did not know Felix to understand how he could be so heartless and cold. Newt often hinted that his father just plainly did not like people because science, not man, is what truly matters in life. Before “Papa” Monzano used ice-nine to commit suicide he whispers, “Now I will destroy the whole world” (193), and it turns out that his frozen carcass falling into the ocean did ultimately destroy the world. This is similar to the creation of the Atom Bomb because many thought nuclear power would destroy the entire earth. A critic sums up the reason that ice-nine is made by explaining “The ice-nine that the marines desire to make it easier to wage war becomes, ironically, the doomsday weapon that eliminates the need for marines by destroying all humanity” (Schatt 68). The marines came to Hoenikker to see if he could invent something that kept soldiers and tanks from sinking into mud to improve battle performance. Ice-nine is a substance created with a higher melting point than normal so any liquid in comes in contact with freezes. Obviously, every living thing on this earth consists of liquid so a small seed of ice-nine can ultimately obliterate existence.
Next, the scientific aspect of ice-nine shows futility. To show the insignificance of humans Felix Hoenikker’s co-worker exclaims: “What hope can there be for mankind… when there are such men as Felix Hoenikker to give such playthings as ice-nine to such short-sighted children as almost all men and women are?” (36). Ice-nine is referred to as a “plaything” because not many people knew about its existence or location. It turns out this toxic weapon is in the possession of the Hoenikker kids in plastic thermos jugs and remnants of it were still strewn around Felix Hoenikker’s cabin. Noted literary critic Stanley Schatt writes, “Even when Hoenikker made ice-nine, Vonnegut describes it as the scientist’s ‘last batch of brownies’” (Schatt 50). Hoenikker even made this deadly substance in his kitchen using his own pots and pans. Making this poison was just another simple task for him; it was even easier than playing with his own kids. A critic explains the symbolism of ice-nine by articulating, “Truth is especially useless to man if he ceases to exist as a result of it. And ice-nine is the molecular seed of man’s immolation” (“Cat’s Cradle” 1135). There may be no use in finding a truth if it does no good when it is found. Vonnegut implies that ice-nine, with all its destruction, may be the truth of life. After “Papa” used ice-nine to commit suicide John commented, “At last I had seen ice-nine!” (239). He had seen the substance of ice-nine many times before, although he has not truly seen it till he could see evidence of his destruction. A man is dead and all anyone can think about is how amazing the ice-nine is. The way science is shown to be valued more than life demonstrates the futility of being alive.
Lastly, Vonnegut also wrote about the comparison between ice-nine and the atom bomb. One similarity between the making of these two deadly weapons is that they are created by Felix Hoenikker after spending days playing with children’s toys and gadgets. The reason for this is “…Suggestive of the scientific impulse toward reductionism, the notion that only through concentrated simplification, can knowledge be advanced” (36). Hoenikker believes that we can only discover things after everything is stripped away to nothing. This man was always more amused with science and playthings than his young children. It is put best by one reviewer: “He epitomized Pure Science, the disinterested pursuit of Truth” (“Cat’s Cradle” 1135). If you were to entrap science in a human body, that person would be Felix Hoenikker. He himself was science yet he really did not care about real life; he did everything that he did for himself. Many people that worked in Felix’s laboratory said, “Science is magic that works” (178). Science is referred to as magic because it is what develops and advances the world but it works since it can be tested and verified unlike magic. Ice-nine was never something that was tested though, not many people even knew of its existence. Scientific comparison of the atom bomb and ice-nine show the futility of human life.
