Vonnegut Enthusiast
Kurt Vonnegut Jr,a 20th century American author, was born November 11, 1922, and died April 11, 2007 in New York City. He was an avid supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union and a critical leftist intellectual. Best known for his humanist beliefs, he was president of the American Humanist Association. He writes mainly witty satire and science fiction novels, and secondary, creates graphic design. His most famous novels include Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions, and Cat's Cradle.
When I read my first book by Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast for Champions, I was immediately hooked on his style because it was like nothing I had read before. I was introduced into a whole new genre of writing.I loved hismatter-of-fact tone and satire. Vonnegut has such a distinct attitude towards life itself, and it's clear in the way he writes and the characters he creates. Vonnegut has accepted the fact that the human race can be a terrible thing, and he isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He confronts controversial issues so directly, which is something most authors are afraid to do. If you haven't read anything by Vonnegut, I recommend
it.
When I read my first book by Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast for Champions, I was immediately hooked on his style because it was like nothing I had read before. I was introduced into a whole new genre of writing.I loved hismatter-of-fact tone and satire. Vonnegut has such a distinct attitude towards life itself, and it's clear in the way he writes and the characters he creates. Vonnegut has accepted the fact that the human race can be a terrible thing, and he isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He confronts controversial issues so directly, which is something most authors are afraid to do. If you haven't read anything by Vonnegut, I recommend
it.
Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories
The following video outlines Vonnegut's view on the distinction between a poorly written story and a well written story. It's interesting to see into the mind of the writer, especially one with such strong opinions.
Character Study
John: John is the narrator of the story and the protagonist. He is a believer in Bokononism, and is writing a book to be called The Day the World Ended, about the attack on Hiroshima. John has a way of letting things happen and accepting them as they come. He calls himself Jonah, although his given name is John, and says this about it, "And, according to plan, at each appointed second, at each appointed place this Jonah was there." This is a reference form the first line of Moby Dick, which starts, "Call me Ishmael." There is a Biblical parallel made with the name Jonah and Ishmael. This may be chosen because in one Biblical story, Jonah is swallowed by a whale. John is a hapless character, and finds himself in situations with members of his karass while attempting to obtain information for his book.
Bokonon:Although Bokonon isn't a very active character in the story, he has a huge impact on John, and his actions and thoughts. Bokonon founded Bokononism to give people relief of the ugly truth, by providing comforting lies. My favorite quote by Bokonon is his "Fifty-third Calypso", a song about the unlimited diversity of one's karass:
Oh, a sleeping drunkard,
Up in Central Park,
And a lion-hunter
In the jungle dark,
And a Chinese dentist,
And a British queen-
All fit together
In the same machine
Nice, nice, very nice;
Nice, nice, very nice;
Nice, nice, very nice-
So many different people
In the same device
Dr. Felix Hoenikker: Dr. Felix Hoenikker was one of the fathers of the atmoic bomb. Described in Newt's letters, Felix was a very strange and intelligent individual. He acted as a child, and had to be taken care of by his daughter. He was very obsessive, and would become so involved in one subject he would block out the rest of the world.He didn't value human interaction or family. Dr. Hoenikker didn't have a very good relationship with his kids, especially Newt, with whom he almost never talked to. "I wonder about turtles," he said,"When they pull in their heads, do their spines buckle or contract?" This quote perfectly describes Dr. Hoenikker as he is never in reality, but always in his own world. He succeeded in creating ice-nine, a rare substance that could turn water into ice instantly.
Newt Hoenikker: Newt is Felix Hoenikker's youngest son, standing only four feet tall, but is unphased by his size, and is completely confident in himself. He is apathetic towards many things, especially his education. He was never close with his father, and was raised by his sister after his mother died in childbirth. Newt tries to find happiness in a Russian dancer named Zinka, and marries her, but only to find out that she is a Soviet Spy. When he talks about his familly he says,"So I'm pretty sure illustrious isn;t quite the word you're after. 'Glamorous' is probably closer to the triuth."
Bokonon:Although Bokonon isn't a very active character in the story, he has a huge impact on John, and his actions and thoughts. Bokonon founded Bokononism to give people relief of the ugly truth, by providing comforting lies. My favorite quote by Bokonon is his "Fifty-third Calypso", a song about the unlimited diversity of one's karass:
Oh, a sleeping drunkard,
Up in Central Park,
And a lion-hunter
In the jungle dark,
And a Chinese dentist,
And a British queen-
All fit together
In the same machine
Nice, nice, very nice;
Nice, nice, very nice;
Nice, nice, very nice-
So many different people
In the same device
Dr. Felix Hoenikker: Dr. Felix Hoenikker was one of the fathers of the atmoic bomb. Described in Newt's letters, Felix was a very strange and intelligent individual. He acted as a child, and had to be taken care of by his daughter. He was very obsessive, and would become so involved in one subject he would block out the rest of the world.He didn't value human interaction or family. Dr. Hoenikker didn't have a very good relationship with his kids, especially Newt, with whom he almost never talked to. "I wonder about turtles," he said,"When they pull in their heads, do their spines buckle or contract?" This quote perfectly describes Dr. Hoenikker as he is never in reality, but always in his own world. He succeeded in creating ice-nine, a rare substance that could turn water into ice instantly.
Newt Hoenikker: Newt is Felix Hoenikker's youngest son, standing only four feet tall, but is unphased by his size, and is completely confident in himself. He is apathetic towards many things, especially his education. He was never close with his father, and was raised by his sister after his mother died in childbirth. Newt tries to find happiness in a Russian dancer named Zinka, and marries her, but only to find out that she is a Soviet Spy. When he talks about his familly he says,"So I'm pretty sure illustrious isn;t quite the word you're after. 'Glamorous' is probably closer to the triuth."
Image Study
image: Bokononism
John's religion, Bokononism, is an important part of the story, and is present throughout the entire novel. This made up religion is useful, but based on lies.What I found especially interesting is how John converts from Christianity to Bokononism, considering how different the religions are. This characterizes John as someone who is skeptical, and always searching for the truth.
The basis of Bokononism is the belief in everyone doing God's work within their karass, without ever knowing it. Bokonon, the founder of the faith, explains that everyone has their own karass, which is the group of people that you know and associate with throughout your lifetime. "If you find your life tangled up with somebody else's life for no very logical reason," writes Bokonon,"that person may be a member of your karass. John plans to include as many members of his karass as possible in the book he is writing.
The beliefs of Bokononism are entangled throughout the story, especially within in members of John's karass. Bokonon's has created phrases to describe certain situations. For example, a granfalloon is when someone has an imagined connection with someone else, for any reason. Also, Bokonon writes many stories and songs to describe life.
The most interesting part of this religion if the fact that it's truth based on lies. The teachings are useful, but the faith isn't real. It's like following something to make your life better, even if the teachings are untrue. I see this as Vonnegut trying to make a point that most people blindly follow their religion.
This image relates to the themes in the book, and it also has an underlying truth that Vonnegut is trying to convey. This truth is that human pursuit is futile, and something doesn't have to be true to be right.
The basis of Bokononism is the belief in everyone doing God's work within their karass, without ever knowing it. Bokonon, the founder of the faith, explains that everyone has their own karass, which is the group of people that you know and associate with throughout your lifetime. "If you find your life tangled up with somebody else's life for no very logical reason," writes Bokonon,"that person may be a member of your karass. John plans to include as many members of his karass as possible in the book he is writing.
The beliefs of Bokononism are entangled throughout the story, especially within in members of John's karass. Bokonon's has created phrases to describe certain situations. For example, a granfalloon is when someone has an imagined connection with someone else, for any reason. Also, Bokonon writes many stories and songs to describe life.
The most interesting part of this religion if the fact that it's truth based on lies. The teachings are useful, but the faith isn't real. It's like following something to make your life better, even if the teachings are untrue. I see this as Vonnegut trying to make a point that most people blindly follow their religion.
This image relates to the themes in the book, and it also has an underlying truth that Vonnegut is trying to convey. This truth is that human pursuit is futile, and something doesn't have to be true to be right.
image: Ice-Nine
Dr. Felix Hoenikker, and other scientists of the Manhattan Project created a substance called Ice Nine, that was to be used as a weapon. Ice Nine has the ability to freeze large amounts of water at a temperature higher than normal. This is a potential danger to human beings, as we are made up mainly of water, but the creators also saw it as a threat to the entire world, because it has the power to freeze over every ocean and sea. This fictional Ice Nine may have been molded after the real Ice IX, which is a man made substance that can only occur at very low temperatures and high pressures.
Vonnegut uses ice nine as a plot device because it has the potential threat of world destruction. After the scientists discovered the danger in what they created, they decided to dispose of it, but Felix Hoenikker was secretly in posession of the entire mass of it. To add to the tension, after Felix died, his children split up the Ice Nine evenly between them. Also, John has a serious interest in Ice Nine, and is fascinated with the creation of it, because he had heard previously about the idea, and thought it wasn't possible.
This image serves to aid to the theme that technological advancement is dangerous, and will eventually turn into harm. This is proven true in the end of the book.
Vonnegut uses ice nine as a plot device because it has the potential threat of world destruction. After the scientists discovered the danger in what they created, they decided to dispose of it, but Felix Hoenikker was secretly in posession of the entire mass of it. To add to the tension, after Felix died, his children split up the Ice Nine evenly between them. Also, John has a serious interest in Ice Nine, and is fascinated with the creation of it, because he had heard previously about the idea, and thought it wasn't possible.
This image serves to aid to the theme that technological advancement is dangerous, and will eventually turn into harm. This is proven true in the end of the book.
image: Cat's Cradle
Another important recurring image in the novel is the famous Cat's Cradle. This is a children's game played with string. This image symbolizes how life can be so arbitrary, and how it's course will play out on its own. While Hiroshima was being bombed, Felix Hoenikker was making a Cat's Cradle with a piece of string. This represents how things happen at random, and nothing is as important as it seems.
This image is also present later in the novel, when Julia Castle throws the painting of the Cat's Cradle into the waterfall. This is symbolic of hard work amounting to nothing The Cat's Cradle is a strong image, as well as the book's title.
This image is also present later in the novel, when Julia Castle throws the painting of the Cat's Cradle into the waterfall. This is symbolic of hard work amounting to nothing The Cat's Cradle is a strong image, as well as the book's title.
image: Felix Hoenikker
Dr. Hoenikker is one of my favorite characters from the novel because he gives off a childlike "ignorance is bliss" sort of attitude. Always aloof, he doesn't care for his family, or anything at all really. He creates one of the most amazing inventions history has ever seen, but doesn't think too much about the benfits it could have for humanity. He becomes completely absorbed in anything, even turtles.
Felix is the manifestation of the innocence of a child. With him, Vonnegut creates the contrast between what society creates a person to be, and what a person is like at birth: inherently innocent. This image is used throughout the novel to justify Vonnegut's view about how we live in a disastrous world.
Felix is the manifestation of the innocence of a child. With him, Vonnegut creates the contrast between what society creates a person to be, and what a person is like at birth: inherently innocent. This image is used throughout the novel to justify Vonnegut's view about how we live in a disastrous world.
Favorite Quotes from Cat's Cradle
"In the beginning, God created the earth, and he loooked upon it and its cosmic loneliness."
"Science is magic that works."
"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before."
"There is love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look."
"Live by the harmless unthruths that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy."
"How complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is."
"Americans...are forever searching love in forms it never takes...in places it can never be."
"She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks they see what God is doing."-Bokonon
"Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die."
"My god-life! Who can understand even one little minute of it?" "Don'r try, just pretend you understand."
"Nothing in this book is true."
"Science is magic that works."
"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before."
"There is love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look."
"Live by the harmless unthruths that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy."
"How complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is."
"Americans...are forever searching love in forms it never takes...in places it can never be."
"She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks they see what God is doing."-Bokonon
"Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die."
"My god-life! Who can understand even one little minute of it?" "Don'r try, just pretend you understand."
"Nothing in this book is true."
No Damn Cat, No Damn Cradle.
When I started the novel, I didn't understand how the title could have any significance to the story, but I found out that it has a major importance. Fairly early in the novel, in Newt's letters to John, he describes the day we dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima. He says that when the bomb was dropped, Dr. Felix Hoenikker was making a cat's cradle, the common children's game, from a piece of string he pulled off of the spine of a book. The fact that Felix was doing something so unimportant during the dropping of the bomb got me thinking about the significance, but I was still confused until I came upon this quote:
"No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat's cradle is nothing but a bunch of X's between somebody's hands, and little kids look and look and look at all those X's...No damn cat. No damn cradle." The title Cat's Cradle is a symbol of how arbitrary life is, and how nothing is as simiple as it seems. This goes along with Vonnegut's whole attitude towards life, and how the protagonist John, has an acceptance for how random events in life unfold. This can be further explained by another quote directly from the book that says,"How complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is."
"No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat's cradle is nothing but a bunch of X's between somebody's hands, and little kids look and look and look at all those X's...No damn cat. No damn cradle." The title Cat's Cradle is a symbol of how arbitrary life is, and how nothing is as simiple as it seems. This goes along with Vonnegut's whole attitude towards life, and how the protagonist John, has an acceptance for how random events in life unfold. This can be further explained by another quote directly from the book that says,"How complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is."
The Futility of Human Aspirations
(theme from American Literature)
In this novel, as in many other novels by Vonnegut, there is an insight into a specific trait of the human existance. Vonnegut's opinions may be sadistic, but they all seem to have an alarming truth.
In Cat's Cradle, I found an overriding theme about the pointlessness of human pursuits. I first came to this idea when Bokononism was introduced. Religion is seen throughout history as something that people strive to find truth in. Religion is passion and a saving grace for those who participate. In this case, it is quite the opposite. Bokonon creates a religion that is useful, but has not one piece of truth to it. This can be interpreted as a smack in the face to people who spend years searching for the true faith, but I saw it just as a different way to see the world. If it betters your life, then why does it have to be true?
This religion represents the futility of human pursuits because Bokonon finds nothing in the world but useless ideas, and time spent for no reason. He sees most religions as something to convince their followers that their aspirations have purpose, when they really do not. He says that "it will never even matter whether he laughs or cries."
Also contributing to this theme is the image of the Cat's Cradle. While one of the most important events in history was playing out, the bombing on Hiroshima, Dr. Hoenikker was simply making a Cat's Cradle with a piece of string. This represents that nothing in the world holds true importance, not even significant events.
Julian Castle is one character in the book that relates to this theme. When she throws Newt's painting into the waterfall, she is making a point about how his hard work has no meaning. Also, she says that talking about the meaningless of the events of her life is pointless, because people don't learn from experience.
The ending of the novel can contribute to other themes present in the book, but I can see it relate to this theme as well. Ice-nine is an important image in the novel, and has significance because it is highly valued by the Hoenikkers as well as other scientists. It was seen as an amazing invention, and took many years of research and experimenting to create. All of this hard work went to waste when in the end, the world was demolished by this substance.
In Cat's Cradle, I found an overriding theme about the pointlessness of human pursuits. I first came to this idea when Bokononism was introduced. Religion is seen throughout history as something that people strive to find truth in. Religion is passion and a saving grace for those who participate. In this case, it is quite the opposite. Bokonon creates a religion that is useful, but has not one piece of truth to it. This can be interpreted as a smack in the face to people who spend years searching for the true faith, but I saw it just as a different way to see the world. If it betters your life, then why does it have to be true?
This religion represents the futility of human pursuits because Bokonon finds nothing in the world but useless ideas, and time spent for no reason. He sees most religions as something to convince their followers that their aspirations have purpose, when they really do not. He says that "it will never even matter whether he laughs or cries."
Also contributing to this theme is the image of the Cat's Cradle. While one of the most important events in history was playing out, the bombing on Hiroshima, Dr. Hoenikker was simply making a Cat's Cradle with a piece of string. This represents that nothing in the world holds true importance, not even significant events.
Julian Castle is one character in the book that relates to this theme. When she throws Newt's painting into the waterfall, she is making a point about how his hard work has no meaning. Also, she says that talking about the meaningless of the events of her life is pointless, because people don't learn from experience.
The ending of the novel can contribute to other themes present in the book, but I can see it relate to this theme as well. Ice-nine is an important image in the novel, and has significance because it is highly valued by the Hoenikkers as well as other scientists. It was seen as an amazing invention, and took many years of research and experimenting to create. All of this hard work went to waste when in the end, the world was demolished by this substance.
Rhetoric Study
The most interestingly styled piece in this novel is the introduction:
"Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John... Jonah-John-if I had been a Sam, I would have been a Johan still-not because I have been unlucky for others, but because somebody or something has compelled me to be at certain places at certain times, without fail. Conveyances and motives, both convential and bizarre, have been provided. And, according to plan, at each appointed second, at each appointed place this Jonah was there."
Any person with the slightest knowledge of classic literature would recognize that this is almost a parody of the introduction of Moby Dick which begins, "Call me Ishmael." Also, there is a Biblical allusion because both Ishmael and Jonah are names in important parables. The interesting thing is that in the story of Jonah, Jonah gets eaten by a whale, which also relates to Moby Dick. I'm not sure what compelled Vonnegut to do this but it seems almost mocking, and humorously.
I don't just like this passage for the two allusuions though, I think it's a very good introduction, setting the style and tone of the novel out of the gate. He is basically saying that it doesn't really matter what his name is, he will be where he is supposed to be, when he is supposed to be there, as a result of whatever force is holding the earth to plan.
There is an uncertainty in the way he says this that draws the reader in, because it is familiar. The uncertainty of the world is something that can be shared by everyone.
"Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John... Jonah-John-if I had been a Sam, I would have been a Johan still-not because I have been unlucky for others, but because somebody or something has compelled me to be at certain places at certain times, without fail. Conveyances and motives, both convential and bizarre, have been provided. And, according to plan, at each appointed second, at each appointed place this Jonah was there."
Any person with the slightest knowledge of classic literature would recognize that this is almost a parody of the introduction of Moby Dick which begins, "Call me Ishmael." Also, there is a Biblical allusion because both Ishmael and Jonah are names in important parables. The interesting thing is that in the story of Jonah, Jonah gets eaten by a whale, which also relates to Moby Dick. I'm not sure what compelled Vonnegut to do this but it seems almost mocking, and humorously.
I don't just like this passage for the two allusuions though, I think it's a very good introduction, setting the style and tone of the novel out of the gate. He is basically saying that it doesn't really matter what his name is, he will be where he is supposed to be, when he is supposed to be there, as a result of whatever force is holding the earth to plan.
There is an uncertainty in the way he says this that draws the reader in, because it is familiar. The uncertainty of the world is something that can be shared by everyone.
A Science Fiction Parody
Usually serious and alarming, Vonnegut takes a science fiction theme and makes it his. He takes the light, comical angle, intead of the usual conspiracy theorists. In many parts of this novel, we see allusions to other famous pieces of literature, or even frequently used themes in literature, but hint at mockery. Vonneugt uses this to convey the idea of how untrue and futile our knowledge is, and how no matter how much we think we understand, the world will always be in control.
A connection I made is his use of "foma". This relates to "soma" in the novel Brave New World. In this novel, soma serves as the utopian drug. It is everything good, and keeps people from seeing the harmful truth of the world. In Cat's Cradle, the foma is the idea of the harmless unthruths that people are supposed to follow. These things serve as the same sort of shield from society.
Another science fiction element is the destruction of the earth. In many books and movies, this is the major threat. All is at stake and the super human must save the world from doom. In this novel, we see that humans are the ones creating this doom. Technology will eventually backfire.
A connection I made is his use of "foma". This relates to "soma" in the novel Brave New World. In this novel, soma serves as the utopian drug. It is everything good, and keeps people from seeing the harmful truth of the world. In Cat's Cradle, the foma is the idea of the harmless unthruths that people are supposed to follow. These things serve as the same sort of shield from society.
Another science fiction element is the destruction of the earth. In many books and movies, this is the major threat. All is at stake and the super human must save the world from doom. In this novel, we see that humans are the ones creating this doom. Technology will eventually backfire.
The Books of Bokonon
This excpert from the novel is a parable told by Bokonon to explain his view on religion and people's understanding. I really like this because it shows Vonnegut's opinion about how people are wrong when they try to understand what God is doing.
A parable on the folly of pretending to discover, to
understand [ 3 ]
I once knew an Episcopalian lady in Newport, Rhode Island, who asked me to
design and build a doghouse for her Great Dane. The lady claimed to understand
God and His Ways of Working perfectly. She could not understand why anyone
should be puzzled about what had been or about what was going to be.
And yet, when I showed her a blueprint of the doghouse I proposed to build,
she said to me, "I'm sorry, but I never could read one of those things."
"Give it to your husband or your minister to pass on to God," I said, "and,
when God finds a minute, I'm sure he'll explain this doghouse of mine in a way
that even you can understand."
She fired me. I shall never forget her. She believed that God liked people in
sailboats much better than He liked people in motorboats. She could not bear to
look at a worm. When she saw a worm, she screamed.
She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he can see what God
is Doing, [writes Bokonon].
Below I pasted a link to a compilation of the books of Bokonon, and other stories, songs, and poems by hm.
http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/personal/bokonon.html#firstbook
A parable on the folly of pretending to discover, to
understand [ 3 ]
I once knew an Episcopalian lady in Newport, Rhode Island, who asked me to
design and build a doghouse for her Great Dane. The lady claimed to understand
God and His Ways of Working perfectly. She could not understand why anyone
should be puzzled about what had been or about what was going to be.
And yet, when I showed her a blueprint of the doghouse I proposed to build,
she said to me, "I'm sorry, but I never could read one of those things."
"Give it to your husband or your minister to pass on to God," I said, "and,
when God finds a minute, I'm sure he'll explain this doghouse of mine in a way
that even you can understand."
She fired me. I shall never forget her. She believed that God liked people in
sailboats much better than He liked people in motorboats. She could not bear to
look at a worm. When she saw a worm, she screamed.
She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he can see what God
is Doing, [writes Bokonon].
Below I pasted a link to a compilation of the books of Bokonon, and other stories, songs, and poems by hm.
http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/personal/bokonon.html#firstbook