...Kurt Vonnegut, Through Pain and Struggle Comes Triumph Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is known as one of the great science fiction writers during the 1950s through the 70s. He is widely known for his novel Slaughterhouse- Five, in which he took some of his own experiences with the war in Vietnam and wrote a science fiction novel. Vonnegut had written about his experiences a lot. This is why Vonnegut’s experiences with depression and death are themes explained in his work. The following paragraphs will explain the two works that have been read and give background on the man himself. Early Life Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 11th, 1922. Vonnegut’s ancestors come from German descent and they brewed beer as a family business and were also architects. Even in his early life Vonnegut has dealt with diversity. The impact of World War I seriously changed the lives of the family. Because of his German descent his family became a victim to prejudice treatment around the state. After the war the family had to deal with the prohibition, which took away the income and then the Depression slowed down and almost stopped the production of homes. Out of the 3 children Kurt could be seen as the child who did not get the best. His older sister and brother, Alice and Bernard both went to private schools while Kurt went to public schools. In 1940 Vonnegut attended the prestigious Ivy League school Cornell University. He majored in biochemistry. Later Years ...
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...Religion in Cat’s Cradle Mystery surrounds no character in Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle more than Bokonon, the self-aware prophet of the fictitious religion, Bokononism, at the heart of the novel. Bokononism is a rare religion which openly claims to a false construction: the Book of Bokonon, the holy book of Bokononism, actively encourages its practisers to live by “foma”, or “harmless untruths”, and furthermore begins with the claim, “All of the true things that I am about to tell you are shameless lies” (Vonnegut 5). With the invention of Bokononism, Cat’s Cradle manages to be simultaneously both painfully obvious and deceptively subtle in its messages. Bokononism is an admittedly fabricated religion nevertheless accepted by the population because of its ability to make them feel good about their lives. From a non-religious perspective, the parallels with “real” organised religion are quite apparent (the primary difference being Bokononism’s admitted basis in unreality). Indeed, the reader may well experience the alluring song of Bokononism and the way it presents an emotionally comforting and mentally comfortable explanation of life, a possibility both impressive and troublesome. Upon this particular realisation of Bokononism’s potential, the quotation opening the Book of Bokonon develops a clearer context. Bokononism need not necessarily be untrue; in fact, one could interpret its claims to be extremely true (and, furthermore, the claims are quite impossible to confirm...
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...The genre of “The Cat’s in the Cradle” is primarily folk rock. Folk-rock is described as taking “the simple, direct songwriting style of folk music” and then combining it to a “prominent rock & roll backbeat” (Pop/Rock, n.d.). Some of the more distinct parts of folk-rock “is the chiming, ringing guitar hooks, coupled with clear vocal harmonies” (Pop/Rock, n.d.). Therefore most folk/rock is primarily composed of release patterns. During the 1950s and ’60s, American folk music became more and more popular (Holden, 2007). It was inevitable that folk music would become intersected with more mainstream styles of music like pop and rock.. Rock music also was transformed by its intersection with folk. Although previously rock “had been perceived...
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...like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc"(dictionary.com). Satire is a tool; used to point out and make fun of the faults in our society by using humor or mockery. Satire widely portrayed within forms of literature, music, television and movies. Rather popular and known examples of satire include: infomercials, PSA's, Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update, The Daily Show, music videos produced by Weird Al Yankovich, and specifically, the novel Cat's Cradle written by author Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut clearly portrays a profound novel drenched in satire by including the satirical techniques of exaggeration, reversal, parody and incongruity. Exaggeration is a...
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...I argue that this interaction shows Newt and Dr. Hoenikker resembling each other because of their childhood relationship and religion. In the beginning when Newt was a young boy, it is implied from, "I don't know where Father learned how to do that. From his father, maybe" that Newt saw Dr. Hoenikker play with the Cat's Cradle for the first time. (Vonnegut 11) This interaction relates to Newt growing up and remembering what the Cat's Cradle really is and is passed down to his adulthood. Like father like son, Newt tries to understand everything through his perspective. When Newt finally sees Dr. Hoenikker up close, he wasn't what he 'imagined' him to be. Instead, he was deemed unsettling and ugliest creature he'd ever seen. He lied to himself...
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...supreme being and an afterlife has been a part of human nature for a long time. No matter what religion someone follows, people live and conform to a set of rules, morals, and standards that has come from religion. Religion has paved a way in mankind on how human beings treat each other. But why do people do it? Why do people choose to believe in religion when there is no significant evidence a supreme being even exist and science can discredit the idea of religion? In the novel Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, he demonstrates how religion is futile and that it is all lies. In Cat’s Cradle, most of the characters including the main character Jonah follow the fictional religion Bokononism. The concept of Bokononism is that it is all lies or in Bokonist terms a foma, the harmless truth. The purpose of Bokonoism is to “Live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy"(Vonnegut). In other words, live a lie that will give you a happy life. The message that Kurt Vonnegut is saying in Cat’s Cradle is that despite religion being false, it has brought people hope, comfort, and good will. Although I somewhat agree with Vonnegut saying religion has brought people together even with its fallacies, religion has also brought a lot of chaos in the world. Religion has caused wars, deaths in the millions, discrimination, and intolerance. The purpose of religion is to follow the word of God and to remain pure as possible so in the afterlife, one will have eternal serenity. But instead...
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...state Indiana. Hazel Crosby was a big supporter of all Hoosiers and automatically loved the person if they were a hoosier. "I don't know what it is about Hoosiers," said Hazel but they've sure got something".(Vonnegut 55) In Cat's Cradle this is one of the biggest granfalloons in the book. Hazel said to John "whenever I meet a young Hoosier, I tell them, 'You call me Mom".(Vonnegut 55) When Hazel said this, she was taking being a "Hoosier" a little to far. Hazel represented "Patriotism" and Vonnegut was almost making fun of people who take that stuff to seriously. When Hazel meets a Hoosier she gets excited and feels better about life. She only does this to connect to something, so there is something...
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...In Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle, the constant thing that is being said is the religion Bokonon. It is established from the beginning that it is all based on lies, but the whole city of San Lorenzo worship it and follow what it says, even though it is forbidden and you will get the “hook” if you do. “Nothing in this book is true.” These were the first words given in the prologue. Immediately after this, the main character says, “Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.” Jonah began to collect things for a book he was going to write called The Day the World Ended. It was going to be about what Americans did on that very exact day the first atomic bomb was deployed on Hiroshima, Japan. This book will never be completed. This book was meant to be a Christian book, but Jonah is now a Bokononist. If someone would’ve told him about the “bittersweet lies” the book told, he would’ve became a Bokononist from the very beginning. Bokononists believe that civilization is shaped into groups that do God’s work without ever knowing what they’re doing. A karass is what they call themselves. “All the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies.” The warning in this is any person who can not comprehend how a useful religion can be based on lies then you will not understand the point to this book. So be it. Jonah’s karass includes the three children of Dr. Felix Hoenikker. Who is known as the “father” of the first atomic bomb. Jonah wrote a letter to...
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...Heavy rains drench the eastern coast, wind whips around freezing snow with hurricane-level forces. No one had thought it possible to have a hurricane in the middle of winter, but here it is; bombogenesis. Bombing out, weather bomb, cyclone explosion, all are synonyms for the same thing. Although they are ominous-sounding terms, their definition isn't as menacing as it may seem. The confusion is mostly due to the fact that the average person rarely hears it, except from weather forecasts. When pressures drop lower than 24 millibars in 24 hours, as explained by Theweatherprediction.com, an area is subjected to a bombogenesis. Usually formed when cold, polar air meets warmer ocean air, a bombogenesis is simply weather slang for a winter storm. According to the Oceansurvice.gov, the storms mostly occur in the mid-latitude region. In general, they are most prevalent during October and March, when the temperature change is most noticeable, but they can happen anytime. As a result of the changing pressure, the normal weather is thrown out of whack, causing many intense effects. Due to the pressure and temperature changes, storms strengthen and form without warning. The clashing of warm and cold air leads to strong, wavelike wind patterns that swirl in short fragments, shown in the Theweatherprediction.com. Bombogenesis usually leads way to nor'easters, tropical storms in the east, and in intense cases, hurricanes. Wicked blizzards and catastrophic rain and flooding wreak havoc in the...
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...Kurt Vonnegut's satirical novel targets three main ideas. The targets include Tyrannical Governments, Human Stupidity, and Religion. The way he targets each of the topic is incorporated all over Cat's Cradle, from Bokononism to the creation of Ice-Nine to "Papa" Monzano's dictatorship. He would exaggerate on the topic so much that would depict it as the truth when really it was the opposite. Throughout the history of San Lorenzo, Tyranny was the governing body of choice. Although so many countries had claimed San Lorenzo, they were all loosely held as each country or government cared little to none about who conquers San Lorenzo next. The reason for this was because the people of San Lorenzo were so lazy and cared little toward the governing body making it resistible to acquire. Even the land of which San Lorenzo sat on was unwanted. “Papa” Monzano was a character satirizing Papa Doc, whom was the Haitian Dictator. He made fun of the island and their people saying that the people all had no interest in what went on with the government just like the Haitian people when Papa Doc initiated a Brain Drain. Vonnegut’s next target is Human Stupidity. Felix Hoenikker showed no signs of caring for what people thought or did. Even when his children would fight he would simply look at them and return back to what he was doing. The reason why Felix is a sign of Human Stupidity is because of how little he cared for when he created Ice-Nine knowing how dangerous it was. This is probably...
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...Cat’s Cradle and the Meaning of Life “The web of life is a beautiful and meaningless dance. The web of life is a process with a moving goal. The web of life is a perfectly finished work of art right where I am sitting now” (Robert Anton Wilson) Life has no meaning. This is a common theme of Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle. Life is much like the game of cat’s cradle: while it may seem complex and intricate, in reality it is simple and leads to nothingness. The religion described in the book, Bokononism, follows the teachings of a man, Lionel Boyd Johnson or Bokonon. In the beginnings of his books he warns readers to “close the book at once! It is nothing but foma” (Vonnegut, 265). Foma, are lies. Despite this, most of the island of San Lorenzo follows this religion. Bokonon realized the meaninglessness of life and created a religion based on lies to provide happiness for people as a result. This is why Bokonon leads people to believe they will find out their karass and reason for life only after they die. He wants to spare them the disappointment of knowing everything they do has no purpose. Throughout Cat’s Cradle, there are a few references to the game the book is named for. The first is when Dr. Hoenikker, Newt’s father, tries to show his son the game on the day his bomb was dropped on Japan. (Vonnegut, 11) Later on Newt goes into detail explaining the game to the narrator, Jonah. Atop a mountain, Newt had just finished painting the game...
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...The novel “Cat’s Cradle” written by Kurt Vonnegut is a satirical science fiction that scrutinizes the lies of religion, what the advancement of technology could mean for the human race, and the hypocrisy of science. He believes that religion is founded on lies, to benefit the people. Science and technology aren’t any better. The company in his story, General Forge and Foundry Company, researches to “expand knowledge”. The same company also created the atomic bomb that was dropped in Japan. Vonnegut indirectly but clearly delivers his beliefs and philosophies through his masterful use of character, plot, and setting. One of the literary elements Kurt Vonnegut used to create a novel filled with satire and philosophy was characters. By relating...
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...Book Review: Cats Cradle CJ Kwon Themes Love: From the very beginning of the book, introducing the Hoenikker family, all the way to the end with Mona and the Bokononists, the concept of love is seen in many different examples and points of view Death: the numerous characters that populate Cats Cradle all have to deal with death at some point whether it is simply by old age or being poisoned by ice 9. Religion- While the entire book is driven by the made up religion Bokonon, Vonnegut also touches upon other religious faiths throughout the novel. Sex- as always in Vonnegut books, sexual imagery is common throughout the story from the cemetery in the beginning to the natives of San Lorenzo. Relationships- Throughout the entire book Vonnegut seems...
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...I. Introduction In his foreword to a collection of the radio scripts of comedians Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. endorses these entertainers as somehow new and different—and relevant—since they draw their humor from the plight of the (American) Common Man. In the process, Vonnegut offers us an insight into his own writing, and the philosophies that inform it. “They aren’t like most other comedians’ jokes these days,” Vonnegut writes, aren’t rooted in show business and the world of celebrities and news of the day. They feature Americans who are almost always fourth-rate or below, engaged in enterprises which, if not contemptible, are at least insane. And while other comedians show us persons tormented by bad luck and enemies and so on, Bob and Ray’s characters threaten to wreck themselves and their surroundings with their own stupidity. There is a refreshing and beautiful innocence in Bob’s and Ray’s humor. Man is not evil, they seem to say. He is simply too hilariously stupid to survive. And this I believe. Jerome Klinkowitz, in the introduction to his essay collection entitled Vonnegut in America, has used this quote—as he certainly should—to support his claim that Vonnegut’s humor has its roots in the comedic response to the Great Depression. But of course there is much more to it than that. The reader is left with a nagging question: Were humanity’s case really as Vonnegut describes it, and were this truly his belief, wouldn’t it seem that the...
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...Kurt Vonnegut, Through Pain an Struggle Comes Triumph Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is known as one of the great science fiction writers during the 1950s through the 70s. He is widely known for his novel Slaughterhouse- Five, in which he took some of his own experiences with the war in Vietnam and wrote a science fiction novel. Vonnegut had written about his experiences a lot. This is why Vonnegut’s experiences with depression and death are themes explained in his work. The following paragraphs will explain the two works that have been read and give background on the man himself. Early Life Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 11th, 1922. Vonnegut’s ancestors come from German descent and they brewed beer as a family business and were also architects (Reed). Even in his early life Vonnegut has dealt with diversity. The impact of World War I seriously changed the lives of the family. Because of his German descent his family became a victim to prejudice treatment around the state (Reed). After the war the family had to deal with the prohibition, which took away the income and then the Depression slowed down and almost stopped the production of homes. Out of the 3 children Kurt could be seen as the child who did not get the best. His older sister and brother, Alice and Bernard both went to private schools while Kurt went to public schools. In 1940 Vonnegut attended the prestigious Ivy League school Cornell University. He majored in biochemistry...
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