Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle is a satire of reality – a heckling comment on the unpleasant and often silly nature of mankind and the overall pointlessness of existence. That is not to say, however, that the pointlessness of the universe should take away from the enjoyment of living. Through exhibition of bland or unpleasant characters, extremely morbid humor, and some intensely nihilistic ideas, Vonnegut makes an unusual argument in favor of life. Cat’s Cradle seeks to demonstrate that everything is ridiculous and no one should take themselves too seriously. Because, in the end, the Universe is ultimately meaningless and the only enjoyment one will have in life is what they find or create for themselves. Meaning is often heavily influenced by the perspective at hand – a fact which Vonnegut is clearly very aware of for Cat’s …show more content…
The narrator, John, is intelligent but both boring and bored – a silent observer who scarcely shows a significant amount of humanity. In fact, this strange personality of John becomes exceedingly apparent from the very first line of the book, “Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.” (Vonnegut 1). John’s introduction demonstrates wonders about how he views the world. He is an observer – a note taker – and his actual identity and humanity aren’t immensely important to anything (a fact which he is painfully aware of). His interactions with other characters are often bland or awkward, and his constant use of sarcasm ends up showing how cynical the world looks through his eyes. The conversation he has with Dr. Breed shows the observant aspect of John, though in that case he is actually performing an interview (Vonnegut 42). That being the case, his demeanor doesn’t change from that conversation to when he isn’t giving
This omniscient point of view allows Vonnegut to tell the reader about events on Earth and on the alien planet of Tralfamadore at any given point in space and time giving the reader insights as to the characters’ perceptions
Owen Meany, on the other hand, is almost the complete opposite of John. He knows that everything that occurs happens for a reason, and that there is no such thing as coincidences. John Irving follows the journey from childhood friendship into adulthood between the two, showing the true meaning of friendship and the impact that Owen has on John. John doesn’t feel a connection with God while growing up, quite possibly because he had changed churches several times as a child, due to his mother and her relations with Reverend Merill. John is characterized as a person lacking to know the very self of him, and he seems to learn from the events that occur around him, rather than to himself.
I think one thing that Vonnegut is trying to show us is that man too easily accepts things as valid without questioning. Refering to this, Newt, another character, says, "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, and no damn cradle" (114).
“How nice- to feel nothing, and still get full credit for being alive” (Vonnegut 181).
The adult John comes to civilized society as an experiment by Marx and Mond to see how a "savage" would adapt to civilization. Frankly, he does not adapt very well. He is appalled by the lifestyle and ideas of civilized people, and gets himself into a lot of trouble by denouncing civilization. He loves Lenina very much, but gets very upset at her when she wants to have sex with him. He physically attacks her, and from that point on does not want to have anything to do with her. When his mother dies, he interferes with the "death conditioning" of children by being sad. Finally, his frustrations with the civilized world become too much for him and he decides to take action. He tries to be a sort of a Messiah to a group of Deltas, trying to free them from the effect of soma. He tells them only the truth, but it is not the truth that the Deltas have been conditioned to believe, so to them it is a violent lie and they begin to cause a riot. When the riot is subdued, John is apprehended and taken to have a talk with Mustapha Mond.
Poetry is a part of literature that writers used to inform, educate, warn, or entertain the society. Although the field has developed over the years, the authenticity of poetry remains in its ability to produce a meaning using metaphors and allusions. In most cases, poems are a puzzle that the reader has to solve by applying rhetoric analysis to extract the meaning. Accordingly, poems are interesting pieces that activate the mind and explore the reader’s critical and analytical skills. In the poem “There are Delicacies,” Earle Birney utilizes a figurative language to express the theme and perfect the poem. Specifically, the poem addresses the frangibility of the human life by equating it to the flimsy of a watch. Precisely, the poet argues that a human life is short, and, therefore, everyone should complete his duties in perfection because once he or she dies, the chance is unavailable forever.
Kurt Vonnegut’s science fiction, short story, “Harrison Bergeron” satirizes the defective side of an ideal, utopian American society in 2081, where “everyone was finally equal” (Vonnegut 1). When you first begin to read “Harrison Bergeron”, through an objective, nonchalant voice of the narrator, nothing really overly suggests negativity, yet the conclusion and the narrator's subtle description of the events show how comically tragic it really is. Vonnegut’s use of morbid satire elicits a strong response from the readers as it makes you quickly realize that this scenario does not resemble a utopian society at all, but an oppressive, government and technology-controlled society. “A dystopian society is a
I believe that Vonnegut uses Cat's Cradle as an allegorical tale about what will happen to the world if we are not careful with technology that has the ability to end life on this planet. He points out one of the qualities of humanity; that people make mistakes, thus poisoning our minds and encouraging a better world.
Throughout his career, Kurt Vonnegut has used writing as a tool to convey penetrating messages and ominous warnings about our society. He skillfully combines vivid imagery with a distinctly satirical and anecdotal style to explore complex issues such as religion and war. Two of his most well known, and most gripping, novels that embody this subtle talent are Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five. Both books represent Vonnegut’s genius for manipulating fiction to reveal glaring, disturbing and occasionally redemptive truths about human nature. On the surface, Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five are dramatically different novels, each with its own characters, symbols, and plot. However, a close examination reveals that both contain common themes and ideas. Examining and comparing the two novels and their presentation of different themes provides a unique insight into both the novels and the author – allowing the reader to gain a fuller understanding of Vonnegut’s true meaning.
Praises resound around the world everyday in admiration of man's magnificent creation, technology. Scientific progress has been hailed the number one priority of man, while the development of society itself has been cast aside like an old beta vcr. When surrounded by a constant herd of machinery, finding purpose in life is often overshadowed by a desire to continually generate new scientific inventions. In the post-war classics Waiting for Godot and Slaughterhouse Five, the authors rally for meaning within the chaos of technology and stress the importance of "a possibility of choice"(Sartre 339). In addition to improved technology, Vonnegut and Beckett emphasize that members of society need to attach significance to their lives through the use of free will.
From the moment of birth, to the moment of death, humans are flooded with emotions both good and bad. Individuals are continuously seeking fulfillment, some failing to find it while others succeed. Many seek adoration; love, accomplishment and greatness. In literature, authors take the readers on journeys that allow imagination, granting the possibility for the reader to grasp inner desires and decide what is truly important in life. Literature allows readers to dive into a different world where happiness and fulfillment is plentiful and eternal, also described as a utopia, while other pieces of literature direct the reader into a world of dissatisfaction which is a dystopia. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is in 26th century England. With the help of advanced technology and drugs, happiness fills the lives of the people living at that time period. But, the people are missing out on one of the most important feelings of life. That is sorrow or unhappiness. The society in Brave New World is very different from modern-day society; many aspects of life are removed such as family, monogamy, and religion. The citizens of Brave New World live in false happiness with all the necessities of life provided for them but have the lack of an inferred deeper satisfaction. In Brave New World happiness is the lack of unhappiness because the inhabitants can never truly know what happiness is without experiencing true unhappiness. The lifestyle in Brave New World is built on the notion that happiness is the only thing necessary in one’s life. This novel suggest that the reader should seek things besides happiness because the citizens in the World State live bleak and monotonous lives which show the faults in this so-called ‘perfect’ society. In thi...
The date was May 21st, that was the day that I had a philosophical epiphany. I had come to the realization that I was a Nihilist. What’s even more ironic is that two days prior to this realization my ignorance of this very philosophy was abundant to say the least. It all started with a thread I created on a Philosophy forum titled the Nihilist Paradox. The gist of my thread was that if Nihilists believe in nothing then is it not contradictory that they uphold Nihilism? A friend of mine from the forums was quick to point out that this was a common misconception that people held about Nihilism which consequently would become a stereotype ascribed to all Nihilists. He stated that Nihilists (He was referring specifically to Existential Nihilists as he debated me & others in the thread.) do not believe in nothing but rather, believe that life has no objective meaning, purpose, or value. Needless to say that the thread gained much momentum and an intense discourse ensued. This ultimately led to my friend urging me and every other participant in the thread to do the appropriate research and to empower ourselves.
opinion on existential nihilism. Existential nihilism is the philosophy that life has no intrinsic meaning, and rejects all religious and moral conformity. The main character meursault, displays all of these traits throughout the book. Camus gives the reader an alternative outlook on the life and how there is no right or wrong way of living because in the end, whether that be sooner or later everyone is going to have the same end fate. Camus demonstrated his belief of existential nihilism through the external and internal
Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale, "The Black Cat," is a disturbing story that delves into the contrasts between reality and fantasy, insanity and logic, and life and death. To decipher one distinct meaning presented in this story undermines the brilliance of Poe's writing. Multiple meanings can be derived from "The Black Cat," which lends itself perfectly to many approaches of critical interpretation.
In For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway demonstrates nihilism through Jordan’s view of death. Coming to face death, Jordan states, “That’s what it will be like. Like a cool drink of water. You’re a liar. It will just be nothing. That’s all it will be. Just nothing” (FWTBT, 470). Faced with death alone, Jordan views death as not even an event; he believes it as an escape from the current complications of his life. On this idea, Emil Cioran, a famous nihilist philosopher, explains, “The deepest and most organic death is death in solitude…In such moments you will be severed from life, from love, smiles, friends and even from death. And you will ask yourself if there is anything besides the nothingness of the world and your own nothingness.” Death