

Cat’s Cradle: Between The Strings
by Lucas Kacher (2002)
If humans strive to fulfill their void, of a lack of
meaning in their lives, their folly will blind them from the
truth. Kurt Vonnegut portrays his inner emotions and
feelings of the insignificance of religion through the
characters of his novel, Cat’s Cradle. His satiric approach
to a subject that many people base their daily existence
upon, challenges the readers faith. As people search for
a deeper meaning in their lives, the more confused they
become. Only to become entwined in the Cat ’s Cradle of
life.
In the beginning, the reader is warned: “Anyone unable
to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies
will not understand this book either” (5-6). The theme
throughout the entire novel is set as, religion is based on
lies to give people something to believe, and find meaning
in.
Vonnegut created a religion in his novel, Bokonism,
founded by a man named Bokonon. Through lies, and short
poems, Bokonon spreads his religion to the people of San
Lorenzo, a small desolate island with no future. “All of the
true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies.”(5)
Vonnegut, through the ideals of Bokononism, gives the reader
insight into the notion that all religions are based on
lies, and un-truths. When Bokonon, christened Lionel Boyd
Johnson, arrived at the Island of San Lorenzo, he saw the
place as a disaster, which would yield no economic wealth or
prosperity. Theonly way that he saw possible for of this
place to become a utopia was to invent lies in which the
people could base their existence. These lies would convince
the people that they had a much better life then they
actually did, keeping the structure of the island alive. An
example of one of Bokonon’s short poems:
“I wanted all things
To seem to make some sense,
So we all could be happy, yes,
Instead of tense.
And I made up lies
So that they all fit nice,
And I made this sad world
A par-a-dise” (127).
Bokonon explains his reasons for creating the lies on
which his religion is founded; he makes the peoples lives
more wholesome. People have always searched for meaning,
meaning that science has not been able to provide them with.
So the people therefore turn to higher forms of meaning,
i.e. religion; despite the fact that it’s constructed to
give meaning when no such meaning exists. Bokonon’s reason
why man searched for meaning in life is as follows:
“And God created every living creature that now
moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could
speak. God leaned close as mud as man sat up,
looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. “What is the
purpose of all this?” he asked politely.
“Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.
“Certainly,” said man. “Then I leave you to think
of one for all this,” said God, and he went away”
(265).
The oblivious correlation between this story, of how
humans were created, and the story of Adam and Eve, from the
bible, is a religious satire. Vonnegut uses this to prove
his point that religion is based on un-truths that explain
the un-explainable.
Throughout Cat’s Cradle, religious references are
subtly portrayed through the situations that take place as
the book progresses. Felix Hoenikker was “the father of the
atomic bomb” (131), more than he was the father of his own
children. His scientific work caused him to neglect them;
however his lack of morals allowed him to continue his work
uninterrupted. He was a scientist who had no quest for
meaning, but a quest for truth. “What is sin?” (17). Felix
was oblivious to the destruction that his creation of the
atomic bomb had caused, having no moral obligation to the
lives of the people that he destroyed. “…He was practically
a Jesus, except for the son of God part” (67)
Jesus created a religion, while Felix created the
atomic bomb which killed hundreds of thousands. Vonnegut
uses his satiric play of words to denounce Jesus of the
crimes that his religion has caused. The holy wars and
religious battles around the world since the dawn of time
have claimed many casualties, thus relating Jesus to Felix
Hoenikker. This relation also provides the reader with the
notion that people feel that they do not hold responsibility
to their creations.
Newt Hoenikker’s, Felix’s son’s, birth killed Emily,
Felix’s wife. Just as In Genesis Chapter 35, Line 16, of The
Bible, Rachel dies giving birth to Israel’s baby. The lines
between Bokononism and Christianity are fine, and the lies
begin to overlap each other, proving each other wrong. “The
words were a paraphrase of the suggestion by Jesus:” Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s.”
Bokonon’s paraphrase was this: “Pay no attention to Caesar.
Caesar doesn’t have the slightest idea of what’s really
going on” (101)”. Bokonon contradicts the thoughts of
Christianity, proving the lack of true meaning in religion.
The similarities and contradictions between Bokononism and
Christianity are so prevalent that the mere fact that they
coincide with one another proves them to be bitter lies
(Price). The only interaction that Newt had with his father
was one day that Felix tried to show him a game of Cat’s
Cradle, in which hetried to get Newt to see the cat and the
cradle, which were both non-existent. All of the people who
turn to religion are looking for a meaning that will never
be found.
“Religion!”…”See the cat?” asked Newt. “See the cradle”
(183).
Newt’s constant reference to the game of Cat’s Cradle
is a symbol of the search for meaning that people get caught
up in. Cat’s Cradle is a game that has a complete absence of
fact, no cat or cradle exists, only the mere illusion. Newt
implies that the people who search for a meaning in religion
are searching for something that is not there at all.
Bokonon finds it comical that the people who study his
religion find more meaning in their lives when it is all
crafted lies.
The nihilistic views of Vonnegut begin to become clear
as Cat’s Cradle, comes to a close. It is human nature to
search for meaning in life, meaning that science alone
cannot provide. Science discovered that the basic need of
human existence is “protein” (24). This fact of science
intensifies the conclusion that human existence is futile
without meaning, such a meaning that religion provides.
However, that is just the statement that Vonnegut expects
the people of the world to make. The void that humans feel
a need to fill, with thoughts such as religion, will never
be filled; the search for meaning is never-ending. Just like
an endless, pointless game of Cat’s Cradle. Bokonon, in his
infinite wisdom knew not to take his own advice and the
validity of it was null. There is no truth, there is no
meaning, “No damn cat, and no damn cradle” (66).
Bibliography
Vonnegut, Kurt: Cat’s Cradle Delta Books 1998. (287 pages)
Price, Liana: Understanding Religion Through Cat's Cradle
(http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/4953/kv_religion.html)
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Last modified: September 20, 2002