AP Literature
MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEET
Title: Cat’s Cradle____________________________
Author: __Kurt Vonnegut
_______________________________
Date of Publication: ____1963___________________
Genre: ____Satire/Science Fiction
______________________________
Historical Information about the period and place of
publication – what was happening in the world the
author lived in and how might that have influenced
him?
Biographical Information about the Author
● Vonnegut’s life span 1922-2007
● Known as one of the most influential
American novelists of the 20th
century
● Studied at Cornell University and
afterwards joined the U.S. Army
● Vonnegut was captured as a prisoner
of war as well as fought in combat
● After war, Vonnegut settled down
and married his high school girlfriend
and they had 3 children together
Vonnegut wrote his novel about twenty years after
World War II ended ,but the impact that World War II
made on Vonnegut was long lasting. Vonnegut makes
his novel focusing on the increasing power of
technology and its capability of destroying life
sometime in the future.
Characteristics of the Genre
Satire is the art of ridiculing current events or
ideas and in
Cat’s Cradle
, Vonnegut ridicules
mass destruction from technology and
human stupidity. The science fiction part of
the novel includes the mass destruction and
the satire part of the novel includes the fact
on how easy mass destruction is by leaving
the power in the wrong hands.
Plot Summary
John, the narrator, decides he wants to write a book and title it
The Day The World Ended.
The novel
will focus on what the rest of the world was doing when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
To begin his research for the novel, John writes to Newton Hoenikker, the youngest son of the man
who created the atomic bomb, Felix Hoenikker. Newton replies and tells John what he was doing the
day that the atomic bomb was dropped. From then on, Newton was able to get John in contact with
the people that knew Felix Hoenikker the best. Furthering his research, John travels to a town called
Illium, which is where the Hoenikker family lived during World War II and where they lived when the
atomic bomb was dropped. John is able to meet and ask Dr. Asa Breed questions while in town. Dr. Asa
Breed was Felix Hoenikker’s supervisor in a laboratory that he worked in. After learning significant
information from Dr. Asa Breed about the Hoenikker family, John also learns that before Felix
Hoenikker died, he created
ice-nine
without documenting the creation, but left the remains to his three
children. One of Felix’s sons, Frank, is a Major General of the San Lorenzo island. As a side job, John is a
freelance writer and was assigned an article to write about a philanthropist that lives in San Lorenzo.
After arriving in San Lorenzo, John shortly learns that the entire island follows a religion called
Bokononism. Bokononism is a religion entirely based off believing in a utopia and that everyone is told
“white lies” to stay happy. Considering Frank Hoenikker is the leader of San Lorenzo, he decides he
can no longer lead the country and asks John to take over the country as president. Taken back by this
request a first since this was the first time he had ever been to the island, but shortly after he accepts
this request. On the day that John planned to tell the people of San Lorenzo he was going to be their
next president,
icenine
was swallow by one of the doctors on the island. Unaware of how the doctor
received the
icenine,
John and the Hoenikker children were sent into a panic realizing that damage
icenine
could do now that it was out. Just like they expected,
icenine
somehow got into the ocean
began to freeze everything in sight. In a matter of seconds, the world was changed forever and death
began to haunt to island. The few people that survived were John, the Hoenikker children, and a few
others that tagged along with them. John used the novel he was writing to record all of these events
that ironically revolved around the day the world ended.
Describe the author’s style
An example that demonstrates that style
humorous, blunt
“My book is going to emphasize the human rather than the
technical side of the bomb, so recollections of the day
through the eyes of a “baby”, if you pardon the expression,
would fit perfectly”(Vonnegut 7).
Memorable Quotes
Quotation
Significance
“After the thing went off, after it
was a sure thing that America could
wipe out a city with just one bomb, a
scientist turned to Father and said,
“Science has now known sin”
(Vonnegut 17).
This quote reveals Vonnegut’s true feelings about technology
contributing to mass destruction. Vonnegut was very interested
about technology and its powers for good or evil clearly the
atomic bomb was the first showcase that people had of mass
destruction with the touch of a button.
“The trouble with the world was,”
she continued hesitatingly, “ that
people were still superstitious
instead of scientific. He said if
everybody would study science
more, there wouldn't be all the
trouble there was” “He said science
was going to discover the basic
secret of life someday,” (Vonnegut
24).
This quote explains that people are distrusting of science and the
information it can discover about life in general. I think people
are afraid of the truth that science can discover about the world
so people avoid learning or accepting science’s power.
“If I were a younger man, I would
write a history of human stupidity;”
(Vonnegut 287).
“She was a fool, and so am I, and so
is anyone who thinks he sees that
God is doing, [writes Bokonon]”
(Vonnegut 5).
This is ironic because this is the narrator saying this quote ,but
that is basically what Vonnegut is writing about. Vonnegut
appears to feel strongly that human stupidity is a serious
problem in society.
This quote is stating Vonnegut’s skepticism of religion and the
power of it if it has any. Vonnegut appears to be a
straightforward man solely trusting scientific reasoning.
Characters
Name
John
Felix Hoenikker
Role in the Story
Significance
Adjectives
Narrator
John describes majority of the
events throughout the novel
with a humorous and sarcastic
tone
Sarcastic
“Father of the Atomic Bomb”,
known to be one of the
Emotionless,
smartest scientists to live,
created “ice-nine” which had
the ability to destroy
everything by freezing it
Angela
Hoenikker
Frank Hoenikker
Newton
Hoenikker
Dr. Asa Breed
Bokonon
Felix’s first child, basically
takes over family when her
mother dies and runs the family
since Felix is incapable of that
Felix’s second oldest child and
is the Major General of San
Lorenzo
Felix’s youngest child and is a
midget.
Felix Hoenikker’s supervisor,
explains to John about the
misunderstandings of scientists
and what they do
One of the founders of San
Lorenzo, created the religion of
Bokononism
Partially the reason for the
world ending since he created
icenine
Introverted,
Gives John valuable
information about icenine and
helps him understand its
power
introduces San Lorenzo to John
and gives John the power to be
president of San Lorenzo
Indecisive,
technically
minded
Is naive about outsiders and
accidentally allows russian
girlfriend who is secretly a spy
from Russia the ability to have
icenine
naive about the
intentions of
others
Lead John in the direction of
majority of his discoveries
within the Hoenikker family
helpful
created the religion of
Bokononism and was the
reason the country of San
Lorenzo was the way it was
and why the people there
believed lies rather than truth.
Bokonon symbolized human
stupidity in society
Deceiving
Setting
⅓of the novel is spent in the town of Illium, the town
the Hoenikker’s lived during World War II and the
dropping of the atomic bomb and then ⅔of the novel
is spent in the country of San Lorenzo
Significance of opening scene
The opening scene is John describing to his
readers his purpose for his book and what he
wants to accomplish and it is very similar to
Vonnegut’s intentions for writing the novel in
general.
Significance of ending/closing scene
Symbols
1. Icenine: The ability of mass destruction due to
technology
The ending scene is John, the Hoenikker
children and a few other select people,
adapting to life being most likely the last
people on earth. This scene mocks that
human stupidity impacts the world
tremendously.
2. Bokononism: the fact that society would rather
believe lies than to face the truth and confront the
issues needed to be solved as complex as they are
3.Cat’s Cradle: as complex as the cat’s cradle game is,
life can be viewed as complicated or simple. That
depends on one’s perspective of life.
4.
Old AP Questions
5.
Leave Blank for Now
Possible Themes
1. Technology can lead to mass destruction
2. Avoiding the truth will make life easier
3.Desire and Happiness