Lies In Cat's Cradle

"All the things I am about to tell you are shameless lies." So begins the Books of Bokonon. Bokononism is an original religion that is introduced in this book, Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. The book shows the importance of religion, even if that religion is "shameless lies". It also displays how people convince themselves that things are better then they really are. I read this book because of a promise I made to my father. I'm glad I made that promise; I just read a delightfully funny and deep tale about the end of the world.

Kurt Vonnegut wrote during the postmodern literary period which breaks free from many ideas created in the modern period and describes the literature that follows World War two. This period is characterised with the technology becoming part of life,paradox,and fragmentation. Authors also hold true the idea that all stories have already been told and works of this era are new methods of telling them.(Klages np) These techniques are used throughout the short stories of Vonnegut’s “Welcome to the Monkey House” and influence can be seen due to his past in the military which may be seen through his storytelling.

In Kurt Vonnegut’s eyes, America is being taught that some books and ideas are tantamount to diseases. As a consequence, the humorous, satirical novel Cat’s Cradle has been unjustly challenged in a few areas of the United States. The novel looks at the structures that curb our society, especially in religion and science, and contains an educational value that is paramount in correlation to its suggestive themes. Therefore, despite Cat’s Cradle’s minor suggestive content, including religious satire and mature themes, the book possesses important concepts that should not be overshadowed by these negligible reasons. It is puzzling how the novel received bans for such irrational conclusions.

In conclusion Kurt Vonnegut used the bible to learn, as inspiration, and he criticizes it as well. Kurt Vonnegut is extremely informed about the bible. He believes the lessons in the bible are important and he follows them. He also believes the bible has it's flaws. Although he is atheist he is well educated about

Vonnegut exercised a minimal and comical style of writing to communicate his views against war. His experience in high school and

Vonnegut's writing style throughout the novel is very flip, light, and sarcastic. The narrator's observations and the events occurring during the novel reflect a dark view

<br>I. Kurt Vonnegut has a great awareness of the destructive social impact of science and technology.

Scientists do not use their talents to help civilization, they are “Pure research men” who “work on what fascinates them, not on what fascinates other people” (49). They focus on continuing research just for the sake of science and are self-centered. They do as they please without helping society with it’s actual problems, like how the entire island of San Lorenzo is starving and living in poverty. Rather than working on something that could benefit others, the scientists continuously work on research that is not always even necessary. Science also does not care how their inventions effect other people, even if their inventions could potentially be harmful. After Dr. Hoenikker wins the Nobel Prize, the Hoenikker children use the prize money to buy their mother a tombstone and a summer home. John ponders why someone would receive a Nobel Prize for such a damaging invention and thinks, “‘Dynamite money,’ I marveled, thinking of the violence of dynamite and the absolute repose of a tombstone and a summer home” (65). People grant science rewards for creating damaging innovations that are ruinous. Dr. Hoenikker does not think about the harm his inventions could cause because he does not care. This negligent attitude causes the destruction that occurs at the end of the book when it says, “The moist green earth was a blue-white pearl. The sky darkened”, and, “the sun became a sickly yellow ball, tiny and cruel. The sky was filled with worms. The worms were tornadoes” (261). Dr. Hoenikker and his children are to blame for this demolition of the world because they are careless with how they use science. Science kills the majority of life on Earth, all because the Hoenikker’s treat the ice-nine with neglect. Science is irresponsible with how it treats the devastating inventions it

Humans spend much time pondering the meaning and purpose of life without finding an answer. In searching for this meaning, most people first turn to truth for answers rather than exploring a more religious perspective. In Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut explains science to the readers as unbeneficial truth, and on the other hand religion is interpreted as hopeful lies through the story’s made up religion called Bokononism. Despite religion being filled with lies, it elicits hope to the citizens of San Lorenzo that gives the meaning to their lives they have been longing for as well as bonding them together in unity against their common struggle temporarily fixing their problem. Although it may seem religion’s lies only bring

Greene suggestion to solve this problem is to teach science, and communicate to young children in a way that captures drama. He also suggests that we embark on a cultural shift to place science in music, art, and literature as an indispensable part of what makes life worth living. Therefore, people can know what the true meaning of science really is.

As an author, Kurt Vonnegut has received just about every kind of praise an author can receive: his works held the same sway over American philosophy as did those of Jack Kerouac or J.R.R. Tolkein; his writing has received acclaim from academics and the masses alike; and three of his books have been made into feature films. Society has permanently and noticeably been altered by his writing. Through accessible language and easily-understood themes, Vonnegut has created works subtle, engrossing, and familiar. His main method for doing this is by exploiting a theme with which everyone is familiar and about which everyone has his own opinion: religion.

Vonnegut believes that the clashing of ideas is what created human society thus far. Evil may seem as its name implies, but it is as important as Good. In finding the society that benefits the majority of people, having a differing view is pertinent to bettering humanity. “It was Krebbs’ mission, whether he know it or not, to disenchant me with [Nihilism].” (Ch. 36)

In the episode “Scientific Studies” on the tv show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”, he employs a plethora of rhetorical strategies to depict his point that not all “science” is necessarily science as most might assume; and how we as a people have become blinded and misled because these scientists are contradicting each other's’ findings. He does so by using humor, making comments that some people might be able to relate to, and by presenting basic logic and common knowledge.

One passage sticks out in particular when it comes to issues that Vonnegut considers relevant: “The Creator of the Universe would like to apologize not only for the capricious,

In about the fifth page of the essay, Dyson switches to using positive words to get readers to believe his true stories of success in stopping immoral science application. He uses words like "credit", "peace", and "finest hour", giving readers a positive feel. This positive feel is reflected into the reader's opinion about the odds of correcting science. The positive words influence readers to believe success against biological weapons, nuclear weapons, and other problems are easy obstacles.