Cat's Cradle: 3 Most Important Passages

     "Dr. Breed was mistaken about at least one thing: there was such thing as ice-nine. And ice-nine was on earth.  Ice-nine was the last gift Felix Hoenikker created for mankind before going to his just reward. He did it without anyone's realizing what he was doing. He did it without leaving records of what he'd done" (Vonnegut 50).

     This is one of the most important passages in Cat's Cradle. One of the central ideas of the book is Felix Hoenikker's creation of ice-nine. Dr Breed did not even think this creation was possible, let alone already existed. Without even realizing it, Dr. Breed was introducing Jonah to something that would soon be his fate. After this conversation with Dr. Breed, Jonah made it his goal to find ice-nine. This is the first time in the story that we receive information about what is to come later in the story.


     "Next to "Papa's" portrait was a picture of a narrow-shouldered, fox-faced, immature young man. He wore a snow white military blouse with some sort of jeweled sunburst hanging on it. His eyes were close together; they had circles under them. He had apparently told barbers all his life to shave the sides and back of his head, but to leave the top of his hair alone. He had wiry pompadour, a sort of cube hair, mar-celled, that arose to an incredible height.
     This unattractive child was identified as Major General Franklin Hoenikker, Minister of Science and Progress in the Republic of San Lorenzo" (80).

     The passage above is another key part of Jonah's journey. After finding out about ice-nine from Dr. Breed, it became his mission to find out more about it. He soon learned that each of Felix's children had a supply of ice-nine, but Frank was no where to be found. One day while looking in the New York Sunday Times, Jonah came across an artical about San Lorenzo. Realizing that the man pictured was actually the person he was looking for all along set Jonah in motion again. This was a turning point in the story because it leads Jonah to travel to San Lorenzo, where he finds many more answers about the Hoenikker family and ice-nine.


     "When I shuffled out, somewhat relieved, I was met by Dr. Schlichter von Koenigswald, who was bounding from "Papa's" bedroom. He had a wild look, and he took me by the arms and he cried, "What is it? What was it he had hanging around his neck?"
     "I beg your pardon?"
     "He took it! What ever was in that cylinder, 'Papa' took--and now he's dead" (235).

     This part in the story is extremely significant because it is when the first person on earth died of ice-nine. "Papa's" death signified the beginning of the world as everyone knew it. After his death, the people of San Lorenzo were all at risk of dying the same way. This point in the story is important because it shows what can happen when one person gains control of something that can significantly change things. Ice-nine changed earth for good. This was the climax of Cat's Cradle; everything finally came together with Jonah's research with ice-nine.
 

A Fish in an Angry Sea

Bokonon.

He was intellectually ambitious,
and set sail from
Tobago to London
     alone in the Lady Slipper.


        He enlisted in World War I,
        was gassed, hospitalized,
        and then set sail for home,
             alone in the Lady Slipper again.

80 miles from home,
                     he was taken prisoner,
                                               and then stranded on an island.

At last, he made it to Rhode Island,
and by that time,  he'd realized that
          something, was trying to get him somewhere,
                        for some reason.

From pages 104-105.

The mysterious concept of Bokononism is a major theme throughout the novel Cat's Cradle. Details of this strange religion were never given, until this chapter. The founder of the religion, Lionel Boyd Johnson, who later became known as Bokonon, was finally discussed. These lines from the story are only part of Bokonon's life story. This religion is a huge symbol for many of the characters in the book, and the way in which Bokonon founded his religion has a lot to do with his life. The poem talks about all of Bokonon's travels across the sea, and how each time he tried to get somewhere, something would prevent him from his goal. But he never stopped traveling; he continued his travels with optimism. After he realized that all of the obstacles had a purpose, he decided it was time to figure out what this purpose was. This later led him to wash ashore on the island of San Lorenzo. This mans journey helped shape the lives of all of those living on the island, as well as the main character, John's. Bokononism is slowly becoming more relevant to everything that happens in the story, so knowing who and where it came from is key to understanding it.
          

Cat's Cradle 1: Religion

         In Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, religion is a major theme so far. The main character, Jonah, is a Bokononist. He grew up a Christian, and converted as an adult. Bokononism is not very similar to Christianity; though there is a God, worshiping God is not the main priority. In fact, Vonnegut takes it a step further, saying that relgion is based on lies. Bokononism is more like a way of life. It is based on the idea that humans are organizes in teams The idea of God and religion comes up frequently. Throughout the novel, Jonah compares and contrast the ideas of Christians versus those of Bokononists. While reading this book, I am reminded of The Tao of Pooh. Though Taoism is different from both of the religions mentioned in Cat's Cradle, the ideas are very similar. Bokononism and Taoism share the appreciation for everyday life. Both religions make a point to learn from mistakes, and they stress that everything that happens is important. In Vonnegut's novel, characters insist on the truth of God. But in the Bokononist and Taoist point of views, truth is not important.

And One Fine Morning

Adele's Someone Like You

Gatsby had come a long way; 

his dream seemed so close 

he could hardly

fail.

But it was already behind him,

back in that 

vast obscurity beyond the city,

where the

dark fields of the republic

rolled on,

under the night.

He believed in the green light,

the orgastic

future

that year by year recedes

before us.

It eludes us, 

but tomorrow we will still

run faster, stretch farther...

And one fine morning...

Lines from Page 180.

The closing of the Great Gatsby sums up the whole idea of the story. Fitzgerald is stressing how Gatsby has been chasing a dream for years that was over long before it began. The green light is a symbol for dreams that people chase. These dreams are so close, yet still out of reach. The entire story, Gatsby felt like he was getting closer to being with Daisy, but in reality, it was never a possibility. But Gatsby, like most people, did not except this. He did everything in his power to try to achieve his goal. The line "And one fine morning..." is what people tells themselves is going to happen--we think that if we persevere, one day we will wake up and finally our dream will come true. Even though Fitzgerald makes a point that in Gatsby's case, his goal was never possible, it is human nature to "beat on." 

Life Through a Lens

"To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of a man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child."

Ralph Waldo Emerson put it very simply in his essay Nature: adults lose sight of the beauty of the world. It has become terribly hard to find an adult that enjoys nature in the same way a child does. Many look passed the greatness that surrounds us, focusing on the materialistic parts of life, like having the nicest clothes, biggest house, or the most expensive car. Life becomes more of a routine than an adventure. The wonder becomes lost somewhere in all the labels.

Finding an adult with a child-like love of nature and the world is rare. This makes knowing Will Hummel extremely special.

 (Will climbing in New Zealand)     

Will, now 21, grew up in Glenview, Illinois with his younger sister and parents. Growing up, Will would spend many weeks during the year in Hawaii where his mother is from. He and his sister spent a lot of their childhood playing outside, whether it was on the beaches of Hawaii, or at home in their backyard.
   

I have been close to his family for about 7 years, but did not realize how unique Will's outlook on life was until he started going to Pomona College in California. His love for being outside only deepened when he left for school. He started rock climbing a couple times a week, picking it up very quickly. Will soon began hiking mountains throughout California, and started making trips with friends to deserts and other national parks that were close enough to drive to from his school. Exploring the beauty of nature became a quick obsession for Will, and soon he began taking pictures of his surroundings.

What Will started as an experiment quickly turned into a passion. He has an innate talent for capturing nature in its finest, most peculiar moments, making those observing the photographs question if something so beautiful actually exists. His pictures make viewer want to experience nature for themselves.

All of Will's pictures are posted on his blog.

In Louis Rene Beres' article, The Few, The Proud, The Individuals, he criticizes how people in America today conform to what everyone else is doing. He says we need to "resist camouflage and concealment in the mass. Courageous individuals who will risk disapproval for the sake of resisting the mass now offer America the only republic worth saving."

Beres' point is that individuality is key in life. If everyone does what the mass is doing, there is nothing unique about anyone; everyone becomes the same. Independency is lost.


This is not the case for Will. Independent is one of the first words that comes to mind when talking about him. Last year, Will spent two months in South Africa, learning about how to be an entrepreneur and teaching natives how to set up their own businesses. He met businessmen and women from around the world, experienced the World Cup, and learned about a completely different culture. At the beginning of this year, Will set off for New Zealand to study a semester abroad. Shortly after arriving, a destructive earthquake hit the town Will was studying in. While the school insisted that all students transfer to another university in a more industrial area, Will decided that he would rather stay put and explore New Zealand's terrain for himself. School could wait; he would only be in New Zealand for a short couple of months. So his studies were put on hold for the semester. Will is currently backpacking through New Zealand.

In an excerpt from Henry David Thoreau's Walden, he talks about how as humans, we do not know exactly who we are, but we should never stop to think. Just do. Learn through experience. There is a passion deep inside all people to try new things, and it is necessary to live deliberately. Do not get caught up in routines. Most importantly, do not waste any moments in life. It rushes by; take advantage of every opportunity the world presents.

Will lives his day to day life in this manner, always curious and willing to try something new. He is only 21. I am eager to see what the world brings him next. I do know, however, that it will be anything but ordinary.

To end, one of Will's favorite bands: Bon Iver.