Literature PPT Presentations: ‘Cat’s Cradle’ by Kurt Vonnegut

The Representation of Science and Religion in Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle is just a science fiction novel published by American writer Kurt Vonnegut. From first sight, the book relies upon the description of an imagined society having its own laws, customs, social order, and problems. None the less, Cat’s Cradle puts increased exposure of the problems of American society and explores issues associated with science, technology, and religion. The author pays attention to the immorality and indifference of a society obsessed with science. Cat’s Cradle is the interaction of two opposite concepts, utopia and dystopia, in terms of the book represents the image of the utopian world and the tough reality hidden between the lines. Therefore , the author’s investigation of scientific and religious issues in the context of the aftermath of people’s carelessness forms the central core of the book.

science

The main topic of science plays a fundamental role in Cat’s Cradle. It's noteworthy to claim that mcdougal contrasts the brilliance and inhumanity of science. On the one hand, science could be the source of new knowledge and discoveries aimed to facilitate and increase the life of society. The genius of science is akin to magic, as far as saying “science is magic that works” (Vonnegut). According to this kind of perspective, science provides a unique opportunity for humanity to apply knowledge to develop society. Vonnegut claims that new knowledge could be the most precious thing in the entire world as long as it raises the truth, and “the more truth we need to work with, the richer we become” (Vonnegut). Nevertheless, the key problem represented in the book could be the careless attitude of boffins and society to the effective use of knowledge. Thus, humanity has a tendency to ignore the dilemmas caused by science and technology.

Cat’s Cradle represents the concept of “science for the sake of science” based upon cynicism and the indifference of society. The scientists in the book are deprived of such human feelings and characteristics as love, sympathy, and morality. Regarding Hoenikker, the scientist who invented the atom bomb has no moral responsibility for the a large number of those who died after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The boffins did not realize the dark side of science, inasmuch as they created a weapon aimed to bring death and destruction. Newton Hoenikker mentioned a predicament during the bomb testing which fully described the inhumanity. The matter is that one of the boffins claimed that science has known sin, but Felix Hoenikker simply wondered what the sin implied. Consequently , human feelings were unfamiliar to the daddy of the atom bomb as well as the consciousness of threat of such an invention for society.

An additional important fact to mention could be the indifference of scientists to the aftermath of lethal inventions that claimed many innocent lives. The only thing that worried the daddy of the atom bomb was solving the puzzles provided by nature. Thus, Hoenikker was spending his last days in the cottage outside the Ilium playing with the loop of string from the book about the end of the entire world. His son mentioned that the book was not interesting for the scientist except the string. Hence, this scene is just a portrayal of the careless attitude towards people’s lives and the immorality of science, as scientists have literally enjoyed the lives of people just like Hoenikker did with the string.

The ice-nine is one more portrayal of the disastrous nature of science. The matter is that Hoenikker invented it in order to solve one of nature’s puzzles worth his attention. The main quality of the ice-nine was to freeze everything in a particular area. Hoenikker made a decision to create this type of substance for the Marines to deal with mud. In spite of the fictional good thing about the ice-nine, such an invention was able to kill life on the planet. Thus, the scientist hadn't realized the chance of the ice-nine for humanity and took into consideration just the capability to solve the issue. This substance also appeared in the second area of the book, which told the story of Hoenikker’s kids. In fact , they kept the invention of these father and used it for achieving their own goals. Hence, ice-nine is the portrayal of people’s indifference and careless attitude towards the dangerous consequences of science.

religion

Yet another significant issue raised in Cat’s Cradle is the issue of religion. In the fictional world developed by Vonnegut, Bokononism is the central religion practiced by nearly all characters. In accordance with Bokonon’s beliefs, religion is nothing but “foma, ” which implies the untruth. Hence, everyone who believes in the lie can live a happy, healthy, and kind life. It is possible to assume that religion is the antithesis to science, as far as science represents the reality. From first sight, the importance of religion is blurred in the book so far as it represents a set of fictional and untruthful beliefs and concepts that contradict the reality. Otherwise, the writer makes the readers take into account the importance of the existence of religion even though it is the incarnation of foma. As was mentioned, boffins are lacking morality and the sensation of responsibility. They are unaware of such concepts as sin, love, and sympathy. Thus, being conscious of the truth, boffins and their inventions are dangerous for society because of the conscious indifference and denial of responsibility. What is more, the absence of morality leads to destruction and death. Therefore , religion became the instrument of hope for people when truth was terrible and dangerous for society.

In conclusion, the author has raised a few issues associated with science, technology, and religion in Cat’s Cradle. Vonnegut has drawn a link with the crucial problems of society through the depiction of the imagined world. Hence, the central dilemmas of the fictional world involve the indifference and immorality of men and women obsessed with science, and who denied the value of responsibility for people’s lives. In terms of religion, there clearly was the contrast of beliefs as a harmless untruth, but which acts whilst the only instrument that brings hope for people terrified by the truth.

Works Cited

Vonnegut, Kurt. Cat’s Cradle. Penguin, 1999.