The novel “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut was published for the first time in 1963.
John, who’d like to be called Jonah, intends to write a book about the day the atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima. He focuses on Felix Hoenikker, one of the scientists who designed the atomic bomb, seeking out his children and former colleagues to gain information about him.
John/Jonah’s research allows him, among other things, to discover that, before his death, Felix Hoenikker invented ice-nine, a particular form of ice capable of triggering a chain reaction starting from a “seed” with the potential to crystallize all the water on Earth. The writer also discovers that one of the scientist’s sons lives in the Republic of San Lorenzo, where he has become a powerful figure and where many people follow the religion preached by Bokonon.
“Cat’s Cradle” has a structure that may superficially seem very simple and linear, but soon starts revealing various themes and characters that are often decidedly bizarre. All of this is developed with Kurt Vonnegut’s caustic humor. John/Jonah narrates the story of his research on the scientist Felix Hoenikker, which takes him far away in every sense, as it takes him to a Caribbean island. On that island, there’s the Republic of San Lorenzo, where Bokonon lives, whose religion, based on reassuring lies, is a central theme of the novel.
The atomic bomb, ice-nine, and Bokononism might seem unrelated. The novel’s structure might seem flawed, as the story is told in a way that’s the opposite of the classic “Show, don’t tell” narrative, with the narrator’s account of the events. It takes a writer like Kurt Vonnegut to bring these elements and more together in a way that works in a novel that transcends genre.
The parts of the novel connected to Bokononism are used to discuss free will, but in a surreal style that often borders on the absurd. Nonetheless, the ramifications can be quite serious, considering they involve the atomic bomb, with the threat still existing today and particularly acute during the time this novel was written.
There’s a parallel between the atomic bomb and ice-nine, an invention by Felix Hoenikker, who is completely indifferent to the consequences of its use because he’s an emotionless and likely amoral man. The satire connected to the creation of the atomic bomb by such a man isn’t exactly subtle. During the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Hoenikker was playing cat’s cradle and came up with the idea for ice-nine. In short, there’s a very dark and often bitter humor that culminates in the novel’s ending.
“Cat’s Cradle” didn’t win any literary awards, but its critical success earned Kurt Vonnegut a degree in anthropology from the University of Chicago, which accepted the novel as his thesis. It’s a novel that, beneath its witty and satirical humor, reveals themes that continue to be important. For this reason, I believe it should be read several times to grasp its many facets. It’s available on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
