Cat's Cradle

“My Bokononist warning is this: Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies will not understand this book either.”

John warns readers that readers who are uncomfortable with the notion of a comfortable lie proving useful may not find much to admire in his novel. To some extent, the novel serves as a critique of those whose rigid, scientific-motivated thinking comes at the expense of a humanistic awareness of the consequences of such unbridled scientific inquiry. At the same time, the narrator’s endorsement of lies in the manner of Bokonon calls into question the reliability of the narrative itself.

“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.’ And do you know what Father said? He said, ‘What is sin?’”

Here, Vonnegut explores the relationship between science and morality, showing that the two are on different planes but not entirely unrelated. When Dr. Hoenikker’s research contributes to the development of a deadly weapon on a previously unknown scale, he shows no real remorse or awareness of the consequences. As a character, Dr. Hoenikker is dedicated solely to the pursuit of scientific knowledge, leaving him to set aside questions of morality.

“A winded, defeated-looking fat woman in filthy coveralls trudged beside us […]. She turned to examine Dr. Breed, looking at him with helpless reproach. She hated people who thought too much. At that moment, she struck me as an appropriate representative for almost all mankind.”

Throughout the novel, Vonnegut juxtaposes the rank-and-file, so-called “common” people, with those who claim intellectual superiority. Here, he highlights one woman’s distaste for those, like Dr. Breed, who are prone to excessive research and analysis. Her feelings suggest a disconnect between the research they perform and the daily lives of most people.