Chapter 1: The Day the World Ended to Chapter 28: Mayonnaise
pages 1- 60
The most noticeable thing when I began this book was Vonnegut's unique writing style. Rather than beginning the novel with a traditional introduction into the characters, we begin the novel by being directly addressed by the speaker, Jonah. Jonah outlines his plan for a novel, The Day the World Ended, "to be an account of what important Americans had done on the day when the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan" (Vonnegut 1). The book unfolds as Jonah searches for information to include in his novel, especially information concerning Dr. Hoenikker, one of the prominent creators of the atomic bomb, and his family.
"All true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies" (Vonnegut 5). This is the warning that Vonnegut gives the reader: The fictionality of the story may all be lies, made up people, places, and even religions, but the morals and ideas that come forth from these stories are all truths. We are also warned that "Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies will not understand this book either. So be it" (Vonnegut 5-6). The truths of the religion and of the story are not important and are not meant to be understood because these are not the important parts. The lies conveyed give a greater meaning to humanity and give universal truths, and if this can not be understood there is no point reading the novel because the fallacies are what gives the meaning. It is incredibly important to understand this because he utilizes a great many allegories to convey points within the text.
"All true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies" (Vonnegut 5). This is the warning that Vonnegut gives the reader: The fictionality of the story may all be lies, made up people, places, and even religions, but the morals and ideas that come forth from these stories are all truths. We are also warned that "Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies will not understand this book either. So be it" (Vonnegut 5-6). The truths of the religion and of the story are not important and are not meant to be understood because these are not the important parts. The lies conveyed give a greater meaning to humanity and give universal truths, and if this can not be understood there is no point reading the novel because the fallacies are what gives the meaning. It is incredibly important to understand this because he utilizes a great many allegories to convey points within the text.
My Experience
There was so much to understand and notice so bear with me trying to convey what I can. My book is earmarked and covered in multicolored sticky notes so much that it can get overwhelming so I will do my best to give my understand of major parts in this section and ideas that I got from it, but it may be impossible to unveil all the importance that Vonnegut gives with each word and new story.
The Story
If you need to brush up, Spark Notes has a good summary: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/catscradle/section1.rhtml
Major Themes and Ideas
The Bokononists
Bokononism is introduced on the second page of text in this novel and is, in fact, a religion created by Vonnegut himself, which is extremely creative and one of the many fictions within the novel. There is more specific information on it on this website: http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/personal/bokonon.html but it explains it throughout the entire novel and I will just be focusing on the Bokononist ideas shown in this first section. Many of the insightful ideas held by Jonah are given as pieces from the Book of Bokonon.
In telling of his new found belief in the "bittersweet lies of Bokononism' (Vonnegut 2) we initially learn that "Bokononists believe that humanity is organized into teams, teams that do God's Will without ever discovering what they are doing. Such a team is called a karass... and the instrument, the kan-kan, that brought me into my own particular karass was the book [he] never finished, the book to be called The Day the World Ended" (Vonnegut 2).
This quotation alludes to the fact that Jonah will find his karass through his novel, and that each of the characters plays an important role in each person's story and the story as a whole.
In telling of his new found belief in the "bittersweet lies of Bokononism' (Vonnegut 2) we initially learn that "Bokononists believe that humanity is organized into teams, teams that do God's Will without ever discovering what they are doing. Such a team is called a karass... and the instrument, the kan-kan, that brought me into my own particular karass was the book [he] never finished, the book to be called The Day the World Ended" (Vonnegut 2).
This quotation alludes to the fact that Jonah will find his karass through his novel, and that each of the characters plays an important role in each person's story and the story as a whole.
The quotation to the left comes from the third page, a Bokononist song cited here by Jonah, to further demonstrate the way the different people of different backgrounds come together to perform their specific duties as appointed by God. Vonnegut illustrates this fact with the idea that all of these people come together perfectly in the way that different mechanisms come together in a device. This idea represents an idealism held that everything and everyone has a place, group, and purpose in the world.
Another idea on the purpose of humanity is given in the concluding sentence of the parable on folly, warning that "She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is doing..." (Vonnegut 5). He represents God in the mysterious ways that many religions do, but shares the idea that one will never understand the workings of God and the universe and thus there is no use pretending or attempting to do so.
Everything happens "'as it was meant to happen'" every encounter brings people together to accomplish a task, like the whore and the bartender helping to connect Jonah with the Hoenikkers.
A wampeter is another idea of the Bokononists, an object or idea that the karass, or group revolves around, but it may change. These objects of importance are changing constantly, a new one always coming in while and old one leaves. The changing of the material items shows just how unimportant such items are in our life, how they can change but the group and humanity will continue on their purpose.
Another idea on the purpose of humanity is given in the concluding sentence of the parable on folly, warning that "She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is doing..." (Vonnegut 5). He represents God in the mysterious ways that many religions do, but shares the idea that one will never understand the workings of God and the universe and thus there is no use pretending or attempting to do so.
Everything happens "'as it was meant to happen'" every encounter brings people together to accomplish a task, like the whore and the bartender helping to connect Jonah with the Hoenikkers.
A wampeter is another idea of the Bokononists, an object or idea that the karass, or group revolves around, but it may change. These objects of importance are changing constantly, a new one always coming in while and old one leaves. The changing of the material items shows just how unimportant such items are in our life, how they can change but the group and humanity will continue on their purpose.
Truth and Knowledge
The topic of knowledge and the truth of such knowledge is discussed many times throughout the novel. When discussing her knowledge of Dr. Hoenikker, Miss Faust, the secretary, says, "I don't think he was knowable. I mean, when most people talk about knowing somebody a lot or a little, they're talking about secrets they've bee told or haven't been told. They're talking about intimate things, family things, love things..."' (Vonnegut 54). She tells of knowing a person completely, knowing their secrets and the important things in their lives, and how this was difficult with such a man who had little interaction with others or cares outside of his scientific obsessions. She tells of what others have told her, such as,
"'Dr. Breed keeps telling me the main thing with Dr. Hoenikker was truth... I don't know whether I agree of not. I just have trouble understanding how truth, all by itself, could be enough for a person"' (Vonnegut 54). Bringing up the Bokononist teaching again that truth is not enough but it is the lies that must be told, Miss Faust shows her understanding of this idea and how she does not believe that truth could be the only thing in a person's life.
The aspect of knowledge is one of the most coveted things to humanity, giving understanding and creating new things, knowledge runs the world. Dr. Breed believes such is true, saying, "New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become" (Vonnegut 41). This interaction and interchange of the words knowledge and value and demonstrative of the beliefs of Dr. Breed, that all knowledge is truth and that these ideas are of the most utmost importance.
Miss Faust foils Dr. Breed and his ideas with her own, as she represents an understanding that not everything is truthful or knowledgable. When asked by Dr. Hoenikker for an absolute truth, she says, "God is love" (Vonnegut 55) to which he replies , "'What is God? What is love?"' (Vonnegut 55). Miss Faust has her beliefs, what she knows to be true, but is questioned by Dr. Hoenikker about the truthfulness and actuality of these sentiments, and it is never revealed who won the argument in this case, as they both maintain their own opinions on what truth and knowledge is, and whether or not it is the same thing.
Dr. Hoenikker did in fact have an issue with anything that could not be proven truthful. He believed that "'The trouble with the world was... that people were still superstitious instead of scientific. He said if everybody would study science more, there wouldn't be all the trouble there was'" (Vonnegut 24). He could not understand the ability of others to accept something as truth without a concrete knowledge that it is so, as he was of purely scientific mind.
In another conversation observed between Dr. Breed and Miss Faust, she says, '"You scientists think too much... You all think too much" (Vonnegut 33). She once again shows her belief that there is an ability to belief something is truthful and knowable without having to think too much about it. To this Dr. Breed contrasts with the thought, "' I think you'll find... that everybody does about the same amount of thinking. Scientists simply think about things in one way, and other people think about things in other"' (Vonnegut 33-34). His comment shows his ideals, that people are capable of different ways of thinking and therefore knowing what is truth and what is not. As a scientist he "thinks differently" than she may on these topics, as well as many others.
These ideas on how to know what you know and what is truth and what is lie is an extremely crucial component in this novel. It is the topic of many of the allegories and conversations that have taken place so far in the novel and I feel as though the trend will continue.
"'Dr. Breed keeps telling me the main thing with Dr. Hoenikker was truth... I don't know whether I agree of not. I just have trouble understanding how truth, all by itself, could be enough for a person"' (Vonnegut 54). Bringing up the Bokononist teaching again that truth is not enough but it is the lies that must be told, Miss Faust shows her understanding of this idea and how she does not believe that truth could be the only thing in a person's life.
The aspect of knowledge is one of the most coveted things to humanity, giving understanding and creating new things, knowledge runs the world. Dr. Breed believes such is true, saying, "New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become" (Vonnegut 41). This interaction and interchange of the words knowledge and value and demonstrative of the beliefs of Dr. Breed, that all knowledge is truth and that these ideas are of the most utmost importance.
Miss Faust foils Dr. Breed and his ideas with her own, as she represents an understanding that not everything is truthful or knowledgable. When asked by Dr. Hoenikker for an absolute truth, she says, "God is love" (Vonnegut 55) to which he replies , "'What is God? What is love?"' (Vonnegut 55). Miss Faust has her beliefs, what she knows to be true, but is questioned by Dr. Hoenikker about the truthfulness and actuality of these sentiments, and it is never revealed who won the argument in this case, as they both maintain their own opinions on what truth and knowledge is, and whether or not it is the same thing.
Dr. Hoenikker did in fact have an issue with anything that could not be proven truthful. He believed that "'The trouble with the world was... that people were still superstitious instead of scientific. He said if everybody would study science more, there wouldn't be all the trouble there was'" (Vonnegut 24). He could not understand the ability of others to accept something as truth without a concrete knowledge that it is so, as he was of purely scientific mind.
In another conversation observed between Dr. Breed and Miss Faust, she says, '"You scientists think too much... You all think too much" (Vonnegut 33). She once again shows her belief that there is an ability to belief something is truthful and knowable without having to think too much about it. To this Dr. Breed contrasts with the thought, "' I think you'll find... that everybody does about the same amount of thinking. Scientists simply think about things in one way, and other people think about things in other"' (Vonnegut 33-34). His comment shows his ideals, that people are capable of different ways of thinking and therefore knowing what is truth and what is not. As a scientist he "thinks differently" than she may on these topics, as well as many others.
These ideas on how to know what you know and what is truth and what is lie is an extremely crucial component in this novel. It is the topic of many of the allegories and conversations that have taken place so far in the novel and I feel as though the trend will continue.
Changing
In the city of Ilium (also fictitious), NY, the Jonah encounters many different locations on his quest for information on Dr. Hoenikker and his family. We are brought to the local dive bar and the lab where the atomic bomb was created, that both have a backstory that they have "changed" and developed from, when they truly have not.
When talking with an older bartender about the bar, he says "It wasn't the Cape Cod Room then....It was called the Navajo Tepee in those days...Before that it was the Pompeii Room ... but no matter what they call the room, they never change the fugging light fixtures. Never change the fugging people who come in or the fugging town outside, either" (Vonnegut 26). The superficial exterior of the bar may change with time but in reality nothing really changes, not the skeleton, the location, the people.
This is shown again in a discussion about the Research Laboratory when Dr. Breed says, "Just about where the Research Laboratory is now was the old stockade. That was where they held the public hangings, too, for the county" (Vonnegut 28). In a more subtle way, Vonnegut alludes the laboratory to a place of death. It is where in the past people were killed and in the current story it is where things are produced, like the atomic bomb, that kill others.
Both locations are demonstrative of a consistency, that things never actually change, though they may have different faces and different names. Another revealing look at humanity as a whole by Vonnegut, telling though these places that we are the same, and will be in past, present, and future.
When talking with an older bartender about the bar, he says "It wasn't the Cape Cod Room then....It was called the Navajo Tepee in those days...Before that it was the Pompeii Room ... but no matter what they call the room, they never change the fugging light fixtures. Never change the fugging people who come in or the fugging town outside, either" (Vonnegut 26). The superficial exterior of the bar may change with time but in reality nothing really changes, not the skeleton, the location, the people.
This is shown again in a discussion about the Research Laboratory when Dr. Breed says, "Just about where the Research Laboratory is now was the old stockade. That was where they held the public hangings, too, for the county" (Vonnegut 28). In a more subtle way, Vonnegut alludes the laboratory to a place of death. It is where in the past people were killed and in the current story it is where things are produced, like the atomic bomb, that kill others.
Both locations are demonstrative of a consistency, that things never actually change, though they may have different faces and different names. Another revealing look at humanity as a whole by Vonnegut, telling though these places that we are the same, and will be in past, present, and future.
Cat's Cradle
This is, obviously, for what the novel was named. When the atomic bomb was deployed, Newt Hoenikker tells us of his father playing with a loop of string, the cat's cradle. The string for the game was given to Dr. Hoenikker by a man in jail, tied about his manuscript about the end of the world in 2000 AD. The end of the world came about because a scientist created a bomb that wiped out the whole world. Among other parts of the story, this central idea was the most poignant because it is somewhat accusatory of Dr. Hoenikker for creating such a bomb. It was sent to him by the man in prison because he was inquiring about what type of explosives to say were in such a bomb and was hoping that Dr. Hoenikker could help out.
A bit later on, we are told that the sting was destroyed with the novel by Angela Hoenikker and "She burned it up" (Vonnegut 10). I am not sure how the burning of the string is significant at this point but I am completely sure it will be.
In case you're interested in learning how to do cat's cradle:
A bit later on, we are told that the sting was destroyed with the novel by Angela Hoenikker and "She burned it up" (Vonnegut 10). I am not sure how the burning of the string is significant at this point but I am completely sure it will be.
In case you're interested in learning how to do cat's cradle:
The Games
"Why should I bother with made-up games when there are so many real ones going on" (Vonnegut 11). This is a quote from Dr. Hoenikker, when asked about his favorite games. He shows his belief that the wars and politics are all just games and are the only games worth playing. This statement strikes me as extremely profound and I believe these games, which Hoenikker won with the ultimate secret weapon, are being satirized by Vonnegut.
Another game played within the novel also exemplifies the pointless fighting in war that was characterized as a game. Young Frank Hoenikker use to stage bug fights in jars but, " They won't fight unless you keep shaking the jar. And that's what Frank was doing, shaking, shaking the jar." The shaking of the jar disrupts the fragile peace held within the system, as does any disruption within the human world and politics, and from that point on it is a constant fight and the shaking never stops.
Another game played within the novel also exemplifies the pointless fighting in war that was characterized as a game. Young Frank Hoenikker use to stage bug fights in jars but, " They won't fight unless you keep shaking the jar. And that's what Frank was doing, shaking, shaking the jar." The shaking of the jar disrupts the fragile peace held within the system, as does any disruption within the human world and politics, and from that point on it is a constant fight and the shaking never stops.
And FREEZE
In part of the story and explanation of ice-nine, Dr. Breed tells us of the fabled creation that could turn liquid water into ice. This seed, that contains a unique and new arrangement of atoms that is solid at high temperatures, would set the example for all water. Once dropped into a puddle, ice-nine would take over and all the puddles and streams and mud would convert into the alignment set by the seed, and everything would freeze. Once again telling of the human condition, this shows how we convert to the newest and best example we are given. |
Other Quotes I Found Significant and/or Liked
I just really liked these quotations and their significance to humanity and the story.
After they dropped a test bomb at Alamogordo, a scientist turn to Dr. Hoenikker and said, "'Science now knows sin'" to which he replied, "'What is sin?'"(Vonnegut 17).
"If I actually supervised Felix...then I am ready now to take charge of volcanoes, the tides, and the migration of birds and lemmings. The man was a force of nature no mortal could possibly control" (Vonnegut 21).
"Before we took the measure of each others passions, however, we talked about Frank Hoenikker, and we talked about the old man, and we talked a little about Asa Breed, and we talked about the General Forge and Foundry Company, and we talked about the Pope and birth control, and Hitler and the Jews. We talked about phonies. We talked about truth. We talked about gangsters; we talked about business. We talked about nice poor people who went to the electric chair; and we talked about the rich bastards who didn't. We talked about religious people who had perversions. We talked about a lot of things. We got drunk" (Vonnegut 22).
"'The trouble with the world was... that people were still superstitious instead of scientific. He said if everybody would study science more, there wouldn't be all the trouble there was'"(Vonnegut 24).
"'Another guy came in, and he saif he was quitting his job at the Research Laboratory, said anything a scientist worked on was sure to wind up as a weapon, one way or another. Said he didnt want to help politicians with their fugging wars anymore...he was the boss of the Research Laboratory's fugging son'" (Vonnegut 26-27).
When Dr. Breed was talking about people getting hanged at the old stockade, he speaks of a man who killed 26 people but felt no remorse and says, "Think of it!...Twenty-six people he had on his conscience!" (Vonnegut 29). Hypocritical because he is in charge of a lab that creates scientific weapons that kill many more, like the atomic bomb, but like the man who killed so many, feels no remorse.
"The stop-and-go signs, garish ghosts in the sleet, went through their irrelevant tomfoolery again and again, telling the glacier of automobiles what to do. Green meant go. Red meant stop. Orange meant change and caution" (Vonnegut 30).
"'The hopes and fears of all the years are here with us tonight"' (Vonnegut 47).
After they dropped a test bomb at Alamogordo, a scientist turn to Dr. Hoenikker and said, "'Science now knows sin'" to which he replied, "'What is sin?'"(Vonnegut 17).
"If I actually supervised Felix...then I am ready now to take charge of volcanoes, the tides, and the migration of birds and lemmings. The man was a force of nature no mortal could possibly control" (Vonnegut 21).
"Before we took the measure of each others passions, however, we talked about Frank Hoenikker, and we talked about the old man, and we talked a little about Asa Breed, and we talked about the General Forge and Foundry Company, and we talked about the Pope and birth control, and Hitler and the Jews. We talked about phonies. We talked about truth. We talked about gangsters; we talked about business. We talked about nice poor people who went to the electric chair; and we talked about the rich bastards who didn't. We talked about religious people who had perversions. We talked about a lot of things. We got drunk" (Vonnegut 22).
"'The trouble with the world was... that people were still superstitious instead of scientific. He said if everybody would study science more, there wouldn't be all the trouble there was'"(Vonnegut 24).
"'Another guy came in, and he saif he was quitting his job at the Research Laboratory, said anything a scientist worked on was sure to wind up as a weapon, one way or another. Said he didnt want to help politicians with their fugging wars anymore...he was the boss of the Research Laboratory's fugging son'" (Vonnegut 26-27).
When Dr. Breed was talking about people getting hanged at the old stockade, he speaks of a man who killed 26 people but felt no remorse and says, "Think of it!...Twenty-six people he had on his conscience!" (Vonnegut 29). Hypocritical because he is in charge of a lab that creates scientific weapons that kill many more, like the atomic bomb, but like the man who killed so many, feels no remorse.
"The stop-and-go signs, garish ghosts in the sleet, went through their irrelevant tomfoolery again and again, telling the glacier of automobiles what to do. Green meant go. Red meant stop. Orange meant change and caution" (Vonnegut 30).
"'The hopes and fears of all the years are here with us tonight"' (Vonnegut 47).
Final Questions....
It is mentioned on page 56 that upon Dr. Hoenikker's death they preserved his office exactly as it was but they cleaned up the rubber bands all over. I was just wondering why there were rubber bands all over, if they were just a fascination of his, or if they had a specific significance. I suppose I will find out.