Chapter 55: Never Index Your Own Book to Chapter 80: The Waterfall Strainers
Pages 119-179
My Experience
First of all, I ripped the cover of my book in my backpack, so I'm kind of torn apart about that. Other than that this section was awesome. I get ridiculously excited when I see little things of significance or a statement I particularly like, and slap a sticky note (or more than one) on every page. That happened quite a bit in this section, although admittedly less than in the other sections. Hopefully that's because I actually understand what is happening, but I guess we will see. Here are my thoughts:
Also, discovered that there was a musical based off this book so going to do my best to go see it....http://www.untitledtheater.com/pages/productions/cats-cradle/cats-cradle.html
More Major Themes and Ideas
Bokonon and on and on...
Bokononism gets continuously cooler as this book goes on. Honestly, with most religious books my disdain slowly grows, but the amazing ridiculousness of Bokononism just gets me because even though it may be completely bonkers, it also makes sense. Bokononism arose to make the lives of those in San Lorenzo better, for "Oh a very sorry people, yes,/ Did I find here,/ Oh, they had no music,/ And they had no beer./ And, oh, everywhere/ Where they tried to perch/ Belonged to Castle Sugar, Incorporated,/ Or the Catholic Church" (Vonnegut 123). The desolate life of the islanders was improved by that which Bokonon brought: "glittering treasures of literacy, ambition, curiosity, gall, irreverence, heath, humor, and considerable information about the outside world" (Vonnegut 123). Bokononism brought all the world had to offer the poor country of San Lorenzo, a sense of hope and knowledge to give the islanders a reprieve from their difficult lives. They knew the beliefs were lies, but what was taught had an underlying truth to be discovered and believed in. On creating the religion, Bokonon says, "I wanted all things/ To seem to make some sense,/ So we all could be happy, yes,/ Instead of tense./ And I made up lies/ So that they all fit nice,/ And I made this sad world/ A par-a-dise" (Vonnegut 127). By publishing his lies within his book of faith, Bokonon maintains an ironic truthfulness, because while it is all a lie, he admits it. The lies and admission of them do nothing to lessen the faith, as shown in the widespread belief in Bokononism.
That Foot Thing...
This idea is introduced in the most awkward manner I think possible for such a unique concept. While 'Papa" is dying, "Mona had slipped off her sandal. Her small brown foot was bare. And with that foot, she was kneading and kneading and kneading--obscenely kneading--the instep of the flyer's boot" (Vonnegut 146). That's all the explanation at that point, and my reaction was just like:
Then it happens AGAIN. "They had their shoes off. They had their eyes closed. They were facing each other. They were pressing the soles of their bare feet together. Each grasped his own ankles, giving himself the rigidity of the triangle" (Vonnegut 157). Thankfully what was happening was explained about a page later so I wasn't in full out confusion for too long. It was boko-maru, the Bokononist mingling of awareness. By going sole to sole they are essentially soul to soul. "...Bokonists believe that it is impossible to be sole-to-sole with another person without loving the person, provided the feet of both persons are clean and nicely tended" (Vonnegut 158). This expression of love and connection is probably one of my favorite ideas as it not just connects with the whole sole-soul thing, but is explained as connecting with a person as one does with mother earth, through their feet (this quote is in the photo with the feet above).
How it Came to Be (The Conspiracy that is Bokononism)
Along with additional information on Bokononism, we are finally told how Bokonon became Bokonon and how everyone in San Lorenzo became a Bokononist.
Essentially, the entire religion is a huge conspiracy cooked up by Corporal McCabe and Bokonon. Chapter 78: Ring of Steel explains this completely, but I will do the best I can to explain. Essentially Bokonon and McCabe came to San Lorenzo together and kicked out the catholic priests and Bokonon made up his own. When nothing became better for the country, not the government, economy, or state of living, Bokononism was their primary source of hope. "Truth was the enemy of the people, because the truth was so terrible, so Bokonon made it his business to provide the people with better and better lies" (Vonnegut 172). This is how Bokononism grew, containing more ideas and practices with each lie that Bokonon created. To make sure his religion had a following, he became a sort of martyr, having his friend outlaw Bokononism along with himself. To explain his choice, Bokonon said, "So I said good-bye to government,/ And I gave my reason:/ That a really good religion/ is a form of treason" (Vonnegut 173). By outlawing his own religion, he made it grow because opposing the government was the fight of the people and Bokonon had now aligned himself with their cause. To solidify the belief of the people, Bokonon hid out as McCabe made falsified attempts to capture him and persecute his followers. Because of these actions "'Everybody on San Lorenzo is a devout Bokononist, the hy-u-o-ook-kuh[hook] notwithstanding'" (Vonnegut 172).
As time went on, Bokonon and McCabe became their roles. Bokonon grew to be a true preacher of his religion, a "saint" on the island of San Lorenzo, while McCabe became the "tyrant" persecuting and threatening those, the opposition of everything Bokonon. Out of lies and roles came truth, truth of their lives and purposes. McCabe started to really string up people of the hook, "one every two years--just to keep the pot boiling....Busy, busy, busy" (Vonnegut 176). If lies became truths at this point, well partial truths, then their is a possibility that the lies of hope and belief that Bokonon was spreading became true also.
Essentially, the entire religion is a huge conspiracy cooked up by Corporal McCabe and Bokonon. Chapter 78: Ring of Steel explains this completely, but I will do the best I can to explain. Essentially Bokonon and McCabe came to San Lorenzo together and kicked out the catholic priests and Bokonon made up his own. When nothing became better for the country, not the government, economy, or state of living, Bokononism was their primary source of hope. "Truth was the enemy of the people, because the truth was so terrible, so Bokonon made it his business to provide the people with better and better lies" (Vonnegut 172). This is how Bokononism grew, containing more ideas and practices with each lie that Bokonon created. To make sure his religion had a following, he became a sort of martyr, having his friend outlaw Bokononism along with himself. To explain his choice, Bokonon said, "So I said good-bye to government,/ And I gave my reason:/ That a really good religion/ is a form of treason" (Vonnegut 173). By outlawing his own religion, he made it grow because opposing the government was the fight of the people and Bokonon had now aligned himself with their cause. To solidify the belief of the people, Bokonon hid out as McCabe made falsified attempts to capture him and persecute his followers. Because of these actions "'Everybody on San Lorenzo is a devout Bokononist, the hy-u-o-ook-kuh[hook] notwithstanding'" (Vonnegut 172).
As time went on, Bokonon and McCabe became their roles. Bokonon grew to be a true preacher of his religion, a "saint" on the island of San Lorenzo, while McCabe became the "tyrant" persecuting and threatening those, the opposition of everything Bokonon. Out of lies and roles came truth, truth of their lives and purposes. McCabe started to really string up people of the hook, "one every two years--just to keep the pot boiling....Busy, busy, busy" (Vonnegut 176). If lies became truths at this point, well partial truths, then their is a possibility that the lies of hope and belief that Bokonon was spreading became true also.
The Lack of a Cat and Cradle
To be completely honest, the fact that cat's cradle had nothing to do with neither a cat nor a cradle has always irked with me. "One of the oldest games there is, cat's cradle. Even the Eskimos know it...For maybe a hundred thousand years or more, grownups have been waving tangles of string in their children's faces" (Vonnegut 165). "No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat's cradle is nothing but a bunch of X's between somebody's hands, and little kids look and look and look at all those X's.... And...No damn cat, and no damn cradle" (Vonnegut 165-166). I just found this part to be strikingly important, not sure quite how, possibly a lack of something in our lives or how what we are told is not the truth, or maybe its just the fact that it has something to do with cat's cradle and because of the title I align it with importance. Any of those are completely plausible but I hope it has some deeper meaning and with the author being who he is, I'm sure it does.
...Well I found an answer because google is a savior and it does have a deeper meaning about truths and lies! Win! Here you go, from Shmoop:
...Well I found an answer because google is a savior and it does have a deeper meaning about truths and lies! Win! Here you go, from Shmoop:
See! Wicked deep comment by Vonnegut on the falseness of happiness and what it means to believe verses seeing the truth for what it is. Extremely cool.
The Love of Jonah's Life (kind of)
We learn earlier on in the novel about Jonah's love for Mona Aamons, "Papa's" adopted daughter, whom he has never met. In Chapter 55: Never Index Your Own Book, we get fleeting glimpses of Mona's life through what is listed in the index about her. From "adopted by Monzano in order to boost Monzano's popularity" to "xylophone virtuoso", Mona's life is outlined by the index. Even in the hidden words of the index, decoded by Mrs. Minton, are secrets of her life exposed. A prime example of this is her impending marriage with her Mr. Castle, the author of the novel and the index, who Mrs. Minton says will never marry Mona. While not stated directly in the index, "...Castle will never marry the girl, even though he loves her, even though she loves him, even though they grew up together...Because he's a homosexual" (Vonnegut 122). The Minton's can read not just the index, but the author of it, revealing important information on the love life of Mona.
The Place No One Cared About
Vonnegut includes a crazy amount of detail when talking about the history of San Lorenzo, how it switched hands, and just how much absolutely no one cared. "When France claimed San Lorenzo in 1682...no Spaniards complained. When Denmark claimed San Lorenzo in 1699, no Frenchman complained" (Vonnegut 125). It goes on like this for awhile, no one complaining as Son Lorenzo was passed around from colonial power to colonial power like a bad penny. After a brief spell as an independent nation with an empire, San Lorenzo was taken over by Castle Sugar and "no one complained" (Vonnegut 126). And ultimately "When McCabe and Johnson arrived in 1922 and announced that they were placing themselves in charge, Castle Sugar withdrew flaccidly, as though from a queasy dream" (Vonnegut 126). The importance of this selection of detail is obviously that no one has ever cared for San Lorenzo, because of its virtual uselessness, until McCabe and Johnson came along. It is only with them that the island had any purpose, and
OHHH the Irony
Vonnegut uses irony many times throughout the novel to emphasize just what is wrong with society. The first example of this within the reading was on page 130, discussing the idea of a man being a "pissant." Crosby at this point is going on and on in a drunken stupor about what a pissant is, barely shutting his mouth the entire conversation, but expressing his disdain for such pissants, saying "A pissant is somebody who thinks he's so damn smart, he never can keep his mouth shut.... No matter what you say, he knows better" (Vonnegut 130). Crosby is the perfect example of a pissant at this time, arguing for arguments sake about the topic of pissants. And he doesn't even realize it! This hypocrisy and irony demonstrated with Crosby is indicative of what Vonnegut believes is typical of the time, people complaining about that which they do themselves. Jonah replies to Crosby's rant with a very sassy, "Not a very attractive characteristic" (Vonnegut 130).
Another prime example of this irony is the San Lorenzan National Anthem, written by none other than public enemy number one: Bokonon. What respecting country uses a anthem written by its most popular "outlaw." It just gets me how Vonnegut throws little things like that in there.
By far the funniest example of irony, for me at least, was on page 178 when Angela is discussing her father's low wages while surrounded by extreme poverty of those who gather trash that fell off a cliff. This "poor, poor man" we are made to imagine are nothing to Angela Hoenikker as she glosses over that and says how she "could just scream sometimes....when [she thinks] about how much some people get paid and how little they paid Father--- and how much he gave" (Vonnegut 178). She complains so much because all he ever got was "twenty-eight thousand dollars a year" plus "a forty-five-dollar bonus for every patent his work led to" (Vonnegut 177). She actually complains that her dad makes that much, which is actually A LOT, while in one of the poorest areas in the entire world.
Another prime example of this irony is the San Lorenzan National Anthem, written by none other than public enemy number one: Bokonon. What respecting country uses a anthem written by its most popular "outlaw." It just gets me how Vonnegut throws little things like that in there.
By far the funniest example of irony, for me at least, was on page 178 when Angela is discussing her father's low wages while surrounded by extreme poverty of those who gather trash that fell off a cliff. This "poor, poor man" we are made to imagine are nothing to Angela Hoenikker as she glosses over that and says how she "could just scream sometimes....when [she thinks] about how much some people get paid and how little they paid Father--- and how much he gave" (Vonnegut 178). She complains so much because all he ever got was "twenty-eight thousand dollars a year" plus "a forty-five-dollar bonus for every patent his work led to" (Vonnegut 177). She actually complains that her dad makes that much, which is actually A LOT, while in one of the poorest areas in the entire world.
Just saying, this is what her father was making at the time with inflation so its easier to comprehend just how much that actually is! AND this is at the end of his career so it would probably be more!!!
The Quotes
"...you have science. Science is the strongest thing there is" (Vonnegut 146).
"'Jesus Christ?' 'Oh,' said Castle. 'Him'...'People have to talk about something just to keep their voice boxes in working order, so they'll have good voice boxes in case there's ever anything really meaningful to say'" (Vonnegut 169).
"'Man is vile, and man makes nothing worth making, knows nothing worth knowing" (Vonnegut 169).
"So some people got free furniture, and some people got bubonic plague" (Vonnegut 160. The bluntness!!
"I think, therefore I am, therefore I am photographable" (Vonnegut 151).
"He reported his avocation as: 'Being alive.' He reported his principal occupation as: 'Being dead'" (Vonnegut 135).
"'Man is vile, and man makes nothing worth making, knows nothing worth knowing" (Vonnegut 169).
"So some people got free furniture, and some people got bubonic plague" (Vonnegut 160. The bluntness!!
"I think, therefore I am, therefore I am photographable" (Vonnegut 151).
"He reported his avocation as: 'Being alive.' He reported his principal occupation as: 'Being dead'" (Vonnegut 135).
My (Probably Incorrect) Theory
Ok, so Vonnegut has made himself a character in his own book before, like in Slaughter House Five. I just feel like maybe he did that again, making himself Bokonon. Probably wrong, as google has nothing on that theory, but hey maybe no one came up with it yet or its completely hidden in the depths of the internet.