Cat's Cradle
Kurt Vonnegut
Correlation of Text to Real Life:
Text
Real Life
Bokonon:
The creator of Bokononism; a religion made up of lies.
"There was a quotation from _The Books of Bokonon_ on the page before me." (46)
Bokonon can be compared to Muhammad, Jesus, Moses, or any other individual that taught others his beliefs. In real life, Bokonon would be a prophet or scholar that created a religion that many would oppose or follow.
Felix Hoenikker:
A scientist that helped develop the atomic bomb.
"Dr. Felix Hoenikker, one of the so-called "Fathers" of the first atomic bomb." (4)
Felix Hoenikker represents the majority of our scientists today. They may believe in God, but most seek facts. For them religion has no proof, and their curiosity urges them to find answers.
Atomic Bomb:
It was dropped onto Hiroshima.
"Its contents will be limited to events that took place on August 6, 1945, the day the bomb was dropped on
Hiroshima." (4)
The atomic bomb described in the book is the same as the real bomb. The book mentions accurate information in regard to the atomic bomb. In addition, the novel brought up a moral issue that is the same as the one in the 1960's; was it a good idea to drop the bomb?
Religion:
Bokononism.
"Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies will not understand the book either." (4)
Bokononism symbolizes all religions. It questions all religions, and states that they are meaningless. Many people are atheist, and they firmly agree with the message Bokononism gives the readers. Many people believe that those who follow religion do it for comfort. Religion removes anxiety and calms the mind.
Science:
The book opposes science. In the end of the book science destroys the world.
"In that bowl were thousands upon thousands of dead." (120)
The creation of the atomic bomb got many people to oppose science in the book's plot. In addition, science did not necessarily calm people, it stressed them out. This conveys a conflict between science and religion. As a result of science the world was destroyed. Right now, science has brought about weapons of all sorts, which brings a concern to people. In reality, extremely religious people think that science should not advance, but come to a halt. These religious people see science as a weapon in its own, corrupting the world, and furthering people from religion.
Cat's Cradle can be related to real life through religion and science. The controversy of religion and science in the book, is similar to that of real life. Some people believe that religion is an approach to calm the mind; those people would agree with Bokonon. On the other hand, science is seen as a way to discover the truth. Those individuals are typically the people that do not believe in religion whole heartedly. In the novel, these people would support the atomic bomb, and how science is progressing. In Ilium the people have a balance between science and religion. This compares to the majority of people in the real world, and these are the people that revolutionize the world positively. On the other hand, extremely religious people, like those in San Lorenzo, and science fanatics do the opposite. This is seen at the end of the story; the entire world froze because of a few science fanatics and Bokononism.