Cat's cradle and Frankenstein comparative essay
Kyra Chartan November 3, 2013
CS English pd. 1 Edward
Kurt Vonnegut once said in an interview that one of his reasons for writing is "to poison minds with humanity…to encourage them to make a better world" (107). This idea works quite well in Vonnegut's book, Cat’s Cradle. It is a satirical story of a man's quest to write a book about the day the world ended, referring to the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, which he never finishes. What we get is a raw look at humans trying desperately to find a sense of purpose in their lives through different means such as religion and science. Science is a great way to discover new things. Science helps us invent new technology and helps improve and shape religions and their beliefs. But science can be dangerous because something can always go wrong. In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor creates a creature that he though would never be able to think on its own, but he later discovers that his creation had a mind of its own and eventually led Victor to his on demise. Throughout both Cat’s Cradle and Frankenstein science plays an important role in the religion of Bokononism and Victors creation of Frankenstein.
Vonnegut uses satire that is both dark and humorous to pursue this point about religion. A good example is found in the introduction of the book where he writes, "Nothing in this book is true. 'Live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.'" Bokonon, we learn, is a religion that is made up of "bittersweet lies" (12). "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" (118). We also learn that science takes the opposite opinion. One of the men who helped develop the atomic bomb tells us, "The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become" (36).
Vonnegut is trying to show us that man too easily accepts things as valid without questioning. Referring to
CS English pd. 1 Edward
Kurt Vonnegut once said in an interview that one of his reasons for writing is "to poison minds with humanity…to encourage them to make a better world" (107). This idea works quite well in Vonnegut's book, Cat’s Cradle. It is a satirical story of a man's quest to write a book about the day the world ended, referring to the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, which he never finishes. What we get is a raw look at humans trying desperately to find a sense of purpose in their lives through different means such as religion and science. Science is a great way to discover new things. Science helps us invent new technology and helps improve and shape religions and their beliefs. But science can be dangerous because something can always go wrong. In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor creates a creature that he though would never be able to think on its own, but he later discovers that his creation had a mind of its own and eventually led Victor to his on demise. Throughout both Cat’s Cradle and Frankenstein science plays an important role in the religion of Bokononism and Victors creation of Frankenstein.
Vonnegut uses satire that is both dark and humorous to pursue this point about religion. A good example is found in the introduction of the book where he writes, "Nothing in this book is true. 'Live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.'" Bokonon, we learn, is a religion that is made up of "bittersweet lies" (12). "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" (118). We also learn that science takes the opposite opinion. One of the men who helped develop the atomic bomb tells us, "The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become" (36).
Vonnegut is trying to show us that man too easily accepts things as valid without questioning. Referring to