The Role of Religion and Morality in Cats Cradle Essay

The Role of Religion and Morality in Cats Cradle As an author, Kurt Vonnegut has received just about every kind of praise an author can receive: his works held the same sway over American philosophy as did those of Jack Kerouac or J.R.R. Tolkein; his writing has received acclaim from academics and the masses alike; and three of his books have been made into feature films. Society has permanently and noticeably been altered by his writing. Through accessible language and easily-understood themes, Vonnegut has created works subtle, engrossing, and familiar. His main method for doing this is by exploiting a theme with which everyone is familiar and about which everyone has his own opinion: religion. Not many people are more†¦show more content†¦His works are significantly influenced by that genre, but contain strikingly relevant commentaries about contemporary American society which set him apart from other science-fiction writers. His use of science fiction draws a humorous contrast between the all-important significance of the nature of the universe and of reality, and the insignificance of human life and society. All of his works emphasize the enormous forces acting on his characters, not the least of which is fate. As his writing progressed and matured, this stylistic nuance became more and more evident. In his book Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut describes his own style by means of Tralfamadorians, an alien race for whom time is nonexistent, and whose literature reflects this: Each clump of symbols is a brief, urgent message describing a situation, a scene. We Tralfamadorians read them all at once, not one after the oth- er. There isn’t any particular r elationship between all the messages ex- cept that the author has chosen them carefully, so that, when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time (88). Indeed, Vonnegut has dismissed temporal continuity in his writing, and has thus eliminatedShow MoreRelatedScience versus Religion in Cat’s Cradle1410 Words   |  6 Pagesbook Cat’s Cradle the main topic of debate is clearly science versus religion. In many ways, these two topics are very different, but in others, they are quite similar. Both science and religion have a common goal, to find truth in the world. The main character of Cat’s Cradle is a man named John. At the beginning of the book, John is a Christian who is doing research on Felix Hoenikker, the maker of the atomic bomb. His attempt to learn about the science behind the bomb leads him to a religion calledRead MoreCat s Cradle By Kurt Vonnegut1859 Words   |  8 Pages Cat’s Cradle is a children’s game in which a string, tied at both ends to make a loop, is used to make different shapes. Coincidentally, this is the game from where Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle gets its name. The story follows John, a journalist who is researching to write a book about the day the atomic bombs were dropped in Japan. Following through his journey, John finds himself meeting the Hoenikker household; family to Felix Hoenikker, who is frequently called â€Å"the father of the atomicRead MoreMeaning Of Life In Cats Cradle By Kurt Vonnegut1109 Words   |  5 Pageshis novel, Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut’s brings attention to humanity’s voracious desire to place meaning or purpose on life and he uses the characters of the novel to show different ways in which they go about fulfilling that need. The stylistic choices Vonnegut used to create this novel, such as the use of humor to both entertain and provoke thought, leads me to think that while Vonnegut has a passive sense of an â€Å"ultimate meaning to life†, he believes in a necessary universal morality. The quoteRead MoreCRM 1301 Midterm uOttawa Carolyn Gordon Essay10218 Words   |  4 1 Pagesthe mens rea. Torture people to get them to confess and name accomplices Confessional devices/Torture devices Inquisitional Chair: Made of iron, spikes to pierce the skin and would heat as well Iron Spider: Hung from ceiling Cat’s Paw: Scratch individual Judas’ Cradle: Hoisted above stool and released on it Strappado: Individual left to hand, dropped just of ground Heretic’s Fork: Sharp device around neck, pierce neck and chin The Rack: Body elongate The Headcrusher; Tighten head Witchcraft