In the End... Does it Really Matter?

How come I have to complete this assignment? In total honesty I beg the question, in the grand scheme of things what rank does homework hold? After finishing the story Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut it has made me reconsider my priorities and the importance I place upon day to day tasks. Purely from the context of the story, I discovered a sense of searching from Vonnegut. I believe he felt worthless, or at least made the attempt to appear that way. One of the many themes I unveiled in these pages rocked my world. Not that it has never surfaced in text before or anything like that, Vonnegut just presented a sense of pointlessness to everyday life in an unconventional way that really made me question if I am leading a worthwhile life. I cannot stop pondering the way Bokonon went about his life, it seemed very meaningful, providing hope for his followers, until the end in which he denies his book as all lies, and presumably commits suicide. Furthermore the way Vonnegut had everyone in San Lorenzo perish after a lifetime of suffering but hope in the future through Jonah forces me to believe that Vonnegut hardly valued Bokonon's work and essentially killed him off as well! Although I am reluctant to believe that this human toil was entirely fruitless, perhaps Vonnegut tries to send the message that no human deed lasts. Everything crumble under a greater force. Contradictory to this message however comes with the final sentence where in a positive light Vonnegut tells of Bokonon's desire to thumb his nose at "You Know Who" (287). I am left very perplexed at the end of this story with a great passion to rise up and make my life meaningful yet also feel dejected for as proven in San Lorenzo, all human feats and works eventually fade away. 


- Rabindranath

JUSTICE!!!!!

juvenile delinquency
— n
	antisocial or criminal conduct by minors (Dictionary.com) Punishable by death.....? OF COURSE IT IS. How can one argue against hanging a boy for stealing a car his friends peer pressured him into doing? I wish we had more Crosby's in the USA because in my opinion he has the right idea about how to punish children who engage in thievery and/or other harmless yet bothersome criminal behavior. I love his ruthless tone when he admits how he would approve if the law would "String up... teen-age car thieves" and send a picture of them back to their mothers (94). His merciless diction of "String up" provides me with vivid imagery and a quick, effective plan to stop juvenile delinquency. How tired I am of hearing about misdemeanors and blemished records wiped clean once the adolescent reaches 18, Crosby has the right idea. On the other hand, Crosby does make the concession that "the hook's a little extreme" in order to paint himself in a more desirable light (94). I pride myself on being a law-abiding citizen and therefore I must agree that "the hook" seems to fall under the category of "cruel and unusual" which protects convicts from unfair, torturous deaths. I can live with that. However at the two-thirds point in the novel, I have yet to find an event or statement so thoroughly riveting that vibrates soundly with every notion I have ever had in regards to punishment of minors. "An eye for an eye" holds true in capitalistic societies like the USA pre-Obama and obviously in San Lorenzo a car just holds the same value as an immature boy's life... - Rabindranath

Focusing on Expertise

Upon reflection of the first third of the story Cat's Cradle, I am forced to publicly convey my admiration for Dr. Felix Hoenikker. The man behind the United States asserting itself at the top of the food chain in military power, comes off a little rough around the edges and definitely rather eccentric. However I cannot envision a man that better embodies qualities I strive for everyday - focus, ignorance, and indifference. To begin with his focus, Felix could instantaneously fixate his mind upon a single matter and ignore everything else presented to him if he so chooses. At one point in the story Felix describes how anything can make him "stop and look and wonder" (11). At moments such as these, Felix indirectly characterized himself as fascinated by single objects to learn from. I am willing to excuse Dr. Hoenikker for his actions even though at times this extreme focus led to his ignorance which occasionally endangered or caused struggle in his own family. The author writes of how Angela "was a mother" because their real mother had perished and their father more often than not disregarded the family in a harm-inducing manner (11). Not physical harm, no. Felix simply deprived his young children of the attention and influence they need to mature. However I do NOT condemn Felix for his utter nonchalance towards the well-being of his family, the man created the atomic bomb! Of course he had to devote every neuron in his brain into creating a bomb so powerful that it single-handedly forced the Japanese to step down and recognize the USA, the greatest country on earth, as the dominant entity in either hemisphere. I read these parts in a time where I had great passion for my home country due to the onset of the Olympic Games, perhaps this patriotic notion led me to admire Dr. Hoenikker even more. Briefly I would still like to touch upon the scientist's indifference. Indifference allows a man to do his best work. Period. Why can surgeons not operate on family members as patients? Because they care too greatly for the life at stake. Dr. Hoenikker found himself able to set aside all emotions and devote himself to the task at hand - destroying Japan - which better enabled him to complete his job ASSIGNED to him! I do not believe Felix was a heartless killer! I see him as a loyal subject seeking to make a living and dedicating all of his talents to his area of expertise, creation of nuclear weapons. Although this meant putting his family aside, or disregard for innocent lives, Vonnegut writes that on the day of the bomb Felix did not care and simply played with his "cat's cradle" (15).



 - Rabindranath