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

This Kid Needs Help

If Jonas' birthday fell upon June 23 and I could give him two gifts tomorrow, I would treat him like the lion in The Wizard of Oz and give him courage, also I would treat him like Napoleon Dynamite and give him awesome nunchuck skills (only true Napoleon Dynamite fans will catch the reference). I am going to lay it out on the line, after completing the novel I recognized that Jonas lacks the self-confidence that makes his mother such a wonderful person. His lack of courage first presents itself when he backs down from his band members after they shoot down an idea of his for a song to play. Despite admittedly being the best in the band, "he practiced and practiced" further distancing himself talent-wise from the mediocre guys he played with (147). In spite of all this, he still found his ideas shot down by older kids who did not respect him because of a lack of self-esteem. Thus I feel courage appropriately fits as a birthday gift for poor Jonas. Secondly I would give him physical matter that could represent courage or self-defense in the nunchucks. These would not only actually protect him from physical harm, but give him the illusion that he has more power than he actually does. Reason being that Joseph Novak, mentally deranged hermit, knocked Jonas out with one punch. This is embarrassing. The author writes of how even though no one saw the event, Jonas still became very embarrassed at his own shortcomings and recollects how he has never been "seriously hurt" (255). He even goes as far as to call himself a word that more vulgarly means wimp. The pathos throughout this section exacts sympathy for Jonas from individuals who know what it is like to lack self-esteem. I firmly believe that a simple token resembling toughness would greatly help Jonas out because undoubtedly, this kid needs help.

Money Money Money... Money! (High Pitched, Song-like Tone)

From the beginning of time the saying has gone "money can't buy happiness" or as they say in more urban areas, "mo' money mo' problems." Jonathan Dee angles his story, The Privileges, around said concept. He includes this controversial contradiction by way of describing how much an excess of money altered Adam and Cynthia's children's lives. He writes of Jonas' anti-social nature and how he matures at an almost unhealthy rate just so that he can break away from parental dependence. His own sister calls him a "forty year old junior" which obviously sheds light upon his want to sever his need of his parents (186).  He pronounces that his parents money, "is not who I am" (186).  Likewise but alternatively, Dee foils Jonas' character with the Morey's eldest child, April who cannot seem to mature at all and continually makes stupid, rash decisions that do not concern her because she knows her parents will simply pay her way out of trouble. I am rather angry that the author allows all of the blame for her immaturity fall upon her family's financials and that Dee does not apportion some of the blame to April's parents who clearly did not teach her how to handle youth and prosperity. The writer tells of April's beyond dumb decision to meet up with someone she just got to know in a porn chatroom just so that if people found out then "she would be... the damaged one" (160). Did an excess of money cause April to need attention? NO! Her own parents neglectful attitudes and primary concerns of just having fun led to this attention deficit she seeked to fill. Sure maybe her parents quest for cash caused some of the neglect however that problem lies in the parents innate greed rather than money itself. I will defend money because it cannot help being the universal language and solver of any problem! How can money create problems when one can also use it to rectify any situation? Dee's inclusion of his argument that money cannot buy happiness only serves to free the Morey parents of some guilt for poor parenting.

A Look into Cynthia's World

We need more Cynthia Moreys in this world. I have found Cynthia in The Privileges my favorite character thus fas. From the very first page Jonathan Dee introduced her I have found myself fascinated by her values and what she brings to the table in terms of her family life. The author begins with narration of how she married a remarkable gentleman named Adam (how ironic) who "only cared about making her happy" (7). What a lucky woman! She sees this opportunity at a life of happiness and prosperity (for Adam was quite intelligent) and seizes it! I am very moved by her initiative and decisiveness to marry this fellow and feel that if only more people would capture these moments of sure self-benefit, our nation would rise to a much better state than the present one.  We would raise a new generation of self-reliant individuals who do not seek support for their future from anyone else.  Furthermore, I see a certain selfishness in Cynthia. While many rebuke selfishness, it has its uses. For instance, when Cynthia's children ask her to play "Go Fish" and she refuses and says "I want to play poker" (38). This is not some petty, immature demand! Whilst the childish diction "I want" suggests a mere desire to do as she pleases, I believe Cynthia simply knows that her children must understand the art of gambling in order to succeed in life and takes the time to teach them this valuable lesson. Also, I recognize a very profound sense of self-pride in Cynthia which surfaces several times in the beginning of the book. Some may label this self-pride "cockiness" but I am not fond of that word for it has certain negative connotations surrounding it. For example, at a cocktail party Cynthia finds herself "visibly smashed" and encircled by single men (73). This direct characterization of "smashed" underscores a striking self-confidence such that she would enjoy herself without regard of losing her reputation.  I am in awe of her and wish more people in today's world would act so impulsively and not worry what others thought of them.  Well, she leads these men on until her husband walks by in which case she yells "This, losers, is my husband" (73). The author's amused tone suggests that her favorite time of the night occurred when showing off her immensely successful and handsome husband even though she, ironically, had nothing to do with his fortune or fame.  To bluntly put it, I am very intrigued by Cynthia's decisiveness, selfishness, self-pride, and self-confidence for she truly just takes Darwin's "survival of the fittest" theory to heart, and who can really fault her?