Technology And Ignorance In Cat's Cradle By Kurt Vonne

It is commonly believed that technology aids in the advancements of society and the idea that technology comes with its own set of repercussions is often ignored. In the novel Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, there is a parallel created between technology and ignorance and through technology, characters tend to have a lack of regard for others and their surroundings, thus criticizing human behavior and how technology correlates with humans lacking in awareness.

Cat’s Cradle begins with main character, Jonah, who sets out to write a research book on what significant Americans were doing on the day the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. He first communicates with Newt Hoenikker, who is the son of Felix Hoenikker, who was one of the founding fathers of

the nuclear bomb. He then travels to Ilium, Dr. Hoenikker’s hometown, to meet up with Dr. Asa Breed, who was Hoenikker's boss. Dr. Breed tells Jonah about how Dr. Hoenikker created a substance called ice-nine. Dr. Breed describes ice-nine to be made out of an ice polymorph, which has the potential to destroy Earth by freezing all the water.
Through the characterization of scientist, Dr. Hoenikker, is it evident that science and technology has affected him to have a lack of attention towards other people and the repercussions of his scientific discoveries and this trend continues in his son Frank. When asked what games he plays to relax, Dr. Hoenikker merely proposes the questions of “why should [he] bother with made-up games when there are so many real ones going on?" (Chapter 5). Dr. Hoenikker views his scientific research and studying as a game, and it is clear that he treats it as such through his tone. This game that he plays with science, leads him to create ice-nine, an invention that leads to mass destruction and kills thousands of people. This does not phase Dr. Hoenikker, as it is emphasize that he is not “interested in people” and when someone asks him if there is a relationship between science and sin he blankly asks “‘what is sin?’” (Chapter 6). This idea of not caring about the effects of science on others carries to Frank Hoenikker. When Frank distributes the ice-nine to “Papa” Monzano, who is dying from cancer, Monzano consumes the ice-nine and Monzano dies from its effects. When the plane crashes, Monzano’s body falls into the ocean, and elicits the ice-nine apocalypse. Jonah is wildly upset, but Frank Hoenikker “[snaps] his fingers” and Jonah notices Frank “dissociating himself from the causes of the mess; identifying himself, with growing pride and energy, with the purifiers, the world-savers, the cleaners-up” (Chapter 109). Frank does not view himself in any way as responsible for the cause of “Papa” Monzano’s death. Rather, Frank views his death as another issue that he has to solve. Vonnegut alludes to not the idea that science and technology are inherently bad, but that science and technology have the ability to help humans create atrocities like ice-nine, or in reality, the atomic bomb and use science as a mask to avoid the real human issues that they cause with it.
Through the satirization of characters, Vonnegut reveals how power and authority are given to the wrong people, and in turn show how the ignorant filled society allows for those people to misuse technology.

Julian Castle, who himself is not the best person, but believes that he is “a very bad scientist” because he will do absolutely “anything to make a human being feel better, even if it's unscientific” and shames himself for this, believing that “no scientist worthy of the name could say such a thing” (Chapter 98). It is ironic, because although Julian Castle labels himself as a bad scientist, it is actually because of his awareness and care for others and his surroundings that makes him such a good scientist. This is ironic, because although Castle has awareness for others, he is unaware that his behavior is right, therefore he often holds back from doing the right thing, because even though he believes it is right, the society that he is immersed him makes him believe that it is not truly. This idea of power and technology are mixed with the wrong people arises, top-scientists, as Castle states, do not share these feelings, and they’re the ones who are creating the fatal weapons. Similarly, Ms. Pefko works as a receptionist for Dr. Horvath and takes diction from Dr. Horvath even though “it’s just like a foreign language” and how “he's maybe talking about something that's going to turn everything upside-down and inside-out like the atom bomb” and she wouldn’t even know it (Chapter 15). Vonnegut satirizes characters in order to expose the effects of science and technology in the hands of the wrong people. Ms. Pefko casually talks about Dr. Horvath doing major scientific research that could potentially put others in harm, but she does not even consider the potential dangers. Vonnegut stresses the idea that if the discoveries of extremely powerful and harmful weapons are mixed together with those who cannot comprehend the consequences of it lead to a whole new

level of danger. This takes a direct stab about scientists and the government, scientists create lethal weapons and these weapons are put into the hands of the government and armies who are not fully aware of their effects and capabilities. This lack of awareness leads to major world issues and reflects how humans are ignorant to the repercussions of their actions with technology.
Cat’s Cradle reveals the impact of ignorant human behavior, which sprouts from the decisions characters make to conform to the society they live in. The idea of choice is so valuable in this novel, as seen how one choice or lack of choice impacts everyone. Remaining unaware of technology and its power in society builds up and eventually leads to major damage on a global-scale. Vonnegut stresses the issues that derive from human ignorance, and how vital it is for people to exert individualistic behavior in their society in order to provide multiple perspectives for everyone to acquire the proper knowledge needed to form their own ideas and beliefs.