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

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