Truth In Cat's Cradle

858 Words2 Pages

Emmett Floyd
2/10/15
Period: 5
Truth
“I just have trouble understanding how truth, all by itself, could be enough for a person.” said John, the main character in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle. In the book, episodes of truth in religion and science seem to result in death, raising speculation of the need for lying to maintain life in the world. The main character John, explores the idea of truth in religion and science, and how truth, and uncut truth, both have different value to them. Through religion and science, truth either serves to give one hope or take it away. Religion is a focal point in the novel, with Vonnegut revealing a new perception of religion through Bokononism. Bokononism is a religion that came to be in San Lorenzo, …show more content…

But science doesn’t always lead to good truths such as finding cures to disease. In Cat’s Cradle Vonnegut perceives science as way to discover truth, but an uncut truth that could harm humanity. An example of this is seen in the book with Felix Hoenikker’s invention of ice-nine. Felix Hoenikker, one of the “fathers” of the atomic bomb, also created a substance called “ice-nine” to freeze mud for soldiers to travel more efficiently. This invention could have been a revolutionizing invention of war, but Hoenikker understood the destruction this substance could inflict on the world. Thus he created a truth that could put humanity at risk. From Hoenikker’s scientific experiments, science could bring problems unto humanity, instead of preventing them. Because of the realization Felix Hoenikker had about the danger of his substance ice-nine, he elected not to provide it to the company that had asked for it. Before his death, he left remains of ice-nine for each of his three children, not thinking of the consequences of this decision. The decision ultimately led to mishandling of the dangerous substance, and the truth that he created from his scientific discovery, led to the death of his children, along with almost every person in the

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