Kurt's Krew #3: Bokonon's Last Laugh

On this week’s podcast, we unfortunately come to a close on our reading of the Cat’s Cradle. We attempt to discuss the ending without spoilers, and not surprisingly, fail. The theme of this episode is Author’s intent, and come to a conclusion that Cat’s Cradle was a critique mainly on the conversation of science vs religion and the development of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Lastly, we discuss the winners and losers of the book and our major takeaways.

Some evidence we used

• “I bought myself a job, just the way you bought yourself a tomcat husband, just the way Newt bought himself a week on Cape Cod with a Russian midget” (243)

• “When there are such men as Felix Hoenikker to give such playthings as ice-nine to such short-sighted children as almost all men and women are” (245)

• “The mountebank told them that God was surely trying to kill them, possibly because He was through with them, and that they should have the good manners to die.” (273)

• “He always said he would never take his own advice, because he knew it was worthless.” (273)

• “and I would make a statue of myself, lying on my back, grinning horribly, and thumbing my nose at You Know Who” (287)