Cat’s Cradle Flashcards
Who is a religious outlaw - the central figure in the public of San Lorenzo?
Bokonon
Who is not a people person and the inventor of ice-nine?
Felix Hoenikker
Who started the House of Hope and Mercy Hospital in San Lorenzo?
Juslian Castle
Who is the new American ambassador to San Lorenzo?
Horlick Minton
Who owns a bicycle factory in Chicago?
H. Lowe Crosby
Who washed up on the shore of San Lorenzo with Bokonon?
Earl McCabe
Who plays the clarinet remarkably well for being so unpleasant and dull?
Angela Hoenikker
Who is writing a book called The Day the World Ended?
Jonah
Who is the dictator of San Lorenzo?
Papa Monzano
Who is the most beautiful woman in San Lorenzo?
Mona Armon Monzano
Who is the smallest man in the book?
Newt Hoenikker
Who is the Minister of Science and Progress in the Republic of San Lorenzo?
Frank Hoenikker
Who is a former Nazi attempting to atone for his sins?
Dr. Scholicter Von Koenigswald
Who was easily distracted or preoccupied like a child?
Felix Hoenikker
Who had been taught by Bokonon as a child?
Mona Aamons Monzano and Philip Castle
What genre does Cat’s Cradle belong to?
Satire
Be able to define Foma?
Harmless untruths
Be able to define nihilism?
The belief that life in inherently meaningless
What does the narrator tell us to call him in Chapter One?
Jonah
What is the narrator’s profession?
Freelance writer
Why does Jonah travel to llium, New York?
To meet with the family of Dr. Hoenikker
What special honor was awarded to Dr. Felix Hoenikker?
He was a Nobel Prize winner
What does Newt remember about the day the atomic bomb was dropped?
Playing with trucks outside his father’s study
How does Newt describe his father?
self-absorbed and anti-social
What is the term for a group of people who work together to do God’s will without knowing?
Karass
Why did Frank put the bugs in a jar?
to shake it up and make them battle
What does Bokonon say about the woman who claimed to understand God’s plan?
She is a fool
What was the name of the Ukrainian midget dancer who married Newt?
Zinka
What did Dr. Hoenikker invent?
Ice-nine
How do Frank’s former high school classmates describe him?
Secretive and reclusive
What subject did Dr. Breed feel should be studied more?
Science
According to Dr. Breed - - What is the most valuable commodity on earth?
New knowledge
What does Dr. Breed call Jonah?
A yellow journalist
According to a bartender in Ilium - - what have scientist discovered?
The secret of life if Protein
What does Bokonon say about Peculiar travel suggestions?
They are to be approached with skepticism
What does the photograph in Dr. Hoenikker’s ab show?
His dog
What happened to Jonah’s cat during his trip to illium?
Sheman Krebbs murdered it
How does Sherman Krebbs act?
As a wrang-wrang
What did Jonah accidentally discover through a magazine article?
The whereabouts of Frank Hoenikker
Who is Julian Castle?
A wealthy American sugar merchant
Why is Jonah going to San Lorenzo?
To interview Julian Castle
What is the first sentence of the Book of bokonon?
The true thing I am about to tell you are shameless lies
What is the official religion of San Lorenzo?
Christianity
What does Jonah say about San Lorenzo?
God, in His infinite Wisdom had made the island worthless
Why did the islanders change bokonon’s name?
they couldn’t pronounce it
What is Bokonon’s theory of dynamic tension?
Pit good and evil against one another
What is the term for an illusion or mirage?
Fata Morgana
What will it mean when the golden boast floats again?
The end of the world is near.
What does papa do when he greets the people on the plane from Miami?
He falls over in great pain
Who did Papa pick as the next President of San Lorenzo?
Frank Hoenikker
How many taxicabs are there on the island of San Lorenzo?
1
What does Mr. Crosby learn when he reports the “rude” artist to the desk clerk at the hotel?
The artist owns the hotel
What is the name of the Bokononist ritual that involves touching feet with a person to mingle awareness?
Boko-maru
What do Julian Castle and Newt agree on?
Everything is meaningless
What does Newt’s picture depict?
a Cat’s cradle
Who did Frank pick to be the next President of San Lorenzo?
Angela Hoenikker
Who is the first person to die from ice-nine?
Papa Monzano
How do they clean up the ice-nine in Papa’s bedroom?
They use broom, rubber gloves and a blowtorch
Who does Ambassador Minton honor in his speech in Chapter 114?
The Hundred Marytrs to democracy
How does the book end?
Bokonon gives Jonah advice
Who do Jonah find on the side of the road near the end of the novel?
Bokonon
Why didn’t Bokonon kill himself?
He never takes his won advice
What do Mona and Jonah find while waling the streets of Bolivar after the storms?
A group of people who committed suicide
How is ice-nine released on the world?
papa Monzaon’s frozen body slides into the ocean
Discuss Newt Hoenikker’s relationship with his father. Describe the interaction they had on the day the atomic bomb was dropped. What insight does their relationship offer into Felix Hoenikker’s character?
- No real relationship - - pretty much non-existent
- Felix does not treat people well - including his children
- Atomic bomb - - first day Felix play with his father (had a string and made cat’s cradle figure
- Father looked ugly and his breathe smelled of cigars
Felix might look like saint but he is not in reality
Describe the setting of San Lorezno, discuss its history, geography, government, economy and culture?
- 50 mile Long Caribbean island
- Population is 450,000
- Very poor
- Poor soil and limited natural resources
- Passed through Autocrats - - Present Autocrat is Papa Monzano
- Religion of people is Bokonoist
Describe Papa Monzano - what is his background - how is he introduced what are his motivations and how does he play a significant role in the novel?
- Born and raised in San Lorenzo
- Groomed for the Presidency
- Want San Lorenzo to be a world Power
- Believes in science and ice-nine
- Brings Frank into his cabinet
- Helps to bring about the end of the world
Describe and discuss the history of Bokonon - what is his real name - how did Bokonon end up on San Lorenzo - who was he with when he arrived - how did Bokonon gain control of the island - what did he institute once he gained control?
- 1922 Lionel Johnson (Bokonon) approached by Marine Earl McCabe who stole his companies recreation fund
- McCabe gave Johnson $500 for a ride to Miami
- Boat wrecks on rocks by San Lorenzo
- Johnson and McCabe found the Castle Sugar was exploiting their worker
- They took over the company and tried to solve issues on the island
- Johnson invents Bokononism an outlaw religion
- Dynamic Tension which is getting forces of good and evil against each other to build a great society
Why do bokononists say “Busy, busy, busy - what does it mean and give an example
- Whenever they feel life is complicated or unpredictable
- They say it in awe or WOW
- Marry someone - they are in the background of photos
Discuss one of the major themes of Cat’s cradle - how does vonnegut develop theme through characters, setting symbolism and imagery - how is the theme developed through the action of the plot - give specific examples
Themes:
Science or Technology vs. morality
Absurdity vs. Meaninglessness
Desire vs. Happiness
