Cat’s Cradle (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Kurt Vonnegut
- First Published: 1963
- Type of Plot: Science-fiction fable
- Time of Work: The early 1960’s
- Setting: Ilium, New York, and the Caribbean republic of San Lorenzo
- Principal Characters: John, Dr. Felix Hoenikker, Newt Hoenikker, Angela Hoenikker, Franklin Hoenikker, “Papa” Monzano, Lionel Boyd Johnson, Bokonon
- Genres: Long fiction, Fable, Science fiction, Fantasy, Apocalyptic and catastrophe fiction
- Subjects: 1960’s, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Traveling or travelers, Philosophy or philosophers, Caribbean, Wit or humor, End of the world, Atomic bomb, Ants, Ice, Inventions or inventors
- Locales: Ilium, NY, San Lorenzo, Caribbean
The Novel
Cat’s Cradle is a remarkably discursive book, full of loose ends, unexplained events, and characters who appear in focus for a moment only to vanish without apology. It does center, however, on one single object: the sliver of ice-nine created by Dr. Felix Hoenikker and divided after his death by his three children, only to bring about the end of the world almost simultaneously with the end of the book.
In Vonnegut’s theory, ice is only one of the many possible ways in which water can crystallize. If there were other ways, ice of different...
[The entire page is 2412 words long]
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See Also:
Kurt Vonnegut (Censorship--Ready Reference series)Kurt Vonnegut (Cyclopedia of World Authors)Kurt Vonnegut (Short Fiction)Kurt Vonnegut (Long Fiction)Kurt Vonnegut (Identities and Issues)
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