Student Question
How does Vonnegut satirize humanity's obsession with truth in Cat's Cradle?
Quick answer:
Vonnegut satirizes humanity's obsession with truth through Bokononism, a fictional religion in Cat's Cradle that offers comforting lies to shield people from harsh realities. By highlighting the paradox of needing to lie about reality while also being unable to, Vonnegut critiques the human tendency to prefer comforting illusions over confronting the brutal truth of life, thus underscoring the futility and complexity of humanity's pursuit of truth.
Bokononism's purpose is to "provide people with better and better lies," lies that will keep them from seeing the Hobbesian truth, that "life was as short and brutish and mean as ever." This view justifies fiction and art, yet Vonnegut cannot easily resolve the "cruel paradox of Bokononist thought, the heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality, and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it."
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