Reader Response Cat's Cradle

A)
I believe that cats cradle serves as a useful message much more than a positive one. In both the speech and in the book, Vonnegut mentions how everyone is sure to die (machine guns that spray death and ice nine) its just how you go about your life that matters. It is not a positive message because Vonnegut is not meaning to convey that life short, he is conveying that your life is probably going to suck but your death is going to suck worse. In Cats Cradle, he expresses, through Jonah, how little hope one could have.

Book 14 of Bokononism
What could a thoughtful man hope for Mankind given the experience of the past Million Years?
Nothing.

This expresses how hopeless Vonnegut sees mankind and the world, which is also expressed through his speech via statements such as

"I know that millions of dollars have been spent to produce this splendid graduating class, and that the main hope of your teachers was, once they got through with you, that you would no longer be superstitious. I'm sorry—I have to undo that now. I beg you to believe in the most ridiculous superstition of all: that humanity is at the center of the universe, the fulfiller or the frustrator of the grandest dreams of God Almighty.
If you can believe that, and make others believe it, then there might be hope for us. Human beings might stop treating each other like garbage, might begin to treasure and protect each other instead. Then it might be all right to have babies again."

B)
Rule #1:
Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

This rule refers to to author writing to the reader. Vonnegut's books tend to be quick reads, especially Cats Cradle. While this was an assignment so I HAD to read, I am glad I did. My time did not feel wasted in doing so. By writing in such an amicable manner, that draws the reader in, Vonnegut can get the story across easily and coherently, and the same goes for the themes in the book.

Rule #6

Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

Out of all 8 rules, this is the one that Vonnegut follows most closely. Even if the characters do not move on, survive, the reader still, through indirect characterization, gets a sense of their person. For example, when the old couple died with the falling bit of fortress, the faced it hand in hand, and we as readers knew that they were strong, and that they had accepted their fate. The use of this, throughout Cat's Cradle, he enhances the characterization and the plot. As awful things befalling the character assists in the plot, as well as the point that society is pretty much evil, vonneguts use of sadism is key to the book as a whole.

Cat's Cradle Review Sheet

Themes:

Religion

The human Condition

Fate

Protaganist:

Jonah

Antagonist:

The world

Society

Minor Characters:

Angela

Newt

Frank

Papa

Bokonon

Dr. Breed

Mona

Crosbys

Felix Hoenikker

Unique Style and Structure:

Written about writing a book

Quotes:

As it happened—"as it was meant to happen," Bokonon would say—

14th book of bokononism

Title: What Can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth, Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?

Only verse: Nothing.

Symbols:

Ice-Nine

Religion- bokononism

Conflict:

Man vs. Society

Man vs. Self

Ending: Everyone dies except for a few- they survive by melting ice nine

Tradgedy-

I dont think so as they survive despite everything, also not the focus of the book

Chapter 27 and 28 Journal Entry for Beloved

Chapter 27

47. Explain what you think Denver means when Paul D asks Denver, “You think she sure ‘nough your sister?” and she replies, “At times. At times I think she was -- more.”
    
48. Who is Paul D talking about and what do you think he means when he says, “There are too many things to feel about this woman”? Do you agree with his assessment of her, or do you think she is “simpler”?
    

Chapter 28
49. What is the tone of this final chapter?
50. What is the significance of the line: “This is not a story to pass on.”? Has Beloved left
any trace? Why write a story that should not be passed on? 

47) I think that Denver knows and understands that Beloved was the embodiment of her older sister, but at the same time, I think she believes that Beloved was more than just a vengeful baby. Beloved shows signs of being a spirit and then some. For example, she has divine powers, such as the ability to choke Sethe when Beloved herself is a ways away. I think that Denver recognizes that this spirit has grown into something more and that is what she tells Paul D.

48) Paul D is speaking about Sethe, and how confusing she is to him. I agree with him as long as he is referencing his feelings towards her. Paul D experiences great conflict in his feelings towards Sethe. He wants to build a future, but is afraid of the past. To him, Sethe is the embodiment of many things he wishes to forget, but at the same time, keeps him whole, with his jumbled pieces "put together right again". This emotional conflict can be very confusing for many people, and that is why I think that Paul D is right in his idea that there are "too many things" to feel.

49) The tone of this chapter is educational and peaceful in a way. It also has a sense of a deep hidden hope, the kind of hope you are afraid to let free incase it grows to big it kills you when its broken. 

50) The line "this is not a story to pass on" is directly from Toni Morrison's mouth. It means that Beloved is not a pretty story, it isn't a happy one, and it isn't one you want to share with people. It is there, and it always will be, but that doesn't mean it has to haunt you forever. Beloved has left a trace, maybe not noticeably but her face appears in paintings and sometimes the characters think they hear her voice, because she will always be with them. The pain will fade, the hope will fade, but an ounce of her memory will always be in their hearts.

Toni Morrison writes a story that should not be passed on because while it doesn't need to be told from person to person, it needs to be told. As a political novel, it shoves the idea that sure, freedom has been found, the ordeal is over, but there is still a fight left to fight into peoples faces. It brings out the idea that just because the most horrendous part is over, it will continue to haunt you for the rest of your life and that is just as bad.

Chapter 26 Journal Entry for Beloved

Chapter 26

44. Describe life inside 124 from Denver’s perspective after Sethe figures out who Beloved is. What seems to be happening?
    
45. How are the community of women presented, and how is their relationship to Sethe different now than it was earlier in the novel?
    
46. Compare the climactic scene in this chapter to the first climax in the story. What significance do you see in the similarities and differences? 
    

44) To Denver, life in 124 is ending. It is no longer a life, and like Howard and Buglar came to realize before her, she could not stay. After Sethe realizes who Beloved is, Beloved's existence begins to eat away at her. Sethe becomes later and later to work and is eventually fired, but as the food begins to run low, she gives it up for Beloved. The once adult, mothering statue that was Sethe begins to decay and in her place grows a beautiful, powerful, strong version of Beloved. To Denver, this must look like Beloved is finally killing her mother, the one thing Denver feared second to Beloved leaving her alone.

45) Earlier in the novel, the community is presented as hating on Sethe. They are presented to avoid 124, and treat Sethe and her respective family with disrespect and condescension. When Ella gathers the women, they are presented as a force to be reckoned with. they are not simply 30 some odd women, they are determined and supportive and willing. They are going to get this ghost out of the house and they will stay by Sethe's side if need be. This is greatly contrasted with the original portrayal as they are supportive and not avoiding her.

46) In my opinion, the first great climax in the story is the murder of the the crawling already? baby, or Beloved. This is different because in this time, the community is seen as shying away from 124, thinking them too lucky, and believing they are flaunting their wealth of happiness. In this scene, the community is seen as banding together to rid 124 of the ghost all together in order to save Sethe and Denver, and support them as part of the community.

Chapter 25 Journal Entry for Beloved

Chapter 25
43. How does Stamp Paid try to explain Sethe’s actions to Paul D? Do you agree or disagree with him? Explain. 

43) Stamp Paid tried to explain that Sethe was only trying to "outhurt the hurter". Meaning she wouldn't let schoolteacher at her children, and the only way she knew was to hurt them worse so he wouldn't want them. To Stamp, this was a terrible crime, but an understandable one. I agree with him on the aspect. This is because I believe Schoolteacher and his nephews hurt her so bad, both mentally and physically, that she became convinced that she had no other choice. While scary and awful, what Sethe did does make sense to a degree. I think that Stamp Paid was right to defend her to Paul D , as he cares for the family and he understands how one's love can end at the hands of a white man. This is because Stamp had to give his wife to his old master's son, and when she was given back, he wanted to snap her neck and stop the torture to her soul, and the torture to his. 

Chapter 24 Journal Entry for Beloved

Chapter 24

41. What new information do we learn about the attempted escape from Sweet Home in this chapter?
    
42. “Paul D hears the men talking and for the first time learns his worth. He has always known, or believed he did, his value -- as a hand, a laborer who could make a profit on a farm -- but now he discovers his worth, which is to say he learns his price.” Why is this such an important moment for Paul D? How do you think it affects him to hear “his worth”? 
    
    41. In this chapter we learn more about the fates of the others at Sweet Home. For example, we learn that Sixo was burned alive, but his thirty mile woman escaped, with his child in her womb. Paul D recounts that when Sixo was captured he began to laugh, and Sixo never laughed. Schoolteacher considered him ruined, as he later considered Sethe, they had both "gone wild". While Schoolteacher couldn't kill Sethe he could kill Sixo, and did so by burning him alive. Paul D also mentions that when Sixo was burning, he kept yelling Seven-O, which we then find out is the name of Sixo's soon to be child.
    
    As we also find out, Paul A (one of Paul D's half brothers) and Halle failed to show when they were supposed to. Paul D is dragged back to the farm by schoolteacher and then sees Sethe, who I get the impression was also supposed to show. Paul D thinks that this must have been right before her rape as it is the last time he sees her for 18 years.
    
    42. Hearing one's price is one of the most demeaning things a person can hear. Someone would pay x amount of dollars for this THING. People do not pay money for people. They pay money for people to do specific services- i.e. maids, but do not pay for the entire person. They pay for animals, being traded in such a way is incredibly degrading. He has no value as a human being, he has no value to them in the way he works, as long as he does work. 

To Paul D, this is end of it all, the end of his humanity. The end of him being treated even potentially well, and he is now an animal. I think this breaks him in a way. We know Halle "broke" when he saw Sethe raped, and I believe that when Paul D heard his "worth" he broke. He no longer believed that he could be the human he wanted to be, and lost something in that. He eventually regained his humanity to a degree but he will always be healing that wound.

Chapter 23 Journal Entry for Beloved

Chapter 23
39. Who are the narrators in this chapter? What do they keep repeating?
40. What is the mood in this chapter? Based on the last three chapters, how would you
predict life is changing at 124? 

39) All three women at 124 are speaking in this chapter. Their voices are mixed up in a gentle clamor, probably the one heard by Stamp Paid every time he would go to 124.  They keep repeating "you are mine" over and over. It is a conformation of love, and of family. 

40) The mood in this chapter is more cheerful than any of the others. I found this chapter rather comforting, and I was hoping the women of 124 were also comforted. That they now understood each other and accepted one another. That Beloved loved Sethe too much and Denver was there by her side, that Beloved missed her mother, and that Sethe promised to never leave her again. They all speak about smiles. How Beloved forgot hers, how Sethe kept it for her and how Denver missed it.
I would predict that life is changing for the better at 124. That the crimes have been forgiven, the guilt will always haunt, but it has been forgiven. I think that Denver understands that she is not alone, and that she can make it herself. Beloved understands she is loved, and that its okay to move on to the afterlife. That even if there are men without skin, she is safe because she is loved. With this knowledge I think they have all been freed to go out on their own and move on. Sethe is free to love, Denver is free to be social, and Beloved is free to "cross the rainbow bridge" so to speak.