Cat's Cradle

Cat’s Cradle

• Genre: Fiction; science fiction/dystopian
• Originally Published: 1963
• Reading Level/Interest: Grades 9-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 127 chapters; approx. 179 pages; approx. 7 hours, 11 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: In his attempt to research a nonfiction work about America’s bombing of Hiroshima, first-person narrator Jonah discovers a weapon potentially even more powerful than the atomic bomb. This novel incorporates dark comedy, satire, and sci-fi elements to explore the impact of technology and weaponry on humanity.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Profanity; religious themes; apocalyptic themes; dated language no longer accepted; death by suicide

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Author

• Bio: 1922-2007; born in Indianapolis, Indiana; pursued journalism in high school and college; enlisted in the US Army during WWII; returned to journalism after the war but soon turned to more creative endeavors; became a writer of novels, nonfiction, stories, and plays; known today for works with a satirical tone that couch social commentary in often absurdist or fatalistic stories
• Other Works: The Sirens of Titan (1959); “Harrison Bergeron” (1961); Slaughterhouse-Five (1969); Bluebeard (1987); A Man Without a Country (2005)
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (nomination; 1964)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Risks and Limitations of Scientific Inquiry
• The Usefulness of Religion
• The Persistence of Human Foolishness

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the historical and social contexts regarding the Cold War arms race that impact John’s narrative.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Science, Religion, and Human Foolishness.
• Compose and present poems that connect to Bokononism based on text details.
• Examine and appraise the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding nationalism, science, and other topics.