...In Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle, the constant thing that is being said is the religion Bokonon. It is established from the beginning that it is all based on lies, but the whole city of San Lorenzo worship it and follow what it says, even though it is forbidden and you will get the “hook” if you do. “Nothing in this book is true.” These were the first words given in the prologue. Immediately after this, the main character says, “Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.” Jonah began to collect things for a book he was going to write called The Day the World Ended. It was going to be about what Americans did on that very exact day the first atomic bomb was deployed on Hiroshima, Japan. This book will never be completed. This book was meant to be a Christian book, but Jonah is now a Bokononist. If someone would’ve told him about the “bittersweet lies” the book told, he would’ve became a Bokononist from the very beginning. Bokononists believe that civilization is shaped into groups that do God’s work without ever knowing what they’re doing. A karass is what they call themselves. “All the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies.” The warning in this is any person who can not comprehend how a useful religion can be based on lies then you will not understand the point to this book. So be it. Jonah’s karass includes the three children of Dr. Felix Hoenikker. Who is known as the “father” of the first atomic bomb. Jonah wrote a letter to...
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...Cradle and the Meaning of Life “The web of life is a beautiful and meaningless dance. The web of life is a process with a moving goal. The web of life is a perfectly finished work of art right where I am sitting now” (Robert Anton Wilson) Life has no meaning. This is a common theme of Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle. Life is much like the game of cat’s cradle: while it may seem complex and intricate, in reality it is simple and leads to nothingness. The religion described in the book, Bokononism, follows the teachings of a man, Lionel Boyd Johnson or Bokonon. In the beginnings of his books he warns readers to “close the book at once! It is nothing but foma” (Vonnegut, 265). Foma, are lies. Despite this, most of the island of San Lorenzo follows this religion. Bokonon realized the meaninglessness of life and created a religion based on lies to provide happiness for people as a result. This is why Bokonon leads people to believe they will find out their karass and reason for life only after they die. He wants to spare them the disappointment of knowing everything they do has no purpose. Throughout Cat’s Cradle, there are a few references to the game the book is named for. The first is when Dr. Hoenikker, Newt’s father, tries to show his son the game on the day his bomb was dropped on Japan. (Vonnegut, 11) Later on Newt goes into detail explaining the game to the narrator, Jonah. Atop a mountain, Newt had just finished painting the game. “No wonder...
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...In the story, Bokonon created a religion, “because the truth was so terrible, so [he] made it his business to provide the people with better and better lies.” (Vonnegut 190). To ease the pain of the people of San Lorenzo, Bokonon created a religion. A religion that shameless states that it’s built on honey-coated lies. Bokonon writes, “I wanted all things To seem to make some sense, So we all could be happy, yes, Instead of tense. And I made up lies So that they all fit nice, And I made this sad world A par-a-dise” (Vonnegut 145). The intent of Bokonon’s religion is not concealed, but transparent. While anything he says might not be the truth, it still brings a small outlook of paradise for the people of San Lorenzo. Vonnegut then uses another character to elaborate on Bokonon’s view on religion, “I agree with one Bokononist idea. I agree that all religions, including Bokononism, are nothing but lies.”(237)....
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...Religion in Cat’s Cradle Mystery surrounds no character in Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle more than Bokonon, the self-aware prophet of the fictitious religion, Bokononism, at the heart of the novel. Bokononism is a rare religion which openly claims to a false construction: the Book of Bokonon, the holy book of Bokononism, actively encourages its practisers to live by “foma”, or “harmless untruths”, and furthermore begins with the claim, “All of the true things that I am about to tell you are shameless lies” (Vonnegut 5). With the invention of Bokononism, Cat’s Cradle manages to be simultaneously both painfully obvious and deceptively subtle in its messages. Bokononism is an admittedly fabricated religion nevertheless accepted by the population because of its ability to make them feel good about their lives. From a non-religious perspective, the parallels with “real” organised religion are quite apparent (the primary difference being Bokononism’s admitted basis in unreality). Indeed, the reader may well experience the alluring song of Bokononism and the way it presents an emotionally comforting and mentally comfortable explanation of life, a possibility both impressive and troublesome. Upon this particular realisation of Bokononism’s potential, the quotation opening the Book of Bokonon develops a clearer context. Bokononism need not necessarily be untrue; in fact, one could interpret its claims to be extremely true (and, furthermore, the claims are quite impossible to confirm...
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...Book Review: Cats Cradle CJ Kwon Themes Love: From the very beginning of the book, introducing the Hoenikker family, all the way to the end with Mona and the Bokononists, the concept of love is seen in many different examples and points of view Death: the numerous characters that populate Cats Cradle all have to deal with death at some point whether it is simply by old age or being poisoned by ice 9. Religion- While the entire book is driven by the made up religion Bokonon, Vonnegut also touches upon other religious faiths throughout the novel. Sex- as always in Vonnegut books, sexual imagery is common throughout the story from the cemetery in the beginning to the natives of San Lorenzo. Relationships- Throughout the entire book Vonnegut seems...
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...Kurt Vonnegut's satirical novel targets three main ideas. The targets include Tyrannical Governments, Human Stupidity, and Religion. The way he targets each of the topic is incorporated all over Cat's Cradle, from Bokononism to the creation of Ice-Nine to "Papa" Monzano's dictatorship. He would exaggerate on the topic so much that would depict it as the truth when really it was the opposite. Throughout the history of San Lorenzo, Tyranny was the governing body of choice. Although so many countries had claimed San Lorenzo, they were all loosely held as each country or government cared little to none about who conquers San Lorenzo next. The reason for this was because the people of San Lorenzo were so lazy and cared little toward the governing body making it resistible to acquire. Even the land of which San Lorenzo sat on was unwanted. “Papa” Monzano was a character satirizing Papa Doc, whom was the Haitian Dictator. He made fun of the island and their people saying that the people all had no interest in what went on with the government just like the Haitian people when Papa Doc initiated a Brain Drain. Vonnegut’s next target is Human Stupidity. Felix Hoenikker showed no signs of caring for what people thought or did. Even when his children would fight he would simply look at them and return back to what he was doing. The reason why Felix is a sign of Human Stupidity is because of how little he cared for when he created Ice-Nine knowing how dangerous it was. This is probably...
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...Krebbs ran up about three hundred dollars’ worth of long distance calls, set his couch on fire in five different places, killed his cat and avocado tree, and tore the door off of his medicine cabinet. He sensed that Krebbs was in his karass even though he never saw the man as he disappeared. He said that Krebbs was a wrang-wrang and according to Bokonon, is a person who leads people away from a line of speculation by reducing that line. John says on Sunday of that week, he figured out that Franklin Hoenikker was alive. He said the news of Franklin still being alive was in a special section of the New York Sunday Times. John found an ad for San Lorenzo, a tiny country that stood as a republic. The advertisement showed a young woman by the name of Mona Aamons Monzano, this girl was actually adopted by the controller of the country. John immediately figured out that he had romantic feelings towards this girl as he described her as “brown as chocolate” and said her hair was like golden flax. There was a picture in this advertisement, it was the leader of the country and standing next to...
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...fact that within San Lorenzo Bokononism is banned and the result of practicing Bokononism is the "HY-U-O-OOK-KUH" or the hook, which is certain death. The hook is an example of Levy 2 exaggeration in the novel. The hook is an exaggeration of punishment in normal society for disobeying the boundaries of the law, the entirety of the society of San Lorenzo fears the punishments of practicing Bokononism and denies the religion when in reality even the leaders of the society partake in its practices. The religion, Bokononism, also shows connections, through the use of satire, to religion in our world today and the mass controversy and questions that is produces. Bokononism admits that it is based upon lies in the first sentence in The Books of Bokonon, “All of the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies.”(Vonnegut 5). Most people have questioned or continue to question the reality and truth to the base of some or all religions, due to the lack of truly credible proof. Vonnegut himself was a humanist. Since he didn’t personally believe in a God himself, it is more probable that he would satirize religion and exaggerate the principles of religion, using the Boko-maru to exaggerate how foolish and ridiculous worship can be. Another technique of satire is incongruity, which is a satirical tool used to present things that are out of place or are absurd in relation to its surroundings. An example of incongruity is displayed in the novel is though the death of the character Mona...
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...Vodun is practiced by the Ewe people of eastern and southern Ghana, and southern and central Togo; and the Kabye people, Mina people, and Fon people of southern and central Togo, southern and central Benin. It is also practiced by some Gun people of Lagos and Ogun in southwest Nigeria. It is distinct from the various African traditional religions in the interiors of these countries and is the main source of religions with similar names found among the African Diaspora in the New World such as Haitian Vodou; Puerto Rican Vodú; Cuban Vodú; Dominican Vudú; Brazilian Vodum; and Louisiana Voodoo. All of these closely related faiths are syncretized with Christianity to various degrees and with the traditional beliefs of the Kongo people and Indigenous American traditions. Theology and practice Vodun cosmology centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the Earth, a hierarchy that range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of ethnic vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. The vodun are the center of religious life, similar in many ways to doctrines such as the intercession of saints and angels that made Vodun appear compatible with Christianity, especially Catholicism, and produced syncretic religions such as Haitian Vodou. Adherents also emphasize ancestor worship and hold that the spirits of the dead live side by...
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...Kurt Vonnegut, Through Pain an Struggle Comes Triumph Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is known as one of the great science fiction writers during the 1950s through the 70s. He is widely known for his novel Slaughterhouse- Five, in which he took some of his own experiences with the war in Vietnam and wrote a science fiction novel. Vonnegut had written about his experiences a lot. This is why Vonnegut’s experiences with depression and death are themes explained in his work. The following paragraphs will explain the two works that have been read and give background on the man himself. Early Life Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 11th, 1922. Vonnegut’s ancestors come from German descent and they brewed beer as a family business and were also architects (Reed). Even in his early life Vonnegut has dealt with diversity. The impact of World War I seriously changed the lives of the family. Because of his German descent his family became a victim to prejudice treatment around the state (Reed). After the war the family had to deal with the prohibition, which took away the income and then the Depression slowed down and almost stopped the production of homes. Out of the 3 children Kurt could be seen as the child who did not get the best. His older sister and brother, Alice and Bernard both went to private schools while Kurt went to public schools. In 1940 Vonnegut attended the prestigious Ivy League school Cornell University. He majored in biochemistry...
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...Kurt Vonnegut, Through Pain and Struggle Comes Triumph Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is known as one of the great science fiction writers during the 1950s through the 70s. He is widely known for his novel Slaughterhouse- Five, in which he took some of his own experiences with the war in Vietnam and wrote a science fiction novel. Vonnegut had written about his experiences a lot. This is why Vonnegut’s experiences with depression and death are themes explained in his work. The following paragraphs will explain the two works that have been read and give background on the man himself. Early Life Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 11th, 1922. Vonnegut’s ancestors come from German descent and they brewed beer as a family business and were also architects. Even in his early life Vonnegut has dealt with diversity. The impact of World War I seriously changed the lives of the family. Because of his German descent his family became a victim to prejudice treatment around the state. After the war the family had to deal with the prohibition, which took away the income and then the Depression slowed down and almost stopped the production of homes. Out of the 3 children Kurt could be seen as the child who did not get the best. His older sister and brother, Alice and Bernard both went to private schools while Kurt went to public schools. In 1940 Vonnegut attended the prestigious Ivy League school Cornell University. He majored in biochemistry. Later Years ...
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...I. Introduction In his foreword to a collection of the radio scripts of comedians Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. endorses these entertainers as somehow new and different—and relevant—since they draw their humor from the plight of the (American) Common Man. In the process, Vonnegut offers us an insight into his own writing, and the philosophies that inform it. “They aren’t like most other comedians’ jokes these days,” Vonnegut writes, aren’t rooted in show business and the world of celebrities and news of the day. They feature Americans who are almost always fourth-rate or below, engaged in enterprises which, if not contemptible, are at least insane. And while other comedians show us persons tormented by bad luck and enemies and so on, Bob and Ray’s characters threaten to wreck themselves and their surroundings with their own stupidity. There is a refreshing and beautiful innocence in Bob’s and Ray’s humor. Man is not evil, they seem to say. He is simply too hilariously stupid to survive. And this I believe. Jerome Klinkowitz, in the introduction to his essay collection entitled Vonnegut in America, has used this quote—as he certainly should—to support his claim that Vonnegut’s humor has its roots in the comedic response to the Great Depression. But of course there is much more to it than that. The reader is left with a nagging question: Were humanity’s case really as Vonnegut describes it, and were this truly his belief, wouldn’t it seem that the...
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...BUSINESS SCHOOL HARVARD SUCCESSFUL 65 APPLICATION SECOND EDITION E S S AY S APPLICATION BUSINESS SCHOOL HARVARD SUCCESSFUL 65 ECSNS A IYI O N S SE O D ED T With Analysis by the Staff of The Harbus, the Harvard Business School Newspaper ST. MARTIN’S GRIFFIN NEW YORK 65 SUCCESSFUL HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL APPLICATION ESSAYS, SECOND EDITION. Copyright © 2009 byThe Harbus News Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For-information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. www.stmartins.com Library of Congress Cataloging...in..Publication Data 65 successful Harvard Business -School application essays : with analysis by the staff of The Harbus, the Harvard Business School newspaper / Lauren Sullivan and the staff of The Harbus.-2nd ed. p.em. ISBN 978...0..312...55007...3 1. Business schools-United States-Admission. 2. Exposition (Rhetoric) 3. Essay-Authorship. 4. Business writing. 5. Harvard Business School. 1. Sullivan, Lauren. II. Harbus. III. Title: Sixty...five successful Harvard Business School application essays. HF1131.A1352009 808'.06665-dc22 2009012531 First Edition: August 2009 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction ix xi I. Defining Moment Stacie Hogya Anonymous Anonymous David La Fiura Anonymous Avin Bansal Anonymous Brad Finkbeiner Anonymous 4 7 10 13 17 20 23 26 29 ii. UndergradUate experience John Coleman Maxwell Anderson...
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