Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Cat’s Cradle, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Science and Morality
Religion
Governance, Politics, and Nationhood
Absurdity and Meaninglessness
Summary
Analysis
Dr. Koenigswald explains that “Papa” had been raving about “pain, ice, Mona,” before saying “now I will destroy the whole world.” This is what Bokonists say before they commit suicide. Dr. Koenigswald goes to wash his hands, but they are contaminated with ice-nine and freeze the water. He touches the tip of his tongue and immediately freezes solid and crashes to the floor. “At last,” says present-day John, “I had seen ice-nine!”
The Bokononist suicide phrase is deeply ironic here. Its content is not meant to be literal—suicide equates to the destruction of the individual’s world, but not the world itself. In this case, however, it’s uncannily accurate. Dr. Koenigswald ramps up the dangerous atmosphere that surrounds ice-nine.
Themes
