Julian Castle Character Analysis in Cat’s Cradle

Julian Castle is an inhabitant of San Lorenzo. He made millions early in life and lived a rebellious, hedonistic lifestyle. At age forty, Julian built the island’s only hospital, the House of Hope and Mercy in the Jungle. He provides medical care to the islanders, but is not without his absurdist streak. As his son, Philip, relates, he once shined his torch on locals killed by plague and, giggling, told Philip: “someday all this will be yours.” Like the other islanders, he is a Bokononist.

Julian Castle Quotes in Cat’s Cradle

The Cat’s Cradle quotes below are all either spoken by Julian Castle or refer to Julian Castle. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“Oh, yes. Anyway, one sleepless night I stayed up with Father while he worked. It was all we could do to find a live patient to treat. In bed after bed after bed we found dead people.

“And Father started giggling,” Castle continued.

“He couldn’t stop. He walked out into the night with his flashlight. He was still giggling. He was making the flashlight beam dance over all the dead people stacked outside. He put his hand on my head, and do you know what that marvelous man said to me?” asked Castle.

“Nope.”

“‘Son,’ my father said to me, ‘someday this will all be yours.’”

Related Characters: Philip Castle (speaker), John (speaker), Julian Castle

Page Number and Citation: 162

Explanation and Analysis:

“He was in the S.S. for fourteen years. He was a camp physician at Auschwitz for six of those years.”

“Doing penance at the House of Hope and Mercy is he?”

“Yes,” said Castle, “and making great strides, too, saving lives right and left.”

“Good for him.”

“Yes. If he keeps going at his present rate, working night and day, the number of people he’s saved will equal the number of people he let die—in the year 3010.”

Related Characters: Julian Castle (speaker), John (speaker), Dr. Schlichter von Koenigswald

Page Number and Citation: 185

Explanation and Analysis:

Julian Castle Character Timeline in Cat’s Cradle

The timeline below shows where the character Julian Castle appears in Cat’s Cradle. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Absurdity and Meaninglessness Theme Icon

...a story in San Lorenzo. This isn’t meant to be about “Papa” or Frank, but Julian Castle. Castle is an American sugar millionaire who, at the age of forty, founded a... (full context)

Governance, Politics, and Nationhood Theme Icon

...been reading—it is the “only scholarly book ever written about San Lorenzo.” Its author is Julian Castle. John opens the book to a chapter about Bokonon: “Pay no attention to Caesar.... (full context)

...about her father, Nestor Aamons, who fought in World War Two. In Portugal he met Julian Castle, who invited him to design the hospital—“House of Hope and Mercy in the Jungle”—on... (full context)

John explains that he is a writer and has come to see Julian Castle, Philip’s father. Philip explains that Bokonon was his tutor as a boy, as well... (full context)

John asks Philip about his upbringing at Julian Castle’s hospital, and more generally about Julian’s character. Philip describes his father as “funny.” He... (full context)

Philip goes back to the story. After trying to treat the plague victims, Julian and Philip walked through the hospital, finding dead body after dead body. Julian was giggling.... (full context)

Angela comes back to the house, with Julian Castle, who is wearing a white linen suit and has a “scraggly moustache.” John tells... (full context)

Julian squints at the painting; John asks him what he thinks of it. Julian hypothesizes that... (full context)

John asks Julian about “Papa” Monzano’s wellbeing. Julian explains that he and “Papa” don’t speak, because “Papa” “doesn’t... (full context)

Julian explains that the last rites involve boko-maru, which he believes “works.” He reveals that everyone... (full context)

Julian goes on, saying that Bokonon and McCabe threw out the Christian priests when they arrived... (full context)

...similar at Madame Tussaud’s in London. No one died on it in the beginning, explains Julian. McCabe would regularly stage hunts for Bokonon, who hid in the jungle. The fake hunt... (full context)

...man to war against, he himself would become meaningless.” “Papa” gets this too. According to Julian, “Papa” ceremoniously kills one person every two years on the hook. Julian says “busy, busy,... (full context)

Angela, Newt, John, and Julian have cocktails on the terrace. Angela drunkenly complains of how the “world had swindled her... (full context)

Julian points to a small village at the bottom of the waterfall, and explains that the... (full context)

...clarinet. When she plays—along to a record—John is astonished by the beauty of her playing. Julian quotes a poem from The Books of Bokonon: “Tiger got to hunt, / Bird got... (full context)

...to do.” John asks Frank for a hint; Frank’s reply is “Zah-ma-ki-bo.” John learns from Julian that this means “fate – inevitable destiny.” (full context)

At dinner, Julian explains that “Papa” has cancer of just “about everything.” Newt says he would kill himself... (full context)

John asks who is “Papa” Monzano’s doctor; Julian explains that it is Dr. Schlichter von Koenigswald. Dr. Koenigswald was a physician at Auschwitz... (full context)

Later that evening, Julian returns to the hospital. Angela, Newt, and John sit on the terrace overlooking Bolivar. Stanley... (full context)

...writers until mankind finally comes to its sense.” John doesn’t agree with this idea, asking Julian how people would die when “deprived of the consolations of literature.” Julian says either by... (full context)

...a leader, feels newfound respect for Crosby and wants the bicycle factory to be built. Julian tells him the inhabitants are interested in only three things: “fishing, fornication, and Bokononism.” John... (full context)

...to write the poem John saw by the palace gate. John assumes Angela, Philip, and Julian are dead, but doesn’t want to ask how yet. (full context)

John explains how Julian and Philip Castle died. They had set out on foot for the hospital while the... (full context)

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Julian Castle Character Timeline in Cat’s Cradle