Newt Hoenikker Character Analysis in Cat’s Cradle

Newton “Newt” Hoenikker is the youngest of Dr. Hoenikker’s children and is described as a “midget.” He is hoodwinked by another midget (and Soviet spy), Zinka, into giving up the ice-nine technology—which John realizes has put it in the hands of the Soviet Union (and thus echoing the reality of the Cold War at the time of Vonnegut’s writing). Newt likes to paint in black scrawls, explaining that one of his creations is a cat’s cradle. The cat’s cradle seems to have stuck with Newt since the day the atom bomb was dropped; only six years old at the time, his father had frightened him by insisting on showing him the old trick with string. Newt is one of the survivors after the ice-nine incident and continues to paint.

Newt Hoenikker Quotes in Cat’s Cradle

The Cat’s Cradle quotes below are all either spoken by Newt Hoenikker or refer to Newt Hoenikker. 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:

“But he went down on his knees on the carpet next to me, and he showed me his teeth, and he waved that tangle of string in my face. ‘See? See? See?’ he asked. ‘Cat’s cradle. See the cat’s cradle? See where the nice pussycat sleeps? Meow. Meow.’

“His pores looked as big as craters on the moon. His ears and nostrils were stuffed with hair. Cigar smoke made him smell like the mouth of Hell. So close up, my father was the ugliest thing I had ever seen. I dream about it all the time.

“And then he sang. ‘Rockabye catsy, in the tree top’; he sang, ‘when the wind blows, the cray-dull will rock. It the bough breaks, the cray-dull will fall. Down will come cray-dull, catsy, and all.’”

Related Characters: Newt Hoenikker (speaker), Dr. Felix Hoenikker, John

Related Symbols: Cat’s Cradle

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 12

Explanation and Analysis:

There are lots of other good anecdotes about the bomb and Father, from other days. For instance, do you know the story about Father on the day they first tested a bomb out at Alamogordo? After the thing went off, after it was a sure thing that America could wipe out a city with just one bomb, a scientist turned to Father and said, ‘Science has now known sin.’ And do you know what Father said? He said, ‘What is sin?’

Related Characters: Newt Hoenikker (speaker), John, Dr. Felix Hoenikker

Page Number and Citation: 17

Explanation and Analysis:

“I might as well tell you,” Angela said to me, “Dr. Breed told me I wasn’t supposed to co-operate with you. He said you weren’t interested in giving a fair picture of Father.” She showed me that she didn’t like me for that.

I placated her some by telling her that the book would probably never be done anyway, that I no longer had a clear idea of what it would or should mean.

“Well, if you ever do do the book, you better make Father a saint, because that’s what he was.”

Related Characters: Angela Hoenikker (speaker), Newt Hoenikker (speaker), Dr. Asa Breed, Dr. Felix Hoenikker

Page Number and Citation: 112

Explanation and Analysis:

From what Frank had said before he slammed the door, I gathered that the Republic of San Lorenzo and the three Hoenikkers weren’t the only ones who had ice-nine. Apparently the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had it, too. The United States had obtained it through Angela’s husband, whose plant in Indianapolis was understandably surrounded by electrified fences and homicidal German shepherds. And Soviet Russia had come by it through Newt’s little Zinka, that winsome troll of Ukrainian ballet.

Related Characters: John (speaker), Dr. Felix Hoenikker, Zinka, Harrison C. Conners, Frank Hoenikker, Angela Hoenikker , Newt Hoenikker

Related Symbols: Ice-Nine

Page Number and Citation: 244

Explanation and Analysis:

Newt Hoenikker Character Timeline in Cat’s Cradle

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

...of his karass: Dr. Felix Hoenikker, the inventor of the atomic bomb, and Hoenikker’s children, Newt, Angela and Frank. (full context)

Absurdity and Meaninglessness Theme Icon

John once wrote a letter to Newt, the youngest of the children, to ask for “anecdotes” about Dr. Hoenikker on the day... (full context)

In his reply letter to John, Newt says that John would do better to talk to his older siblings as they would... (full context)

Newt explains that he was only six on the day the bomb was dropped. He was... (full context)

The incident with the cat’s cradle was, according to Newt, the closest Dr. Hoenikker ever got to playing a game with his kids. He was... (full context)

Newt’s letter continues. Apparently, Angela told Newt that he had really hurt Dr. Hoenikker by not... (full context)

Newt describes Angela as one of the “unsung heroines” of the atom bomb. At one stage... (full context)

Newt asks if John would like anecdotes about other days than the day of the bomb.... (full context)

Newt signs off by suggesting John should not refer to his family as “illustrious” (as John... (full context)

Two weeks after sending his letter to John, Newt wrote to Frank about his new girlfriend, Zinka. She is a Ukrainian midget, who eventually... (full context)

A year after his exchange of letters with Newt, John heads to Ilium in New York to see where Dr. Hoenikker did most of... (full context)

...the way home. That injury, explains Dr. Breed, is why she died giving birth to Newt. (full context)

...made a small chip of it just before he died. He told Frank, Angela, and Newt about it on the Christmas Eve that he died—and they divided that chip between themselves. (full context)

...away more sleet and uncovers the epitaphs. He sees they are from Angela, Frank, and Newt in tribute to their mother Emily (though Newt’s is just an imprint of his infant... (full context)

...in another model shop which turned out to be a front for a car-stealing operation. Newt, he says, is probably with Angela in Indianapolis. He describes Angela as “big” and “gawky,”... (full context)

...by Hazel, who is amazed to have found two more Hoosiers aboard the plane—Angela and Newt. (full context)

John finds Angela and Newt. From the present, John criticizes them for carrying ice-nine, “while under us was God’s own... (full context)

Governance, Politics, and Nationhood Theme Icon

...his religion: “I made up lies … and I made this sad world a par-a-dise.” Newt interrupts John’s reading and takes him back to the bar. He talks about Zinka and... (full context)

As the plane nears its landing, Crosby realizes he’s heard Newt’s surname before. Newt describes Dr. Hoenikker as “the father of the atom bomb.” Crosby was... (full context)

“Papa” doesn’t die, “not then.” Minton and Claire are driven to their embassy; Newt and Angela go to Frank’s house; H. Lowe and Hazel Crosby are taken along with... (full context)

The only person in the house is Newt, whom John finds on the terrace. Newt, asleep in a chair, has been working on... (full context)

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

...“have a net made of chicken wire” down there. By now, they’ve probably gathered up Newt’s painting, he assumes. Angela grows more hysterical, so Newt implores her to fetch her clarinet. (full context)

When Angela is out of earshot, Newt apologizes on her behalf, explaining that her husband, Harrison C. Conners, is unfaithful and treats... (full context)

...the only copies of it are made by hand, and Bokonon adds things every day. Newt shouts “religion!” and makes the cat’s cradle sign again. (full context)

At dinner, Julian explains that “Papa” has cancer of just “about everything.” Newt says he would kill himself in that situation; Julian replies that that’s what Corporal McCabe... (full context)

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

Frank’s servants bring the group gasoline lanterns. Angela and Newt tell John that Dr. Hoenikker had a twin brother, who is called Rudolph and makes... (full context)

...and is woken by a loud banging. He flees out of the house, as do Newt and Angela. It turns out that the power has returned, and the noise is coming... (full context)

...John, from the present-day, tells the reader that the thermos jugs carried by Angela and Newt contained chips of ice-nine. Frank takes John aside to talk, while John lusts after Mona. (full context)

...the ice-nine, sure that Frank must have given it to “Papa”, and that Angela and Newt must have some too. Newt throws up. (full context)

All Angela can say in response to what she is seeing is ‘Uck.” Newt, looking down at the deceased Dr. Koenigswald, says that what’s happened is “like the dog”... (full context)

...that he’s acted in the same as she did to get a “tomcat husband,” and Newt did to buy “himself a week … with a Russian midget” (Zinka). (full context)

...“shit-storm”) is beyond the “power of humans to comment.” John realizes that, with Angela and Newt also having traded ice-nine for personal gain, the American and Soviet governments must have its... (full context)

John asks Frank, Newt, and Angela to tell him about the story of the dog on the Christmas Eve... (full context)

...was just sleeping in his chair, but was dead. While she decorated the Christmas tree, Newt and Frank came in with the dog. Frank wiped some water of the floor with... (full context)

Angela, Newt, and Frank talk about how they divided up Dr. Hoenikker’s ice-nine on the day he... (full context)

Present-day John says he doesn’t remember if he wept, but that Crosby, Hazel, and Newt now came to his aid in Bolivar’s “one taxicab.” In the taxi, Hazel tells John... (full context)

Crosby, Hazel, and Newt take John back in the taxi-cab to what is left of Frank’s house by the... (full context)

...a funny book, and notes how each member the group has their own special skill (Newt paints pictures, John writes, Crosby cooks, etc.). John quotes an old Chinese proverb: “many hands... (full context)

John goes to see Newt, who is painting “a blasted landscape a quarter of a mile from the cave.” Newt... (full context)

...life so unattractive that they gave up reproducing.” John feels an affinity with that story. Newt observes that “all the excitement in bed had more to do with excited about keeping... (full context)

Newt also points out that they don’t have any women “of breeding age among us,” describing... (full context)

John cries out about Bokononism: “such a depressing religion!” He and Newt talk about utopias. John recalls that Bokonon’s seventh book was on the same subject, quoting:... (full context)

...died playing her clarinet, which was contaminated with ice-nine. “Soft pipes, play on,” murmurs John. Newt suggests that John could find “some neat way to die, too.” John wants to climb... (full context)

Cat’s Cradle

Newt Hoenikker Character Analysis

Newt Hoenikker Quotes in Cat’s Cradle

Chapter 5 Quotes

Chapter 6 Quotes

Chapter 51 Quotes

Chapter 110 Quotes

Newt Hoenikker Character Timeline in Cat’s Cradle