I think Cat’s Cradle is a very interesting book. Well, our discussion in the Socratic circle allowed me to really understand what Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Cat’s Cradle, is about and how it relate to postmodernism. Postmodernists rejected modernist’s ideals of rationality and a central point. They tend to focus on abstract and individualism. For example, in chapter 76 when Julian Castle questioned Newt’s painting, Newt answered, “It means whatever it means” (165). The painting Newt drew takes on different meaning through the view of people. His painting is abstract. It does not have a central meaning or a focus object. It all depends on the person to see and comprehend what the painting means to them. Furthermore, when Angela played the clarinet, John “did not expect the depth, the violence, and the almost intolerable beauty of the disease” (180). The only way for Angela to express her real feelings was through her clarinet. Unlike modern, the music that Angela played can be interpreted into different ways. She did not have to play a depressing song to allow her emotion to show. It is her way of being unique and abstract. In addition, Newt explained to John that “no wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat’s cradle is nothing but a bunch of X’s between someone’s hands, and little kids look and look and look at all those X’s…” and they find no cat nor cradle (165). No matter how hard someone looks at a cat’s cradle none of both can not be found. The X’s does not seem to form some kind of picture. It is up to the observer to interpret the cat’s cradle into his understanding. Whatever he sees and wishes to understand from it is all up to him. Like the cat’s cradle, life is something is endless and does not have a define meaning to it. Therefore, people search for other meanings that will give them reasons to what life is and more understanding of the world. Bokononism allowed the people to find the purpose of life.
Seeing as how I found nothing to say during that "interesting" Socratic Circle on Wednesday, I must comment on these blogs. I really enjoyed your analysis and use of different quotes from the text here. Your first example, speaking of the art and how "It means whatever it means," was particularly interesting because it really is so abstract and somewhat meaningless, but it could be taken as a billion different meanings. Another thing I like is how you pointed out the cat's cradle and how it depicts neither a cat, nor a cradle. It is such an abstract activity that is so simple and seems meaningless, but once again, if you look deeper there can be so much more meaning, depending on how you look at it that moment. The only thing that I think you should look at again is the prompt of this particular blog, because we were supposed to find ways to reflect Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle back to postmodernism and what we have learned about the subject. I feel your examples could relate the novel to postmodernism; however, you did not really elaborate on postmodernism at all, besides a brief mentioning of “modern.” But I did really enjoy your examples and analysis.
ReplyDeleteHe y Choua! Anyways, good blog posting. The Socratic circle really helped me too, in understanding Cat’s Cradle. I never thought about that quote that you used “It means whatever it means.” This quote really makes sense into the postmodernism times. I also liked how you just didn’t state it, but you went into great depth about it. Well, at least good depth into it. Also, another thing I overlooked was what you wrote about Angela and her clarinet playing. Again, I never tied in her playing into postmodernism, but the way you explained your idea about it sort of persuaded me into realizing how it could be related to postmodernism as well. The quote about how the X’s do not form anything is definitely postmodernism. It presents a good deal of individualism within one’s mind. As you said, anyone will look for the meanings within something that might not even mean anything to simply find the purpose in life. You did a really good job relating Cat’s Cradle to postmodernism, but like what Kayla said, you didn’t really go into what postmodernism really meant. Postmodernism wasn’t really clear and concise, thus making it hard to see that your examples are part of postmodernism. You just simply stated that it rejected modernist’s ideals of rationality and a central point. But what does that really mean? However, good job finding parts of the texts within Cat’s Cradle to support postmodernism.
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