Cat’s Cradle

Cat’s Cradle

by

Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle: Chapter 121 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
John and Mona can’t see any sign of Bokonon. John is outraged at the “gall of the man.” Mona laughs, saying that “it’s all so simple.” She asks if John would wish any of the dead people to be alive again. She touches her finger to the ground, raises it to her lips, and dies.
Mona doesn’t share John’s outrage. She essentially points to the meaninglessness of life as a cosmic joke, and takes that as instruction for her to join the other suicides.
Themes
Religion Theme Icon
Absurdity and Meaninglessness Theme Icon
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 not to worry as he is with “mom” now. He leans on her with “deep, idiotic relief.”
It transpires that there were other survivors. John, shaken by events, is relieved to be comforted, even if it is in a “deep” and “idiotic” way.
Themes
Absurdity and Meaninglessness Theme Icon