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Chapter 20
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. Breed hands out chocolate bars to the Girl Pool. He then returns to the subject of ice-nine, asking John to envisage a scenario in which a Marine could carry a capsule of the ice-nine seed. If he were to throw it into a puddle, the pools and streams connected to it would freeze, says Dr. Breed. “The United States marines would rise from the swamp and march on!” he exclaims.
Readers following the logic of Dr. Breed’s explanation will quickly realize the potential damage ice-nine could cause, which John outlies in the next chapter. Though ice-nine might seem like a smart solution to a fairly minor problem, its ability to “infect” water with solidity has serious consequences. Dr. Breed’s comment is nationalistic and narrow-minded.
Themes
