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Chapter 29
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
John wipes 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 hand). John discovers that Dr. Hoenikker’s memorial is actually nearby, and is just a “marble cube forty centimetres on each side.”
Dr. Hoenikker’s memorial is comically small, reflecting the fact that he did not feel responsible for the way in which his scientific developments were used. He is, in a way, written out of history, at least in terms of being responsible for its shape.
Themes
