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Chapter 37
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 learns from the supplement that San Lorenzo is a small island with a population of around half a million. It is “fiercely dedicated to the ideals of the free world,” and apparently considered by sports fishermen to be “the barracuda capital of the world.” John reads an essay by “Papa” Monzano that outlines the “Master Plan” (a great infrastructure project), and makes references to Frank as the “blood son of Dr. Felix Hoenikker.”
The write-up in the magazine develops the idea of San Lorenzo as a mirror holding reflecting Western ideals. In a way, it is an experiment in what those ideals mean if reduced from the indicators (social and economic) that are usually held up as proof of their success. The “Master Plan” has both an ominous and an absurdist ring to it.
Themes
