Cat’s Cradle

Cat’s Cradle

by

Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle: Chapter 48 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
John reads about Bokonon’s life. He was born in 1891, was originally an “Episcopalian and a British subject on the island of Tobago.” He came from a wealthy family and was christened “Lionel Boyd Johnson.” He did well at school; that said, the fourteenth calypso from The Books of Bokonon details a taste for hedonism in his early days.
The title of this chapter, as with many others, is highly ironic: Saint Augustine is one of the central figures in the growth of Christianity. Similarly, he had a taste for “the flesh” in his youth.
Themes
Religion Theme Icon
Absurdity and Meaninglessness Theme Icon