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Chapter 55
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 reads about Bokonon and McCabe’s arrival on San Lorenzo. At the time, the locals were destitute and disease-ridden. Before their arrival, the island was a sugar colony under the authority of Philip Castle’s grandfather. San Lorenzo did not have any effective system of governance.
San Lorenzo, though fictional, has a history that is not out of keeping with its neighboring islands. As with those nations, its history represents a tussle between different world powers (which might explain its current state).
Themes
