Cat’s Cradle

Cat’s Cradle

by

Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Two weeks after sending his letter to John, Newt wrote to Frank about his new girlfriend, Zinka. She is a Ukrainian midget, who eventually went to the Russian embassy seeking to go back home; she found Americans “too materialistic.”
John later realizes that Zinka was a Soviet spy, tasked with obtaining the ice-nine technology from Newt. She is thus emblematic of the Cold War atmosphere of paranoia, deception, and imminent destruction.
Themes
Science and Morality Theme Icon