Cat’s Cradle

Cat’s Cradle

by

Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle: Chapter 98 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
John witnesses the last rites, administered by Dr. Koenigswald—who is not completely sure how they go. Even though he’s a scientist, he says “I will do anything to make a human being feel better, even if it’s unscientific.” Dr. Koenigswald gets into position to perform boko-maru with “Papa”.
Here, Koenigswald expresses a relatively noble sentiment towards alleviating the suffering of others. The only problem is, he used to be a Nazi physician. Just like every other moment in the novel in which there seems to be a move towards a moral position, it’s undercut by the absurdism of the situation.
Themes
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Religion Theme Icon
Absurdity and Meaninglessness Theme Icon