Cat’s Cradle Character Analysis

John

John is the novel’s narrator and a kind of everyman. The story is told retrospectively, with John initially setting out to write a book about what important Americans were doing on the day that the… read analysis of John

Bokonon / Lionel Boyd Johnson

Bokonon is a mysterious figure of great influence. John learns that everyone on San Lorenzo practices Bokonon’s invented religion—Bokononism—despite it being officially outlawed. It is a religion founded on foma: lies that bring comfort… read analysis of Bokonon / Lionel Boyd Johnson

Dr. Felix Hoenikker

Dr. Felix Hoenikker is no longer alive at the time of the book’s writing, but his influence on proceedings is unrivalled. He is portrayed as an ingenious scientific mind chronically lacking in human empathy. From… read analysis of Dr. Felix Hoenikker

Frank Hoenikker

Frank is Dr. Hoenikker’s eldest son. John’s research tells him that Frank was considered a reclusive child. Initially, nobody knows where Frank has been since the day of his father’s funeral. It transpires… read analysis of Frank Hoenikker

Angela Hoenikker

Angela is Dr. Hoenikker’s daughter. Like her brother Frank, she uses ice-nine—a chip of which the three children divided up on the day their father died—for personal gain. In her case, she… read analysis of Angela Hoenikker

Newt Hoenikker

Newton “Newt” Hoenikker is the youngest of Dr. Hoenikker’s children and is described as a “midget.” He is hoodwinked by another midget (and Soviet spy), Zinka, into giving up the ice-nine technology—which John… read analysis of Newt Hoenikker

Dr. Schlichter von Koenigswald

Dr. Koenigswald is an employee of Julian Castle's and works at San Lorenzo's only hospital: The House of Hope and Mercy in the Jungle. Julian Castle explains to John that Dr. Koenigswald was a physician… read analysis of Dr. Schlichter von Koenigswald

“Papa” Monzano

“Papa” Monzano is the aging dictator who rules over San Lorenzo. He gives Frank Hoenikker a position as his right-hand man in exchange for the ice-nine technology. Ultimately, his actions are the final link in… read analysis of “Papa” Monzano

Mona Aamons Monzano

Mona is the most beautiful woman on San Lorenzo, and John practically falls in love with her as soon as he sees her picture. She is the daughter of a Finnish architect who made some… read analysis of Mona Aamons Monzano

Julian Castle

Julian Castle is an inhabitant of San Lorenzo. He made millions early in life and lived a rebellious, hedonistic lifestyle. At age forty, Julian built the island’s only hospital, the House of Hope and Mercy… read analysis of Julian Castle

Philip Castle

Philip Castle is Julian Castle’s son and lives on San Lorenzo. He is the author of the only (relatively) academic text about the island, from which John learns a lot about its history. He… read analysis of Philip Castle

H. Lowe Crosby

Crosby is a red-faced American patriot whom John first meets on the plane to San Lorenzo. Crosby is going there with his wife, Hazel, to set up a new bicycle factory, principally because he… read analysis of H. Lowe Crosby

Horlick Minton

John meets Horlick Minton on the plane to San Lorenzo. Minton is due to become the new American ambassador to San Lorenzo and is married to Claire. He is generally world-weary and delivers an… read analysis of Horlick Minton

Zinka

Zinka is a Soviet spy (and midget) who has a short-lived relationship with Newt under the guise of being a Ukrainian ballet dancer. It is strongly suggested that she steals the ice-nine technology from Newt… read analysis of Zinka

Dr. Asa Breed

John meets Dr. Breed at the Research Laboratory where Dr. Hoenikker used to work. In fact, Dr. Breed was Hoenikker’s supervisor—though he insists that supervising Hoenikker was as unlikely as supervising a volcano. Dr. Breed… read analysis of Dr. Asa Breed

Minor Characters

Hazel Crosby

Hazel is H. Lowe Crosby’s wife and a motherly, America-loving middle-aged woman. She is excited that John is a Hoosier (from Indiana).

Claire Minton

Claire is Horlick Minton’s wife. She and Minton are described as “lovebirds” and seem so tightly knit that John describes them as being in a “duprass”—a karass made for two. She dies when one of the San Lorenzian aircraft crashes into the cliffs while engaging in a ceremonial fly-by.

Edward McCabe

McCabe is one of the modern founders of San Lorenzo alongside Bokonon. He was a deserter from the U.S. army and originally planned to travel to Miami, but washed ashore San Lorenzo with Bokonon. They tried to start a utopia together, which they soon realized wouldn’t work.

Harrison C. Conners

Conners is Angela’s incredibly handsome husband and president of a shady government tech company called Fabri-Tek. It’s strongly insinuated that he only married her to get access to ice-nine.

Miss Faust

Miss Faust is Dr. Asa Breed’s assistant at the research laboratory. She shows John the lab that Dr. Hoenikker used to work in. Her name is an allusion to a famous folktale in which a man sells his soul to the devil in exchange for infinite wisdom.

Miss Pefko

Miss Pefko is an administrative assistant to one of the researchers at the Research Laboratory of the General Forge and Foundry company.

Marvin Breed

Marvin is Dr. Asa Breed’s brother and works at the tombstone salesroom by the cemetery where Dr. Hoenikker is buried. He was in love with Dr. Hoenikker’s wife, Emily Hoenikker.

Emily Hoenikker

Emily Hoenikker was Dr. Hoenikker’s wife. She died giving birth to Newt.

Sherman Krebbs

Sherman Krebbs takes John’s apartment while he is away conducting research. He leaves it in a terrible state, with the cat dead too. John calls Sherman his “wrang-wrang”—a person who provides a Bokononist an example with the kind of life or avenue not to follow.

Stanley

Stanley is Frank’s servant at his home on San Lorenzo.

Dr. Vox Humana

A Christian minister who attends "Papa" Manzano as he approaches death. However, "Papa" refuses his services, as "Papa" declares himself to be a Bokonist.

Cat’s Cradle

Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle Characters