Cat’s Cradle

Cat’s Cradle

by

Kurt Vonnegut

Dr. Asa Breed Character Analysis

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 believes in “pure research”—the acquisition of knowledge for knowledge’s sake—and is a devotee of science as an engine for human progress. Dr. Breed is the source from which John learns about ice-nine, thought Dr. Breed doesn’t realize that Dr. Hoenikker succeeded in synthesizing the material. He gets annoyed with John for suggesting that science is in anyway morally culpable for the way its technologies are put to use by humankind.

Dr. Asa Breed Quotes in Cat’s Cradle

The Cat’s Cradle quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Asa Breed or refer to Dr. Asa Breed. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Science and Morality Theme Icon
).
Chapter 18 Quotes

“Here, and shockingly few other places in this country, men are paid to increase knowledge, to work toward no end but that.”

“That’s very generous of General Forge and Foundry Company.”

“Nothing generous about it. New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.”

Had I been a Bokononist then, that statement would have made me howl.

Related Characters: John (speaker), Dr. Asa Breed (speaker)
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

“If the streams flowing through the swamp froze as ice-nine, what about the rivers and lakes the streams fed?”

“They’d freeze. But there is no such thing as ice-nine.”

“And the oceans the frozen rivers fed?”

“They’d freeze, of course,” he snapped. “I sup­pose you’re going to rush to market with a sensational story about ice-nine now. I tell you again, it does not exist!”

“And the springs feeding the frozen lakes and streams, and all the water underground feeding the springs?”

“They’d freeze, damn it!” he cried. “But if I had known that you were a member of the yellow press,” he said grandly, rising to his feet, “I wouldn’t have wasted a minute with you!”

“And the rain?”

“When it fell, it would freeze into hard little hob­ nails of ice-nine—and that would be the end of the world! And the end of the interview, too! Good-bye!”

Related Characters: John (speaker), Dr. Asa Breed (speaker), Dr. Felix Hoenikker
Related Symbols: Ice-Nine
Page Number: 49-50
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 51 Quotes

“I might as well tell you,” Angela said to me, “Dr. Breed told me I wasn’t supposed to co-operate with you. He said you weren’t interested in giving a fair picture of Father.” She showed me that she didn’t like me for that.

I placated her some by telling her that the book would probably never be done anyway, that I no longer had a clear idea of what it would or should mean.

“Well, if you ever do do the book, you better make Father a saint, because that’s what he was.”

Related Characters: Angela Hoenikker (speaker), Newt Hoenikker (speaker), Dr. Felix Hoenikker, Dr. Asa Breed
Page Number: 112
Explanation and Analysis:
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Dr. Asa Breed Quotes in Cat’s Cradle

The Cat’s Cradle quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Asa Breed or refer to Dr. Asa Breed. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Science and Morality Theme Icon
).
Chapter 18 Quotes

“Here, and shockingly few other places in this country, men are paid to increase knowledge, to work toward no end but that.”

“That’s very generous of General Forge and Foundry Company.”

“Nothing generous about it. New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.”

Had I been a Bokononist then, that statement would have made me howl.

Related Characters: John (speaker), Dr. Asa Breed (speaker)
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

“If the streams flowing through the swamp froze as ice-nine, what about the rivers and lakes the streams fed?”

“They’d freeze. But there is no such thing as ice-nine.”

“And the oceans the frozen rivers fed?”

“They’d freeze, of course,” he snapped. “I sup­pose you’re going to rush to market with a sensational story about ice-nine now. I tell you again, it does not exist!”

“And the springs feeding the frozen lakes and streams, and all the water underground feeding the springs?”

“They’d freeze, damn it!” he cried. “But if I had known that you were a member of the yellow press,” he said grandly, rising to his feet, “I wouldn’t have wasted a minute with you!”

“And the rain?”

“When it fell, it would freeze into hard little hob­ nails of ice-nine—and that would be the end of the world! And the end of the interview, too! Good-bye!”

Related Characters: John (speaker), Dr. Asa Breed (speaker), Dr. Felix Hoenikker
Related Symbols: Ice-Nine
Page Number: 49-50
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 51 Quotes

“I might as well tell you,” Angela said to me, “Dr. Breed told me I wasn’t supposed to co-operate with you. He said you weren’t interested in giving a fair picture of Father.” She showed me that she didn’t like me for that.

I placated her some by telling her that the book would probably never be done anyway, that I no longer had a clear idea of what it would or should mean.

“Well, if you ever do do the book, you better make Father a saint, because that’s what he was.”

Related Characters: Angela Hoenikker (speaker), Newt Hoenikker (speaker), Dr. Felix Hoenikker, Dr. Asa Breed
Page Number: 112
Explanation and Analysis: