Symbolism In Cat's Cradle

Cat’s Cradle is the story of a man’s life leading up to his discovery of the religion Bokononism and the end of the world. He shares with us the specific terminology used by Bokononists and what their meanings are, as well as real world connection to Bokononism. This real world connection to Bokononism is what becomes the ultimate point of the story: the hope of changing one’s perspective and how one copes with oneself and the hopelessness of life and existence. Cat’s Cradle is the story of a man named John, his discovery of the fictitious religion Bokononism, and the hidden meaning therein he leaves for us to decipher. Everyone in the book Cat’s Cradle belongs to a Karass, the meaning of which is a group of people who act together to do God’s will, whether they realize it or not (Pg. 12-13). John, who is a Christian for the majority of this story, shares past accounts of his time searching for his Karass. During his search, John is unaware of what he is searching for, as he has yet to even discover Bokononism or it’s terminology. His search leads him to the island of San Lorenzo, where Bokononism was founded. He discovers that Johnson, or Bokonon as the island natives called him, had founded Bokononism there along with his partner McCabe. After their religion failed, they separated with a plan to outlaw Bokononism in …show more content…
He takes note that even though the world is ending, he and his newly found friends are still happy. Someone who follows another religion, like Christianity, may question why the world is ending, and what the true purpose of humanity was. However for Bokononists it all makes perfect sense. They know that nothing truly matters, but they stay true to their foma, which brings them happiness. John understands this, and finally we can understand the true meaning of Bokononism