Cat's Cradle Summary
Kurt Vonnegut

Cat's Cradle Overview

Cat’s Cradle is a satirical science fiction novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut. In this novel, narrator and protagonist John (calling himself Jonah) is an author whose circumstances lead him to meet the children of Felix Hoenikker, a physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb. John learns about a deadly substance called “Ice-nine” that is secretly in the possession of the Hoenikker children. While on the fictional island of San Lorenzo, John witnesses an accidental leakage of Ice-nine into the ocean which kills almost all life in a matter of days. Cat’s Cradle explores themes of free will, man’s relationship with technology, religion, and the threat of nuclear destruction. NOTE: This Lesson Plan is based on the Kindle version of Cat’s Cradle, published November 4, 2009.