Cat's Cradle | Themes & Symbolism

Cat's Cradle Significant Topics

Mankind's Greed and Destructiveness

A major theme of Cat's Cradle is the innate destructiveness and greed of humankind. While all humans suffer from these flaws, Americans are portrayed as especially greedy and destructive. This is illustrated in many ways. All of the playful inventions of the scientists at the Research Laboratory of General Forge and Foundry are turned to destructive purposes. Nuclear energy is used to make a hydrogen bomb that devastates the residents of two Japanese cities. There is little wonder, since General Forge and Foundry is essentially a huge munitions factory. The residents of San Lorenzo, who symbolize the entire third world, are financially exploited by everyone who should protect them, including their employers and the Roman Catholic Church.

The invention of Ice-nine perfectly illustrates man's innate destructiveness. A Marine general makes a casual suggestion that Dr. Hoenikker eliminate mud, because the Marines are tired of slogging through it for the last...
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