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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What word refers to the instrument that brings a person into his "team" in the beliefs of Bokononists?
2. What was the name of Remington Rumfoord's steam yacht that he traveled the world in with Bokonon?
3. What does John say in Chapter 32 "is what we Bokononists whisper whenever we think of how complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is"?
4. John cites Bokonon in Chapter 31 as having said, "Peculiar travel suggestions are" what?
5. Where was Bokonon born?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does John discover about San Lorenzo from the advertising supplement in the newspaper in Chapter 37?
2. How is Miss Pefko characterized in the novel?
3. How is the character of Sherman Krebbs used as a means to satire in the novel?
4. How does Newt Hoenikker describe his interaction with his father on the day the atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima?
5. What statement do you think that Vonnegut is making in regards to politics and science in Cat's Cradle?
6. How does Bokononism influence the language style of the novel?
7. What irony is revealed in Dr. Breed's assessments of Ilium's history in Chapter 13?
8. How is the theory of "Dynamic Tension" described in Chapter 47?
9. Describe the narrative style of Cat's Cradle. Why do you think the author employs this style?
10. What aspects of Dr. Hoenikker's character are revealed through Dr. Breed's stories of him in Chapter 14?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the language style of Cat's Cradle. What are examples of fictional words from The Books of Bokonon, and what do they mean? Discuss the philosophy behind this religion. How does this religion impact the novel's language style?
Essay Topic 2
Discuss the theme of religion in Cat's Cradle. How is contemporary Christian religion assessed by the author? How do the tenets of Bokononism compare with those of Christianity? What does Vonnegut make of religion as a whole?
Essay Topic 3
Discuss the theme of mankind's greed and destructiveness in Cat's Cradle. How does Vonnegut develop this theme through character, setting, symbolism, and imagery? How is the theme developed through the action of the plot? What outcome does he present in this regard?
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This section contains 938 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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