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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 is the title of Chapter 19?

2. How many children did Dr. Felix Hoenikker have?

3. How old was Frank Hoenikker when his father died?

4. What is the population of San Lorenzo, according to the newspaper supplement in Chapter 38?

5. What is the Bokononist term for a team that does "God's Will without ever discovering what they are doing" in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is significant about the metaphor of cannonballs in the narrative?

2. What aspects of Dr. Hoenikker's character are revealed through Dr. Breed's stories of him in Chapter 14?

3. What irony can be found in Dr. Breed's discussions of superstition in Chapters 16-18?

4. What is the significance of the literary/religious allusion in the opening of Chapter 1?

5. How does Newt Hoenikker describe his interaction with his father on the day the atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima?

6. What is ironic about the scientific work done for the military at the General Forge and Foundry Company?

7. What statements does the author make about nihilism in Chapter 36?

8. Describe the narrative style of Cat's Cradle. Why do you think the author employs this style?

9. What is significant about Frank's action of staging bug fights in Chapter 6?

10. How is Dr. Felix Hoenikker's personality described in Cat's Cradle?

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

Describe and analyze the character of Newt Hoenikker in the novel. What information does Newt relate to John via letters? How does John perceive Newt when they finally meet? What are Newt's relationships like with his siblings?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the narrative style of Cat's Cradle. From whose perspective is the narrative related? Why do you think the author chose to relate the narrative in this style? How would the narrative differ if it were related from a different narrative perspective?

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