Bokononism In Cat's Cradle

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In many times of struggle, or utter despair people will grasp religion, to bring them a sense of comfort and peace. In Vonnegut's novel, Cat's Cradle, San Lorenzo’s residents do just that. The citizens associate themselves with a made up religion called Bokononism, they look to Bokononism to guide them through their day, and the inescapable end of the world. Bokononism is everything but a typical religion, however, it still gives its followers a sense of serenity and will to live. Bokononism flourishes on San Lorenzo; the island it was created. However it is outlawed by its Totalitarian government, threatening to punish its devout and secretive followers. Though Bokononism is nonsensical, it still creates a purpose similar to a “real” religion, …show more content…
In Jonah’s book, he includes the first passage from the Books of Bokonon “All of the true things I’m about to tell you are shameless lies” (4). This one sentence sets a base on what Bokononism is actually about. Bokononism is a religion founded on false truths, there is an actual words for these false truths; Foma, meaning: Harmless truths. Much like an actual religion, Bokononism has its practices. Bokononist practice boko-maru, which is where two individuals in a karass touch the heels of their feet, connecting their souls. This is a Bokononists way of making love. Bokononist also believe in a karass, which is a group of individuals who are connected in some way, to carry out what God wants. In the story Jonah mentions his karass many times, the members in his karass are the Hoenikker children, and Dr. Hoenikker himself (but he is long dead) all of them are connected through one thing; ice-Nine. Ice-nine also happens to be the end of San Lorenzo. Dr. Hoenikker is known as one of the “fathers” of the first atomic bombs, he was also the father of Ice-nine, a destructive, world ending weapon that would be the end of the tiny island of San Lorenzo. Dr. Hoenikker was technically a mass murderer, he helped create one of the bombs dropped on Japan in the second World War. Murderers typically aren’t compared to any godly
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