Outside Reading: Cat's Cradle #3

     Where I am now in Cat's Cradle (page 216) the story has taken a turn to a place I didn't expect it to go. The main character, who is the narrator, has agreed to become the next President of San Lorenzo, and it seems that he will have a brand new life ahead of him. Before all of this happens, though, Vonnegut cleverly places a few bits of philosophical advice throughout the book, and I did my best to recognize them and try to determine their meaning.
     From what I have gathered, much of what Bokonon, the leader of Bokononism and in some ways the father of all San Lorenzan tradition, teaches in his holy books is a lie. In fact, he tells the reader that he is lying in his books, which confused me at first. However, as the story went on and I learned that Bokonon being a religious leader was a lie, along with his rivalry with the island's previous leader, McCabe, it all started coming together. What Bokonon was trying to say was that people such as the San Lorenzans who otherwise have little to live for can be made happy by being fed lies, which is supported later in by Julian Castle in his recollection of stories of the fake drama in San Lorenzo devised by Bokonon and McCabe. This idea tied together as well with Newton Hoenikker's discussion with the author about the deception of the Cat's Cradle knot. He points out that there is neither a cat nor a cradle in the knot, and yet it still brings happiness to many children.
     The ideas that these lies bring happiness reminded me immediately of Romanticism. Though Romanticism doesn't necessarily deal with lies, it does embrace imagination and all good things that come from it. There were some other things in this reading that connected with Romanticism as well, such as the focus on Mona, who is a symbol of beauty and perfection, and the tropical setting of San Lorenzo, which the author chooses to describe as before in great detail.
     Vonnegut introduces a man when the narrator arrives at his hotel named Phillip Castle, son of the extremely successful Julian Castle. Phillip has a sharp wit, and often says things that are very philosophical. For these reasons, I found a strong connection between Phillip and Henry from "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," by Robert Edwin Lee. As with Henry, Phillip's comments question people and society for what they are perceived to be, making the reader think. Though Phillip isn't necessarily a Transcendentalist like Henry, I still found several similarities between these two characters.
     Another story we've read in class that I've found similarities with is "Thanatopsis," by William Byrant. Much of what Bokonon teaches in his religion is related to interconnectedness between people as well as destiny. In "Thanatopsis," the author basically argues that we are all destined to die and be buried in the earth, and that since this is the fate of everyone, we are all connected in this way. Though the destinies represented by "Thanatopsis" and Cat's Cradle are not the same, the idea of interconnectedness between people present in these destinies is significant in both pieces.
     As it stands, the end of the book could hold anything. I certainly did not expect for the protagonist to become the president of San Lorenzo, nor did I expect the entire story of Bokonon to be a fraud, so I'm hesitant to make any assumptions about what is to come.