FROM MAD SCIENTIST TO MAD CONGREGATION: SUBVERTING TROPES IN KURT VONNEGUT’S CAT’S CRADLE (1963)
FROM MAD SCIENTIST TO MAD CONGREGATION: SUBVERTING TROPES IN KURT VONNEGUT’S CAT’S CRADLE (1963)

Summary/Abstract: This paper contends that Kurt Vonnegut's portrayal of the mad scientist in Cat's Cradle (1963) deviates from the traditional image of such figures as paragons of intellect or genius. Rather than depicting Dr. Felix Hoenikker as a nefarious genius driven by ambition, Vonnegut characterizes him as a figure of near innocence, a hapless pawn ensnared by broader political machinations. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War and the post-atomic age, Vonnegut contrasts Hoenikker's naïveté with the dangers of scientific pursuits detached from ethical considerations and subjected to external influences. This perspective challenges the conventional view of scientists as the singular sources of scientific malevolence, as exemplified by Mary Shelley's Dr. Frankenstein. Instead, Vonnegut underscores the role of larger institutions in directing scientific and technological advancements and their consequences. Interwoven with this narrative is an exploration of religious faith through Bokononism, a belief system that embraces its own falsehood and provides solace through its acceptance of falsity, offering community and a sense of belonging in a fractured world. This paradox of seeking refuge in a faith founded on illusion implies that transcending madness may require embracing a collective delusion, thus questioning traditional concepts of sanity and madness.

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