Cat's Cradle

Angela appears with a man who introduces himself as Julian Castle. John asks whether Julian is a follower of Albert Schweitzer, a noted German theologian. Julian says that Schweitzer is not his role model but admits that Schweitzer influenced his view of Jesus.

John explains Newt’s painting to Julian, who agrees with its implication that life is meaningless and admits that he only mentioned Jesus as something to talk about. To prove his point that “man is vile, and man makes nothing worth making, knows nothing worth knowing” (169), he tosses the painting over the waterfall.

John asks Julian whether he is treating Papa Monzano, and Julian explains that Papa Monzano opposes his work since he administers Bokononist rites to those who are dying, including boko-maru, the touching of feet. According to Julian, everyone in San Lorenzo secretly practices Bokononism.

Julian explains that Bokonon invented his religion consisting of “better and better lies” when McCabe’s economic and legal reforms failed to help the people of San Lorenzo (172). At Bokonon’s request, McCabe outlawed Bokononism and instituted the hook as punishment to make the religion more attractive, though McCabe didn’t have anyone executed. He also periodically led unsuccessful manhunts for Bokonon.

Julian explains that the roleplay between McCabe and Bokonon did make the people happier, but it came at a price: McCabe and Bokonon began to grow into their respective roles, and McCabe even executed a few people by the hook, as does Papa Monzano.

As John, Julian, Angela, and Newt drink on the balcony, Julian speculates that Newt’s painting has been recovered by the poor villagers who live downstream and stretch a net across the water. Angela complains that her father was underpaid and underappreciated. At Newt’s suggestion, she goes to get her clarinet. He explains that her husband is unkind and unfaithful to her.

John is astounded by Angela’s musical range and expressiveness as she improvises on her clarinet to a recording of a jazz pianist. Afterward, Julian quotes a passage from The Books of Bokonon about people’s drive to seek understanding instead of simply existing as animals do. Newt compares religion to a cat’s cradle.

Frank calls John and tells him that he is keeping watch over Papa Monzano, who is dying. He asks John to stay put but refuses to say why, other than mentioning the Bokononist word, “zah-mah-ki-bo.” Julian translates the word as “fate—inevitable destiny” (184).

Over dinner, Julian reveals that Papa Monzano is dying of cancer. He mentions that McCabe named Papa Monzano his successor before shooting himself. Dr. von Koenigswald, a staff member at Julian’s hospital who tends to Papa Monzano, was a Nazi who worked in a concentration camp.

After dinner, Julian leaves. Stanley, Frank’s servant, points out landmarks around the island. Suddenly, a convoy of soldiers arrives and sets up defenses around the house, following orders to protect “the next president of San Lorenzo” (188).

The power goes out.

As Frank and Angela discuss Dr. Hoenikker’s siblings, John asks Stanley for a copy of The Books of Bokonon, which Stanley provides while denouncing the book. John reads Bokonon’s account of the origin of the solar system, in which the planets are the children of the sun and the moon, which Bokonon himself dismisses as “foma,” meaning lies.

John wakens to a series of bangs and lights as the electricity comes back on. He frantically runs to the common area, where he spots Newt and Angela, each carrying a small thermos jug containing a fragment of ice-nine, though John did not know at the time. Outside, John finds Frank operating a small electric generator, accompanied by Mona. Frank takes John aside for a chat.

Making awkward but friendly remarks, Frank leads John to his den in a cave under the waterfall. After explaining that he prefers technical, behind-the-scenes work, Frank offers John the position of president of San Lorenzo.

John asks why Frank doesn’t want to be president, and Frank explains that, like Dr. Hoenikker, he has good ideas but no talent for public speaking.

John refuses Frank’s offer and laughs at the absurdity of the situation. Frank recalls his peers making fun of him in high school, then confides that, rather than simply making models at Jack’s hobby shop, he had an affair with Jack’s wife.

In a sudden surge of inspiration, John feels drawn to Bokononism and accepts his fate to be San Lorenzo’s president. Frank admits there is one condition: John should probably marry Mona.

Frank leads Mona to the cave, and then leaves. For a moment, John is tongue-tied, but Mona offers to join him in boko-maru. Awkwardly, John removes his shoes.

A poem by John celebrates the loving connection he feels in his “soul” as the “soles” of his feet are pressed to Mona’s.

After boko-maru, John and Mona admit their love for each other, but John is upset when Mona says that she loves many people as much as she loves him since it is a principle of Bokononism to love everyone equally. John forbids her from engaging in boko-maru with anyone other than him, but Mona refuses to marry him under those conditions. John agrees to take up Bokononism.

Frank and John drive toward Papa Monzano’s castle. On the way, they pass Mount McCabe, San Lorenzo’s highest peak, which no one ever bothered to climb. Frank tells John that humankind is the only thing held sacred in Bokononism.

As they enter the heavily defended castle, John notices a hook that is reserved for killing Bokonon, should they ever be captured. John resolves to take down the hook when he is president.

John and Frank wait to see Papa Monzano alongside Dr. Vox Humana, a Christian minister with a bell, a Bible, a knife, and a chicken in a box. The minister explains that he had to create his own version of Christianity since Catholicism and Protestantism were both outlawed.

John and Frank find Papa Monzano lying in his bed, which was created from the lifeboat of the ship that brought Bokonon and McCabe to the island. As his condition worsens, Papa Monzano mentions ice but shows no interest in regular ice. He makes John promise to kill Bokonon and, together with Frank, tell the people the truth.

Papa Monzano calls for his last rites, but when Dr. Humana appears, he sends him away, saying that he is a Bokononist, not a Christian.

Dr. von Koenigswald offers to administer the Bokononist last rites to Papa Monzano even though he considers them “unscientific.”

Dr. von Koenigswald recounts the words of the Bokononist last rites, and Papa Monzano repeats them. The words describe God creating people out of mud and emphasize the privilege of living and being self-aware while looking forward to a heavenly state.