Postmodern Paradoxes In Cat's Cradle

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) is one of the most important postmodernist writers in the contemporary American literature history. Cat's Cradle (1963) gains him fame as a serious writer, and his masterpiece Slaughterhouse Five (1969) makes him a prestigious representative black humorist. During his nearly fifty years'writing career, he has by far produced fourteen novels, two collections of short stories and three volumes of non-fictional writings. Deeply concerned with human fate, Vonnegut takes to the form of science fiction to write freely without being confined to time and space. Black humor allows him to combine absurdity with reality in his criticism of the problematic society and his warning of possible crisis confronting human race. His keen language, insightful thoughts, bold experiment and profound postmodern writing techniques turn him into both a complicated postmodernist writer and a realist who attach his fate closely to that of the masses. The contradictory dual identities within him stimulate him to produce works of varied styles (Luo Xiaoyun 1). The paradox within Vonnegut is obvious in one of his best works—Cat's Cradle, which Peter. J. Reed claims as Vonnegut's first postmodern novel. As an apocalypse of the postmodern society, this book reveals various paradoxes and absurdity of people and the society, and Vonnegut's concern with human fate via postmodern games, irony, black humor and many other postmodern techniques.This thesis aims at analyzing Vonnegut's dexterous employment of paradox in the perspectives of tone, character and theme, thus displaying Vonnegut's unique writing style and audacious experimentation in writing techniques, and revealing his strong sense of responsibility and deep concerns over human race.The thesis is divided into three parts. The introductory part includes major literature reviews on Vonnegut and his works, especially on Cat's Cradle, a brief explanation of paradox in the context of postmodern society, and a brief introduction of the major chapters in the thesis. Chapter One deals with paradox in tone. As a black humorist, Vonnegut's language is both sharp and funny. His wise use of verbal play, ambiguity, indeterminacy and irony help create a unique tone that is mild and indifferent on one hand, fierce and painful on the other hand.Chapter Two illustrates paradox in characterization. As is known, neither great heroes nor sheer villains are displayed in Vonnegut's works. The narrator Jonah is both a wise observer and a fallen soul driven by his desire for beauty and power. Dr. Felix Hoenniker is as innocent as a child, yet evil enough as to know nothing about sin and morality. Bokonon plays the role of religious saint to comfort people on one hand, and then conspires to fool and kill them on the other hand. Dr. Hoenikker's three kids are all physically or mentally deformed persons in a way, but they are also in pursuit of art, music and science. The paradox in character best illustrates the paradox that underlies the absurdity of postmodern society.Chapter Three discusses paradox in theme. Vonnegut resents institutions in all forms, yet he attempts to build a utopia on the fictional island. While ruthlessly whipping governmental dictatorship, immoral scientific research and religious deceit that are responsible for the deconstruction of the world, Vonnegut takes a positive stand to culture evolution brought about by scientific development and prefers the moral aspect of religion. Though deeply disappointed by reality, Vonnegut does not deny it all; instead, he looks into its better sides and into its future as a better world.The conclusion sums up the whole thesis, restating the employment of paradox and its effect in Cat's Cradle, and calling for further studies on Vonnegut and the text.