Honestly, I think Cat's Cradle is still somewhat confusing on some different levels. I still do not understand what the MAIN point is in a way, but anyways here goes my blog.
Postmodernism, the way I understand it, is something that is not really understandable, if you can understand what I just wrote. But it is something that is debated a lot about because there are different theories as to what it truly can be. In the article of Lyotard and Postmodernism, it states that ““Postmodernism”- whatever it is- is an attempt to make sense of what is going on now- and we can see the present clearly only in retrospect.” According to Ihab Hassan in the same article, postmodernism is an “anitform,” “anarchy,” something left to “chance,” “dispersal,” and focused on what is “happening,” just to list a few. Postmodern theories are completely going against modern theories where there are centers and purposes to everything.
The one example that clearly stands out to me as a postmodern act is the chapters that follow Newt’s painting. According to the article, “postmodernists often create, compose, or paint entirely by chance… to create non-art or anti- art.” In “Cat’s Cradle,” Jonah finds Newt asleep beside his painting of something “small and black and warty. It consisted of scratches made in black, gummy impasto” (164). This “painting” of his definitely follows a non- traditional art form. As Newt, Jonah, Julian Castle, and Angela all look upon the painting, they all come up with their own ideas as to what the painting is of and their own criticisms. It is the “dispersal” of ideas and own views; there is not a central theme as to what the painting is. In a modernist view, the painting would have to have a central meaning as to the purpose of the painting and why it was composed.
With religion in “Cat’s Cradle,” there is not a central religion per se. The two religions that do occur are Christianity and the made up religion of “Bokonism.” In the Books of Bokonism it warns its readers by saying “All of the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies” (5). Obviously, there is no true center of religion because there is a choice of one religion over the other. Within Bokonism it is even a broken center, a center that should be based on truths but clearly based on all lies. This is evidence of postmodern theories.
