The novel Cat's Cradle was published in 1963, the year of the Bay of
             Pigs invasion. It was the height of the Cold War, and most Americans lived
             in fear of a fiery nuclear apocalypse. However, the author presents an
             alternative apocalypse, one of the "great door of heaven being closed
             softly" (261). In this novel, Vonnegut presents a different but equally
             terrifying end - a world encased in frozen ice.
             One of the novel's themes is how human irresponsibility can contribute
             to this icy end. Though Vonnegut himself warned that much of the novel
             consists of strange plot twists and coincidences, the strength Cat's Cradle
             lies in its richly drawn characters. Throughout the novel, Vonnegut
             presented characters whose irresponsibility helped bring much of life on
             This novel examines how Vonnegut uses the main and minor characters in
             Cat's Cradle to reflect on the consequences of human irresponsibility.
             John, who calls himself "Jonah," acts as the novel's narrator. The
             reader is told of John's cynicism through other characters. His ex-wife,
             for example, paints him as "too pessimistic" (77). John is also content to
             believe in the concept of vin-dit. Because this Bokononist concept places
             God at the guiding helm of one's life, belief in vin-dit can also be read
             as a refusal to take responsibility for one's actions. Even when he
             recognizes the emptiness of Bokononism, John still decides to continue the
             religion's charade. By doing so, he indirectly contributes to the death of
             thousands of Bokononist followers towards the end of the novel, when many
             San Lorenzans commit suicide out of faith and despair. However, John is
             also effectively used as a foil to highlight the irresponsibility of the
             novel's other characters. For example, when Angela complains about her
             father being unfairly compensated for his work, John points out the
             selfishness of this statement in l...