Challenged Opinions: A Response to Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle

Annie Wyman
English IV/Cat’s Cradle Essay
Mr. O’Brien
7 March 2013

Challenged Opinions

The power of literature on my own personal beliefs continues to surprise me. In reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, my opinions on religion, science and politics were challenged. The underlying theme that mostly challenged and widened my views on these topics was the significant amount of passion in which Vonnegut wrote about these three topics. I believe that  when someone writes or speaks with genuine passion, a person can be influenced in almost any way. Learning about what drives those around us can lead us to a deeper understanding of someone who we thought we knew. Opening our eyes to others’ perspectives allow us to free our souls into their passions and truly grasp their side of the story. Vonnegut speaks of science, religion and politics passionately in this novel and is why we are able to delve deeply in his opinions and believe what he is saying.
On the topic of religion, my own personal feelings were definitely challenged in reading this novel. I believe that religion is somewhat a part of my daily life, but definitely not something I center everything I do around. I feel like a spiritual person, but I am not someone deeply devoted to one god or one religion. Although these are my beliefs, I am widely accepting of those who do center their lives around a god or some form of religion. Vonnegut writes about Bokonism in Cat’s Cradle and this was one taste of a very passionate religion where one must be extremely devout in order to follow its practices. The way Bokonon lead his people was in a very charismatic way which, in turn, drove his people to feel he was the divine leader. This kind of passion is what we see drives those around us. For many, religion is their passion in life and keeps them going throughout each and every day. Bokonon gave his people hope and a passionate example for a positive way to lead their lives. By following his teachings, the disciples of Bokonism found a passionate way to go about life. My beliefs on religion were challenged in such that I was able to see a group of people blindly follow a certain ‘god’ or leader. To me, it felt like these followers were somewhat ignorant of their practices. This is a very  biased opinion, of course, because religion is not the driving force in my life. I believe it is necessary for many people to follow or believe in some higher being or power in order to set a moral code for oneself. However, I also believe that one should not follow one god or practice blindly and solely focus on that thing alone. It is important to be aware of your surroundings and be open to evolution and change.
Science is another extremely debatable subject in this day of age. We are seeing more and more that science is a driving force in peoples’ lives. Individuals rely heavily, and sometimes entirely, on the science and facts of things alone. People forget to think for themselves instead of simply learning the facts and sticking to those alone. In consuming one’s life in science alone, a person could lose their knack and instinct for creativity. Basing one’s belief system solely on the science of things can greatly hinder their overall outlook on life. I think it is important to know the facts but then also extract your own beliefs from those facts. You can choose what to believe and practice for your own self. Drawing your own conclusions and continuing to question what’s out there will help a person find their passion and a driving force in life.
Politics are an important part of life - but definitely should not be the center of all life. It is easy to get caught up in the politics of things, but this is not a healthy way to live life. Vonnegut takes an interesting approach to politics, but is not necessarily what I agree with. Staying informed with the current events is what helps a person be a part of a community and identify their place in a community. Deciding your stance on politics and what you believe, may take time, but it’s also how you find your place in life.
In conclusion, Vonnegut’s writing in this novel challenged, but ultimately widened, my beliefs on the topics of religion, science and politics. I think it’s important to find what you’re passionate in but that it’s more important to not let that passion be the sole purpose you live your life. Finding other things you’re interested in can help a person find their place in a community. It is easy to let our passions define us, but there is more to every human being than what they’re passionate about. As citizens of this earth, finding our place is a comforting feeling and we can often do this by finding what we are passionate about.