History Writing In Cat’s Cradle

Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle tells us a story that the world is destroyed by the product of high technology—ice-9.From the perspective of history writing,this thesis discloses the social ideology,characters features,and the controlling power hidden behind the literature text.According to that,this thesis shows the intimate relationship between the real history and the fictional plots.It also proves the author’s reflection of history and revolt to the reality and the author’s humanistic care.This thesis is composed of the introduction,the body and the conclusion.The first part introduces the features of Cat’s Cradle,literature review at abroad and home and the explanation of history writing.The body part includes three chapters.The first chapter analyzes the history writing on social ideology.It shows the author is discontent with social environment in that area.By the close reading of the novel,it is easy to find that the conflicts between America and the Soviet Union in the cold war,the Great Depression,and the increasingly serious environmental problems disturb Vonnegut deeply.The second chapter analyzes the history writing on the characters.With the drastic change of the society and the rapid development of technology,people’s minds also begin to change as well as their relationship with each other.Depravity and alienation become the common features of people in that age.Vonnegut worries about that.The narrator of the novel,the Hoenikker family,and the residents of the island of St.Lorenzo completely represent people’s mental condition then.The third chapter analyzes the history writing on the controlling power.It shows the author’s revolt of reality.After the Second World War,America begins to implement the hegemony policy in order to be the most powerful country of the world from the political and cultural aspects.Vonnegut skillfully satirizes such behaviors.At last,Vonnegut shows that people can get out of the postmodern plight only by breaking through the absurdity and lies.The final part reaches the conclusion that Vonnegut shows his revolt of history and the humanistic spirit by re-presenting social ideology,the characters feature,and the controlling power hidden behind the literature text.