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Chapter 58
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Cat’s Cradle, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Science and Morality
Religion
Governance, Politics, and Nationhood
Absurdity and Meaninglessness
Summary
Analysis
Crosby comes over and talks drunkenly about “pissants,” whom he describes as “somebody who thinks he’s so damn smart, he can never keep his mouth shut.” His daughter once nearly married a pissant, but he “squashed him like a bug.”
Crosby is frequently drunk and belligerent and, ironically, rarely keeps his mouth shut. He represents a kind of blind patriotism, thinking only he and his country can ever be right.
Themes
As the plane nears its landing, Crosby realizes he’s heard Newt’s surname before. Newt describes Dr. Hoenikker as “the father of the atom bomb.” Crosby was thinking more about something to do with a “Russian dancer.”
Newt shows a kind of pride in describing the identity of his father—his comment conceivably makes him a sibling of the atom bomb. Considering the irresponsible handling of ice-nine by him and his other siblings, this is not far from the truth. Crosby has been keeping up with the Red Scare press.
Themes
