Kurt Vonnegut is one of America's greatest satirical writers. Some would consider him the king of dark humor. Cat's Cradle, a novel that showcases Vonnegut's genius, requires an open mind in order to be understood. This is because there are many meanings and points being made in Cat's Cradle. Cat's Cradle is an exploration of human stupidity and indifference and it also takes a critical stance on the world's ever increasing scientific advancements. .
The aspect of human stupidity and indifference is blatantly pointed out when the three Hoenikker children selfishly and stupidly give up their shares of ice-nine to gain love or material possessions. Even in the making of ice-nine, Hoenikker, a Nobel Prize winning physicist, shows extreme indifference towards a potentially disastrous creation. He shows the same scientific coldness towards the atom bomb as he does towards turtles. In his children's desperate scramble for an ultimate happiness, they become responsible for the death of nearly everything on earth. The children come to represent all people on earth and their search for happiness is a parody of every person's search. Although the Hoenikker family is responsible for the destruction of earth's creatures, they are innocent at their core. They are not evil by society's standards. Instead they are careless, indifferent, and selfish, which is an evil all in itself. .
Vonnegut also illustrates human indifference with the very creation of ice-nine. In a time where scientific and technological advancements are being made every day, no one seems to ever stop to think about the effects they could have on civilization. People need to stop asking, "Can we?" and start asking, "Should we?" Ice-nine was created to solve the simple problem of excess mud and resulted in mass destruction. Vonnegut wants people to realize that although science and technology bring many benefits, they have also brought upon inventions that kill and torture people.
