Postmodernism in Cat's Cradle

Well.... Here we go again.

Within Vonnegut's first seven chapters, he uses a few main postmodernism theories/styles. The first was pointed out to me in class; in postmodernism, the idea of one universal truth no longer exists because the world is fractured and one ideology may fit one person, but it may not necessarily fit another. The idea of searching for one total truth is unreasonable-"such investigations are bound to be incomplete" (4). Vonnegut makes a point to say that there is no universal truth, and even "All of the true things...are shameless lies" (5). This idea of the lack of a universal truth is very postmodern-nothing can be held to the highest degree and be above all truths, the ultimate knowledge that gives way to all other knowledge. The second is the failure of science as a complete discourse; Frank Hoenikker, a symbol of pure science, is socially inept because he relies solely on science. His actions towards his children and job, how his daughter even thought of her father as a third child, how he asked innocently "What is sin?" (17), continues to demonstrate his lack of a grand narrative. Pure science is science for the sake of science, to find out something for no apparent reason. Without looking for a reason, like finding a cure for a type of cancer, there is no narrative, no reason for that line of science. Therefore, it is a mirconarrative, disconnected from the wider world. Thirdly, Vonnegut's writing style is very typical for a postmodernist book. Sporadic, random, and resembling the thought process, it leaves the reader to sort out the information given as important, important for later understanding, or as "what the heck am I supposed to do with this?"

So that is postmodernism in Cat's Cradle... I bet I missed something very obvious.