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Jake Saunders
Miss Roberts
AP Literature
21 January 2008
The Effects of Religion: Cat’s Cradle vs. Angela’s Ashes
Religion has played a tremendous role throughout the history of humanity. From ancient
times man has sought the key to the mysteries of the universe through an omnipotent being. This
desire to know God transformed over time into established organizations throughout the world.
Why is man so connected to and interested in spirituality? More importantly, what are the
effects of religion, both ancient and modern, on people today? This issue is discussed
throughout the book Cat’s Cradle, written by American author Kurt Vonnegut. In this novel, the
main character, known only as John, discusses a fictional religion known as “Bokonism” and the
effects on its followers. While John makes the irony of Bokonism obvious, those who follow
Bokonism are just as happy, if not happier, than people who choose to follow a mainstream faith.
Conversely, in his memoir Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt recollects the very real constraints of
Catholicism on his life as a boy growing up in Ireland. Growing up in a society that is
dominated by the fundamental structure of the Catholic Church, McCourt remembers the
conformity, constraint, fear, and confusion created by the institution. While one of these two
books is fiction and the other is a memoir, they both are centered on themes that explore the
effects of religion on the individual. Though the institution of Catholicism, as demonstrated in
Angela’s Ashes, coerces its followers into believing its tenets through guilt and fear of
recrimination, individuals gravitate toward the institution because of the basic human need to
share a set of beliefs and be part of a spiritual community. Kurt Vonnegut satirizes this human
phenomenon through the creation of Bokonism, which does not necessarily require its followers
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to accept specific or rigid guidelines of faith, and even relinquishes any pretentions of truth,
thereby creating a more liberating and spiritual atmosphere than Catholicism. Through both of
these literary discussions of the role of religion in a human community, we can see that
organized religion is an integral part of human survival and may bring some immediate
happiness, and yet ultimately results in suffering, constriction, and even destruction of the
faithful.
Vonnegut introduces the reader to Bokonism, a fictitious religion, on the very first page.
The narrator, known as John, describes his goal of collecting material for his proposed novel on
what notable Americans were doing the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.
John notes that when he initially began work on his novel, many years ago when he was “a much
younger man” (Vonnegut 1), he was a Christian. However, John is “Bokonist now [and] would
have been a Bokonist then, if there had been anyone to teach [him] the bittersweet lies of
Bokonon” (Vonnegut 1). Bokonists believe that “humanity is organized into [teams] that do
God’s Will without ever discovering what they are doing (Vonnegut 1). Such a team is known
as a karass. Because a Bokonist is consciously unaware of the course of God’s plan, he feels no
pressure to do anything other than lead his life. Because the course of a Bokonist’s life has been
predestined by a divine power, simply the act of living is carrying out God’s mysterious work.
While Bokonism does not forbid a follower from attempting to discover God’s work, it “simply
observes that such investigations are bound to be incomplete” (Vonnegut 3). John admits his
understanding that Bokonism is founded on lies, which are later referred to as “untruths.” In
fact, the very first lines of The Books of Bokonon state that “All of the true things I am about to
tell you are shameless lies” (Vonnegut 4). Also, the prologue of The Books of Bokonon suggests
that one should “Live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy”
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(Vonnegut n.p.). Foma refers to “harmless untruths.” It is important to note that Vonnegut does
not describe Foma as harmless lies¸ which has a negative connotation, but as untruths, which
connotatively means “stories that happen to be false.” Untruths are similar in nature to a story
that an innocent child might tell his mother. However completely outlandish, imaginative, and
fictitious the story may be, the mother will not deny the credibility of the child simply because of
his innocence and apparent sincerity. The mother will let the child believe his story, and even to
appear to believe it herself, in order to avoid crushing the child’s spirits. Though the statements
and principles of Bokonism may be basically untruthful in nature, they have a very real impact
on Bokonists.
Later, John warns the reader that “Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can
be founded on lies will not understand this book either” (Vonnegut 4). In contrast to other
worldly religions, Bokonism relinquishes any pretention of “truth.” While this would seemingly
serve to remove any plausibility that Bokonism may have had, it also acts to provide credibility.
The dismissal of truth establishes an inherent sense of honesty and a sort of open relationship
between the religion and the follower, as Bokonists are fully aware of the true nature of their
belief. This “not only reveals the seeming honesty of the religion but also advances the blurring
of truth and fiction, which are clearly blurred in the novel as well” (Caldwell). Bokonon, the
founder of Bokonism, obviously understood the basic human desire to share a set of beliefs and
identify with a group, and even mocks the dependence on it by admitting to his followers that
their identity is false. Whether Bokonists understand the falsity of the premise of their religion
does not matter, as their participation in the religion provides them with happiness no matter
what.
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Also within these first few pages, John introduces the reader to the context of the novel as
a whole and the motivation for further investigation of Bokonism. John, apparently a freelance
writer, has set out to write a book to be called The Day the World Ended. “The book was to be
an account of what important Americans had done on the day when the first atomic bomb was
dropped on Hiroshima, Japan” (Vonnegut 1). “The ensuing action of the novel deals with the
narrator’s discovery of Bokonism” (Davis 156). In an attempt to gather material for his work,
John travels to the city of Ilium, New York, to investigate “one of the so-called ‘Fathers’ of the
first atomic bomb,” (Vonnegut 4) Dr. Felix Hoenikker. To do this, John arranges an interview
with Dr. Asa Breed, who was the supervisor of Dr. Hoenikker during most of his career. Dr.
Breed informs John that a military general once asked Felix to invent a substance that would ease
passage through mud or similar substances. According to Dr. Breed, “The Marines, after almost
two-hundred years of wallowing in mud, were sick of it” (Vonnegut 31). Felix thought it was
possible to create a small seed of a new isotope of water, which he called ice-nine. If this small
seed were dropped into mud, or into any form of liquid, then all the water in the mud would
crystallize and form a solid. Thus, a potentially apocalyptic substance was spawned from the
innocent desire to avoid the insignificant difficulties presented by mud. Apparently, Dr.
Hoenikker proceeded to create ice-nine. However, “the old man … died on Christmas Eve,
having told only his children about ice-nine. His children … divided the ice-nine among
themselves” (Vonnegut 37). The concept of ice-nine and the precepts associated with it offer
irony and critique to established religion. According to William Doxey, “In Latin, ‘felix’ means
happy. ‘Hoenikker’ may be pronounced the same as ‘Hanukkah,’ which is a Jewish holiday …
celebrated for eight days. Hanukkah is marked by the exchange of gifts” (Doxey). “Hanukkah,
also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the
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rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem” (Levy). According to the Talmud, the Jews
could only find one day’s worth of oil to relight the extinguished sacred candelabrum. However,
the oil miraculously lasted for eight days; the resilience of the flame served as a symbol of the
redemptive nature of God and resulted in the tradition of lighting eight candles during Hanukkah.
The nature of Hoenikker’s name immediately establishes him as a symbol of Hanukkah itself; on
a larger scale, Hoenikker represents Judaism, and on an even larger scale, organized religion.
Vonnegut therefore offers paradoxical satire regarding the nature of Hanukkah and organized
religion; “Hoenikker’s legacy in ice-nine is that of an irresistible and destructive frigidity rather
than Hanukkah’s irrepressible and restorative warmth [flame]” (Doloff). In this case,
Hoenikker’s “gift” to humanity is ice-nine, which is potentially catastrophic to earthly life.
Because Hoenikker represents Hanukkah or organized religion, Vonnegut predicts the “gift” of
organized religion to humanity is an eventual state of destruction, and not redemption or
happiness. Vonnegut’s apocalyptic parallel between Hoenikker’s ice-nine and the connotations
of Hanukkah serves to illustrate Vonnegut’s view of the destructive nature of religion, no matter
how innocent or ignorant the source. Just as Hoenikker did not intend harm with his creation of
ice-nine, the founders and followers of organized religion did not necessarily predict the
potentially negative effect religion can have on humanity. However, Vonnegut insists that such a
negative outcome is inevitable.
John’s pursuit of information for his novel eventually leads him to the remote island of
San Lorenzo. During his flight to the island, John comes into contact with Claire and Horlick
Minton. Horlick, the United States’ ambassador to the island of San Lorenzo, has with him “the
only scholarly book ever written about San Lorenzo” (Vonnegut 71), called San Lorenzo: The
Land, the History, the People, written by Philip Castle. Upon skimming through the book, John
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discovers Bokonism and the history of its formation. Bokonism was founded by Lionel Boyd
Johnson and his companion Earl McCabe. During a boat trip to Miami, “a gale hounded the
schooner onto the rocks of San Lorenzo. The boat went down. Johnson and McCabe, absolutely
naked, managed to swim ashore” (Vonnegut 76). “Bokonon” was the pronunciation of
“Johnson” in the island’s dialect. Bokonon and McCabe, observing the current plight of the
island, sought to transform San Lorenzo into a Utopia. John later learns that when McCabe and
Bokonon took over the island, they quickly realized that no economic or legal reform would
really raise the standard of living for the island's residents. Instead of confronting this truth, they
decided to hide it, by providing the people with a religion, Bokonism, which was designed to
provide comfort (Ward). “Truth was the enemy of the people, because the truth was so terrible,
so Bokonon made it his business to provide the people with better and better lies” (Vonnegut
121-122). In order to achieve this, Bokonon founded a religion after himself. One of Bokonon’s
Calypsos describes this decision:
I wanted all things
To seem to make some sense,
So we all could be happy, yes,
Instead of tense.
And I made up lies
So that they all fit nice,
And I made this sad world
A par-a-dise. (Vonnegut 90-91)
This calypso admits the honesty of the motive behind the creation of Bokonism, even
though the substance of Bokonism is constructed of lies. This leaves room for the interpretation
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that Bokonism was a tool used to enslave the “disease[d]” (Vonnegut 87) population of San
Lorenzo in order to create a Utopia for Bokonon and McCabe. Jerome Klinkowitz writes,
however, that “Bokonism is not an opiate, nor is it irresponsible. It is not a turning away at all,
but rather an acceptance of the finite for what it is, as part of the whole truth” (Klinkowitz 173174). Because Bokonists are able to accept the “finite for what it is,” they are free to live a
happy, Bokonist lifestyle, while avoiding blind-faith. Other worldly religions attempt to dull the
reality of life by providing “opium” to their followers. While this may provide their followers
with happiness, it covers their eyes from the truth of the organization. Upon arriving on the
island of San Lorenzo, John witnesses that the idealism of McCabe and Bokonon did not
ultimately result in the improvement of living standards among the inhabitants. However, John
realizes that “people didn’t have to pay as much attention to the awful truth [of life] (Vonnegut
123) because of Bokonism. Bokonism offered an escape to the impoverished lifestyle of the
inhabitants. Vonnegut, in the style of Thomas Hobbes, admits that life on the island, or
everywhere for that matter, will always be “short and brutish and mean” (Vonnegut 123). This
belief insinuates that while Bokonists are aware of the “awful truth[s] [of life], they are able to
look beyond them to the harmless untruths of Bokonism, thus leading a happy life.
John also discovers that the founders of Bokonism decided to make their religion illegal;
an illegal religion seemed more exciting and intriguing to its followers. “Papa” Monzano, the
island’s benevolent dictator, proclaimed that San Lorenzo was to be a Christian nation in
ordinance with the wishes of Bokonon and McCabe. Upon arriving at the airport in San
Lorenzo, John observes a poster on the wall, which reads “ANYBODY CAUGHT PRACTICING
BOKONISM IN SAN LORENZO . . . WILL DIE ON THE HOOK!” (Vonnegut 95). Monzano threatens
Bokonists with torture, humiliation, and death on the “hook,” though in reality, the hook is only
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used every few years as a matter of ceremony. Despite these threats, most of the island’s
inhabitants are intensely Bokonist; it is even suggested that Monzano himself practices
Bokonism. That Bokonism’s token illegality is ignored serves to illustrate the human
dependence on the religion of a shared community. Inhabitants of the island go to great risks to
practice their religion. Though they could choose to actively participate in Christianity, as
suggested by the leaders of the island, the inhabitants persistently choose Bokonism; Bokonism
is ingrained in their culture and heritage. It would be similar to asking a Christian nation to
immediately convert to Islam. Humans are innately reluctant to give up their group identity, and
in the case of Bokonists, are willing to risk their life for continued practice.
Later, John is introduced to “Papa” Monzano and his beautiful daughter, Mona. John
instantly falls in love with Mona. John quickly retires to his hotel, where he first witnesses two
people practicing boku-maru. John learns that boku-maru is “the mingling of awarenesses”
(Vonnegut 111), or how “Bokonists mingle their souls by pressing the bottoms of their feet
together” (Vonnegut 96). Though boku-maru is highly illegal, as is the entire organization of
Bokonism, most residents of San Lorenzo participate in the ritual. In the following series of
events, “Papa” Monzano becomes ill, and John is asked to fill Monzano’s previous role of
President of the Republic of San Lorenzo; John agrees because he is promised Mona’s hand in
marriage. John’s first experience with boku-maru occurs with Mona shortly after their marriage
and is described as almost orgasmic and very similar to sex. Because of John’s Christian
background, John declares that he doesn’t want Mona to perform boku-maru with “anybody but
[him] from now on” (Vonnegut 147). However, Mona, who had not been raised with
constrictive Christian morals, angrily describes John as a sin-wat, or “A man who wants all of
somebody’s love” (Vonnegut 147) for himself. Mona continues to explain that “Bokonon tells
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us [that] it is very wrong not to love everyone exactly the same” (Vonnegut 148). Boku-maru
provides Bokonists with the freedom to express their human desires, which inherently provides
happiness. This also demonstrates the Bokonist belief that nothing is more sacred than human
love and interaction. On the other hand, other organized religions, such as Christianity, condemn
love between multiple partners, thereby restraining its followers. Bokonists are not punished for
displaying their love for one another, but are encouraged, which both liberates and spiritually
connects the members of Bokonism.
Shortly after John accepts the role of president of San Lorenzo in the wake of “Papa”
Monzano, the entire nation participates in the ceremony celebrating the Hundred Martyrs to
Democracy, a national holiday commemorating the island’s soldiers lost in WWII. John had
decided to announce his role as president to the residents of San Lorenzo during the ceremony.
During the ceremony, Monzano's physician, Dr. von Koenigswald, informs John that Monzano
has committed suicide. Upon looking at the body, John realizes that Monzano's condition could
only have been caused by swallowing ice-nine. Several hours later, John returns to the
ceremony, during which a plane crashes into the cliffs above Monzano's castle. A landslide
ensues, taking half the castle along with Monzano's ice-nine infested body into the sea. “There
was a sound like that of the gentle closing of a portal as big as the sky, the great door of heaven
being closed softly. It was a grand AH-WHOOM. I opened my eyes—and all the sea was ice-nine”
(Vonnegut 185). Tornadoes blow across the frozen earth. John and Mona rush to cover in a
nearby bomb shelter. Once the storms had eased, John and Mona begin exploring the island,
only to find the mass grave of thousands of San Lorenzians. However, it is apparent that the
deceased have not been delivered to this grave by a course of accident; the thousands of bodies
are all neatly stacked. “On the lips of each decedent was the blue-white frost of ice-nine”
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(Vonnegut 193). Therefore, it is apparent that the residents of San Lorenzo have committed a
mass suicide by ingesting ice-nine. Upon further investigation, Mona and John discover a note
from Bokonon:
These people around you are almost all of the survivors on San Lorenzo of
the winds that followed the freezing of the sea. These people made a captive of
the spurious holy man named Bokonon. They brought him here, placed him at
their center, and commanded him to tell them exactly what God Almighty was up
to and what they should now do. The mountebank told them that God was surely
trying to kill them, possibly because He was through with them, and that they
should have the good manners to die. This, as you can see, they did. (Vonnegut
193)
In this last section of the work, Vonnegut reaches his climax with the destruction of the world at
the hands of ice-nine and the destruction of a faithful population at the hands of their religion.
Up to this point, the role of Bokonism, however convoluted the religion may have been in
essence, had been to provide the citizens of San Lorenzo with innocent bliss. The religion
provided an escape from the drudgery of everyday life on San Lorenzo. The goal of Bokonism
was apparently successful, as the vast majority of San Lorenzians completely attached
themselves to the faith, intellectually, emotionally, and physically. This ultimate test of faith is
proven when Bokonon, perceived to be the interpreter of the will of God, merely suggests to
Bokonists that God has no further desire for human life; upon this suggestion, thousands of
Bokonists proceed to abide by God’s desire, and end their lives. Vonnegut’s satire on religion
thus becomes brutally clear: though Bokonism (or any religion) may provide immediate
satisfaction, comfort, and even happiness, the religion will inevitably and invariably bring
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destruction to the faithful. It is implied that in order to reap the benefits provided by the religion,
such as security and comfort, one must sacrifice a degree of freedom and unquestioningly adopt
the given doctrines of the religion. Vonnegut warns that although the doctrines of a religion may
provide the trappings of a happy life, they also have the potential to devastate. In this specific
example, Vonnegut may overestimate the ultimate negative effects of religion, but his
apocalyptic warning is profoundly clear.
In contrast to the inherent spiritual and physical freedom Bokonism provides to its
believers, Catholicism creates a restrictive atmosphere, rife with guilt and fear. Frank McCourt
explores the effects of a life immersed in Catholicism in his groundbreaking memoir, Angela’s
Ashes. In the memoir, religion plays a central role in life in Limerick, Ireland. Historically,
Catholicism has been the dominant religious force in Ireland. Today, more than 90% of Ireland
remains loyal to the Roman Catholic Church (Gillmor). In Angela’s Ashes, Catholicism is a
preeminent force in the McCourt life. Frank begins to describe the melancholy of his young life,
saying that “Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood and
worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood” (McCourt 11). Frank goes on to say that
“nothing can compare with the Irish version [of their early years]: the poverty; the shiftless
loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; [and the] pompous
priests” (McCourt 11). From the start of the book, Frank admits that the misery and tribulations
that he endured, especially during the young part of his life, were directly correlated to his
connection with the Catholic Church.
Frank digresses to describe the process through which his parents, Malachy and Angela,
met. Frank’s father, Malachy McCourt, was raised in Northern Ireland and later fled to America
to avoid persecution for an unspecified crime. Angela Sheehan, Frank’s mother, was born and
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raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland, and later immigrated to America. “She met Malachy at
a party,” and “Malachy liked Angela and she liked him” (McCourt 13). Later, Frank
impregnated Angela, and, consistent with the dictates of the church, proceeded to marry her.
Because of poor living conditions, the McCourts decide to return to Ireland and stay with
Malachy’s parents in Northern Ireland. From there, the family moves from Northern Ireland to
Dublin, and finally settles back in Angela’s birthplace of Limerick.
On one Easter morning when Frank is still a young boy, Frank attends a “Redemptorist”
(McCourt 132) church with his father. Frank needles his father with numerous questions
regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Malachy ignores Frank’s inquiries,
responding only by saying “[you will] understand when [you] grow up” (McCourt 132). Frank
wishes that he were older so that he could “understand everything” (McCourt 132). This
interaction demonstrates the restrictive nature of the Catholic Church and, in this case, its
inability to supply a believer with adequate information. Malachy implies that definite answers
to all of the questions asked by Frank do indeed exist. The Church claims that there are logical
explanations for its doctrines, and that Frank is simply too young to understand. However,
Malachy, a grown man, is also apparently ignorant of such definite and logical explanations;
though he is a faithful and “grown up” member of the Church, Malachy cannot answer his son’s
questions regarding his faith. Though a relatively minor occurrence, Malachy’s inability to relay
any sort of information to his son illustrates the nature of the Catholic Church. Because the
Church assumes truth while refusing to offer its believers sufficient evidence to support the
truths, the Church appears to be an all-knowing and enigmatic force. Believers therefore simply
accept what the Church tells them as truth. This aspect of the Catholic Church contrasts with the
philosophy of Bokonism; Bokonism would not have assumed the authority to declare the “truth”
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of a religion. Bokonism, unlike Catholicism, would have admitted its incapability to answer
questions. Though Bokonism, like Catholicism, has an established dogma, the writings of
Bokonon have clearly stated that its doctrines are subjective and rely on the believer’s ability to
accept them for what they are as “untruths.”
In preparation for his first Communion, Frank’s class at school is studying the catechism.
“Catechism is a summary of basic Christian doctrine used for religious instruction” (Senn).
Frank describes the process:
We have to know the Ten Commandments, the Seven Virtues, Divine and Moral,
the Seven Sacraments, the Seven Deadly Sins. We have to know by heart all the
prayers, the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the Confiteor, the Apostles’ Creed, the
Act of Contrition, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We have to know them
in Irish and English and if we forget an Irish word and use English he goes into a
rage and goes at us with the stick. (McCourt 144)
This detailed, complicated, and arduous list of requirements presents the Catholic Church as not
so much a basis for spiritual revival, but as a secular institution, and the requirements for
entrance into heaven are presented as a set of laws. The process in which Frank prepares for
entrance into the Church is similar to how a student would study for a math exam. Therefore,
acceptance by the Church depends on how well one knows and abides by the rigid structure of
the institution, and not necessarily on one’s desire for spiritual fulfillment. If these requirements
are not met, the Church threatens a follower with an eternity of damnation in hell. The Church
further demonstrates its control of its followers through the fear of sin. Frank describes how he
“committed a sin by listening to a story that has [the word piss] in it and when [he goes] to [his]
First Confession [he’ll] have to tell the priest” (McCourt 152). In contrast to Bokonism,
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Catholicism inflicts fear and doubt upon its followers by threatening them with punishment for
their deeds.
Malachy McCourt decides that Frank should become an altar boy and serve the Church
during Mass. Malachy takes it upon himself to prepare Frank for such a task: “Every evening
after tea [Frank would] kneel for the Latin and [Malachy wouldn’t] let [him] move till it’s
perfect” (McCourt 183). After several weeks of arduous preparation, Frank travels to St.
Joseph’s to “see the sacristan, Stephen Carey, who is in charge of altar boys.” Malachy
introduces his son to Carey, saying that Frank “knows the Latin and is ready to be an altar boy”
(McCourt 184). However, after observing the condition of Frank’s and Malachy’s clothes,
which were representative of the McCourt’s low social class, Carey promptly rejects Frank, and
says “We don’t have room for him,” and “close[s] the door” (McCourt 184). McCourt recalls a
parallel occurrence when his mother seeks higher education for him through the Church. Mr.
O’Halloran, one of Frank’s school teachers, notices that Frank is “a bright boy,” and “ought to be
going to secondary school and beyond that, university” (McCourt 364). Mr. O’Halloran
recommends that Frank’s mother take him to the Christian Brothers in order to pursue this.
However, when Angela takes Frank to inquire about this possibility, Brother Murray of the
Christian Brothers succinctly informs them that “We don’t have room for him,” and proceeds to
“close the door in [their] faces” (McCourt 364). While Frank remains relatively unaffected by
this encounter, as he does not necessarily want to pursue a higher education, his mother is
extremely offended, and reminds Frank that “That’s the second time a door was slammed in your
face by the Church” (McCourt 365). That Frank’s first two encounters with church authority are
both so negative can suggest to the reader that such interactions between church officials and the
layman are common. It also suggests that there is some hypocrisy among church leaders.
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Angela McCourt intuitively recognizes this particular paradox of her church in the poor,
bedraggled town of Limerick: while this Church encourages its people to be loyal followers
through the holiness of its saints, its leaders are prejudiced and superior in nature, and
dispassionate to the needs of its members.
At 13 years of age, Frank enters puberty, and begins to acquire a limited awareness of his
sexuality. Frank begins to worry about the sins he is committing by masturbating, and wonders
if it is “a sin if it comes to [him] in a dream where American girls pose in swimming suits on the
screen at the Lyric Cinema” (McCourt 367). Frank describes the lectures received by Mr.
O’Dea, Frank’s schoolteacher, in regard to the Sixth Commandment: “Though Shalt Not
Commit Adultery, which means impure thoughts, impure words, impure deeds, and that’s what
adultery is, Dirty Things in General” (McCourt 367). Another Redemptorist priest embellishes
this restrictive theme:
He says impurity is so grave a sin the Virgin Mary turns her face away and weeps.
And why does she weep, boys? She weeps because of you and what you are
doing to her Beloved Son. She weeps when she looks down the long dreary vista
of time and beholds in horror the spectacle of Limerick boys defiling themselves,
polluting themselves, interfering with themselves, abusing themselves, soiling
their young bodies, which are the temples of the Holy Ghost. Our Lady weeps
over these abominations knowing that every time you interfere with yourself you
nail to the cross her Beloved Son, that once more you hammer into His dear head
the crown of thorns, that you reopen those ghastly wounds . . . Consider our
lord’s suffering. Consider the crown of thorns. Consider a small pin driven into
your head. Reflect, meditate on the nails tearing His hands, His feet. Could you
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endure a fraction of that agony? Take that pin again, that mere pin. Force it into
your side. Enlarge that sensation a hundred-fold and you are penetrated by that
awful lance. Oh, boys, the devil wants your souls. He wants you with him in hell
and know this, that every time you interfere with yourself, every time you
succumb to the vile sin of self-abuse you not only nail Christ to the cross you take
another step closer to hell itself. Retreat from the abyss, boys. Resist the devil
and keep your hands to yourself. (McCourt 367-368)
Had the reader been unaware of the context of this horrific and detailed description of
punishment, one might assume that he who was receiving this punishment was a criminal, guilty
of rape or murder. However, the priest is merely referring to a practice that has been condemned
by the Catholic Church because of interpretations from the New Testament of the Bible, which
refers to condemnation of impurity (Seper). According to the Church, masturbation is
condemnable because “it lacks the sexual relationship called for by the moral order, namely the
relationship which realizes ‘the full sense of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the
context of true love’” (Seper). In other words, according to the Church, the only instance in
which sexual activity should be experienced is with a spouse. Not only can a pubescent boy not
explore his sexuality through masturbation, but pre-marital sex is also taboo. These rules cause
Frank to “pray to the Virgin Mary and tell her [he’s] sorry [he] put her Son back on the cross”
(McCourt 368). This event is a clear example of the restrictions the Catholic Church places upon
its followers. Not only does the Church abhor such basic human urges, but it threatens those
who indulge in such natural activities with embarrassment, guilt, and damnation, and nearly
blames innocent children for the destruction of the figurehead of the Catholic Church, Jesus
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Christ. It is remarkable that the faithful are willing to relinquish so much physical, emotional,
and spiritual freedom in exchange for acceptance by the Church.
Not only is Frank forbidden from practicing sexual acts, he is prohibited from simply
reading about such processes. One day in the library, Frank comes across a work by Chinese
author Lin Yutang. Frank soon discovers that the work is focused on “love and the body”
(McCourt 383). Frank reads that “The male organ of copulation becomes turgid and is inserted
into the receptive female orifice” (McCourt 383). Upon realization of the meaning of this
passage, Frank realizes the true nature of human reproduction, and he is stunned by his
discovery. However, when Miss O’Riordan, the librarian, discovers what Frank is reading, she
dismisses it as “disgraceful” (McCourt 384) and advises Frank to confess his sins to the priest as
soon as possible. While Catholicism places restrictions on the most natural of human drives and
desires, Bokonism liberates the mind and body through boku-maru. This contrast between the
morals of Bokonism and Christianity exemplify the constrictive and conservative nature of the
establishment of Christianity, and the effects of this on the characters can be seen clearly. John,
with his Christian background, becomes jealous after discovering that Mona has performed
boku-maru with countless others before him, while Mona, the Bokonist, remains firm that “Love
is good, not bad” (Vonnegut 147). While at first jealous, John becomes reassured in Mona’s
love for him after accepting and understanding the principles of Bokonism. Like John in his
Christian mindset, Frank is cast into a state of confusion, guilt, and frustration by the Church.
Frank’s feelings of sexual confusion and guilt reach an apex in his relationship with
Theresa Carmody. Frank gets a job as a telegram delivery boy, and one day delivers a telegram
to the house of Theresa Carmody. Theresa is 17 years and ill with tuberculosis, and therefore is
aware of her impending death. Frank arrives at Theresa’s door with a bloody knee after falling
Saunders 18
on his bike. Theresa invites Frank into her house and proceeds to help him clean his cut; she
later suggests that Frank dry his clothes by the fire before he leaves. He does, and, Theresa
“leads [him] across the room to a green sofa against the wall,” (McCourt 409) where they make
love. While Frank is well aware of the sin he is committing, he continues to see Theresa until
she dies several weeks later. Upon her death, Frank is consumed with grief and guilt, and
believes that his sexual encounters with Theresa have sent her to hell. “Next Sunday, [Frank
goes] to four Masses. [He does] the Stations of the Cross three times. [He says] rosaries all day.
[He goes] without food and drink and whenever [he finds] a quiet place [he cries] and begs God
and the Virgin Mary to have mercy on the soul of Theresa Carmody” (McCourt 411). Since the
time he first attended Church, Frank has been told repeatedly that actions such as pre-marital sex
are highly condemnable and even damnable. The Church has made such a profound impact on
Frank and has developed so much control over him that he cannot escape the guilt of believing
that he is responsible for Theresa’s damnation.
Eventually, Frank’s grief accumulates to the point that he is no longer able to contain it.
On the day of his 16th birthday, Frank enters a Franciscan church. Frank collapses in front of the
statue of St. Francis, where he dissolves into tears. Frank angrily wonders why he ever placed
faith in St. Francis, as he has not helped the fate of Theresa or prevented any other hardships in
Frank’s life, despite constant and desperate prayer. Shortly, Father Gregory sees Frank crying
and says that if he wants to, Frank can talk about what is troubling him. Frank eventually reveals
all of his suppressed secrets: his dead siblings, the problems with his parents, his sexual
relationship with Theresa, and masturbating, among other things. In a moving act of forgiveness,
the Father reassures Frank of God’s love and that redemption will follow prayer, and that Frank
must forgive himself for his actions. The Father also assures Frank that Theresa is “surely in
Saunders 19
heaven” (McCourt 435). Frank leaves the church relieved and with lifted spirits. This is a clear
example of how the Catholic Church is capable of providing happiness and spiritual support to
its followers. Father Gregory enables Frank to forgive himself for his actions, and thus maintain
a guilt-free existence. Ironically, though the church was able to provide solace for Frank’s
suffering, it was the restrictive nature of the church itself, and the grip it had on Frank, that
caused his despair in the first place.
Though there are apparent and stark differences in theme, perspective, and style between
Cat’s Cradle and Angela’s Ashes, important comparisons regarding the effects of religion on
humanity can be drawn from them. Vonnegut was raised as an Atheist, so the creation of
Bokonism in Cat’s Cradle serves primarily as a critique of and a contrast to Christianity. The
creator of Bokonism admits that happiness can be realized through a religion that is founded on
untruths. This serves to disconnect religion from reality, but at the same time describes the
importance of religion to humanity. Conversely, in Angela’s Ashes Catholicism is presented as a
system of beliefs that is treated as a textbook of fundamental values. Fear of damnation in hell
forces the citizens of Ireland to abide by the tenets of the religion. While Catholicism and
Bokonism are profoundly different, they reveal a fundamental theme of human nature:
individuals will gravitate toward an established organization to seek comfort, security, and
spiritual support. In the case of Catholicism, individuals give up certain freedoms of thought and
action in order to be included in the organization. In an attempt to satirize this phenomenon,
Vonnegut creates Bokonism, which has similar effects on its followers as any other religion,
though it relinquishes any precepts of truth. Though the followers openly realize that their faith
is transparent, they cling to the organization as if physically dependent. Though Bokonism is
outlawed in San Lorenzo, citizens of the island risk their lives in order to continue the practice of
Saunders 20
Bokonism. This substantiates the theory of human dependence on community and a need for an
organized set of beliefs known as religion, in spite of the potential harm to the individual
inherent in this relationship.
Saunders 21
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