Quotes From "Cats Cradle" By Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat's cradle is nothing but a bunch of X's between somebody's hands, and little kids look and look and look at all those X's .. ." "And?" "No damn cat, and no damn cradle. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

But people didn't have to pay as much attention to the awful truth. As the living legend of the cruel tyrant in the city and the gentle holy man in the jungle grew, so, too, did the happiness of the people grow. They were all employed full time as actors in a play they understood, that any human being anywhere could understand and applaud. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The Fourteenth Book is entitled, "What can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth, Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?" It doesn't take long to read The Fourteenth Book. It consists of one word and a period. This is it: "Nothing. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in His cosmic loneliness. And God said, "Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done." And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close to mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. "What is the purpose of all this?" he asked politely." Everything must have a purpose?" asked God."Certainly, " said man." Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this, " said God.And He went away. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

I do not say that children at war do not die like men, if they have to die. To their everlasting honor and our everlasting shame, they do die like men, thus making possible the manly jubilation of patriotic holidays. But they are murdered children all the same. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

After the thing went off, after it was a sure thing that America could wipe out a city with just one bomb, a scientist turned to Father and said, 'Science has now known sin.' And do you know what Father said? He said, 'What is sin? Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

I do not say that children at war do not die like men, if they have to die. To their everlasting honor and our everlasting shame they do die like men, thus making possible the manly jubilation of patriotic holidays. But they are murdered children all the same. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

People are hated a lot of places. Claire pointed out in her letter that Americans, in being hated, were simply paying the normal penalty for being people, and that they were foolish to think they should somehow be exempted from that penalty. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Mister, when I see my first lady angel, if God ever sees fit to show me one, it’ll be her wings not her face that’ll make my mouth fall open. I’ve already seen the prettiest face that ever could be. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

She turned to examine Dr. Breed, looking at him with helpless reproach. She hated people who thought too much. At that moment, she struck me as an appropriate representative for almost all mankind. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

A winded, defeated-looking fat woman in filthy coveralls trudged beside us, hearing what Miss Pefko said. She turned to examine Dr. Breed, looking at him with helpless reproach. She hated people who thought too much. At that moment, she struck me as an appropriate representative for almost all mankind. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The brainless serenity of charwomen and janitors working late at night came over us. In a messy world we were at least making our little corner clean. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The mind reels. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Jonah-John-if I had been a Sam, I would have been a Jonah still-not because I have been unlucky for others, but because somebody or something has compelled me to be certain places, at certain times, without fail. Conveyances and motives, both conventional and bizarre, have been provided. And, according to plan, at each appointed second, at each appointed place this Jonah was there. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before. He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I stand before you now because I never stopped dawdling like an eight-year-old on a spring morning on his way to school. Anything can make me stop and look and wonder, and sometimes learn. I am a very happy man. Thank you. - Dr. Hoenikker's Nobel Prize acceptance speech (in its entirety); chapter 5 Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Christ, back in Chicago, we don’t make bicycles any more. It’s allhuman relations now. The eggheads sit around trying to figure out newways for everybody to be happy. Nobody can get fired, no matter what;and if somebody does accidentally make a bicycle, the union accusesus of cruel and inhuman practices and the government confiscates thebicycle for back taxes and gives it to a blind man in Afghanistan.”“And you think things will be better in San Lorenzo?”“I know damn well they will be. The people down there are poorenough and scared enough and ignorant enough to have somecommon sense! . Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

When a man becomes a writer, I think he takes on a sacred obligation to produce beauty and enlighenment and comfort at top speed Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

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. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Oh, a sleeping drunkard Up in Central Park, And a lion-hunter In the jungle dark, And a Chinese dentist, And a British queen-- All fit together In the same machine. Nice, nice, very nice; Nice, nice, very nice; Nice, nice, very nice-- So many different people In the same device. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Dr. Breed keeps telling me the main thing with Dr. Hoenikker was truth.”“ You don’t seem to agree.”“ I don’t know whether I agree or not. I just have trouble understandinghow truth, all by itself, could be enough for a person. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Pretty, was she?"" Pretty?" he echoed. "Mister, when I see my first lady angel, if God ever sees fit to show me one, it'll be her wings and not her face that'll make my mouth fall open. I've already seen the prettiest face that ever could be. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The highest possible form of treason, " said Minton, " is to say that Americans aren't loved wherever they go, whatever they do. Claire tried to make the point that American foreign policy should recognize hate rather than imagine love. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

And God created every living creaturethat now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close as mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. “What is the purpose of all this?” he asked politely.“ Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.“Certainly, ” said man.“ Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this, ” said God. And Hewent away. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

And I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

And Castle nodded sagely. 'So this is a picture of the meaninglessness of it all! I couldn't agree Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

He said science was going to discover the basic secret of life some day, ' the bartender put in. He scratched his head and frowned. 'Didn't I read in the paper the other day where they'd finally found out what it was?'' I missed that, ' I murmured. ' I saw that, ' said Sandra. 'About two days ago.'' That's right, ' said the bartender.' What is the secret of life?' I asked.' I forget, ' said Sandra.'Protein, ' the bartender declared. 'They found out something about protein.'' Yeah, ' said Sandra, 'that's it. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

What is the secret of life?’ I asked.‘ I forget, ’ said Sandra.‘Protein, ’ the bartender declared. ‘They found something out about protein.‘‘ Yeah, ’ said Sandra, ‘that’s it. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Maturity, ” Bokonontells us, “is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unlesslaughter can be said to remedy anything. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Maturity, the way I understand it, is knowing what your limitations are. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.