My noodle

Shakespeare is a genius.  Im finding this becoming much easier to enjoy reading.  I have always liked studying Shakespeare since freshman year of Romeo and Juliet because it was just like theature in class.  We were able to act it out and figure out his languange.  Now as a four year vet I find reading his plays on my own is becoming more and more interesting.  Finding comedy through the tragety, seeing into the characters as well as catching sarastic comments by the characters all the time!

Shylock gives a rather big speech that should make anyone stop to think.  He states that he is human too, and eats the same food, has eyes nose mouth, and organs just like any other human.  He compares being Jewish to Christianity and how he should be treated equally, and really gives the reader time to reflect and relate it to their life.  Although it seems that he has snapped and cant take it anymore.  He will take Antonio’s flesh if not paid, just as a Christian would take his.  Christians think he is wrong for that but he is not.  An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth (then the whole world would be blind and toothless) but its his way of stating he is human.

This is getting more interesting as it goes on, and really raises questions.

Is Shylock justified for his actions?

A.

As president of San Lorenzo Jonah has very much power.  He showed hesitance in the earlier chapters about taking the position but once he recieves the power, confidence comes.  I see a theme?  He starts talking of things he would like to change about San Lorenzo, and expressing ideas.  Pap dies of ice-nine and Jonah sees it for the first time.  He is also very upset that Mona doesn’t want to love just him…once again another theme.  Jonah talks of removing the hook.  They have to take care of the ice nine bodies, so Newt, Angela and Jonah do it.  He learns that Dr. Hoenikker, as well as his dog died from ice-nine too.  They go to watch a show where Mr. Minton gives a speech.  A plane crashes and ice nine gets in the oceans.  Mona and Jonah are safe in Pap’s bomb shelter, but everyone kills themselves including Mona.  There is really nothing left to live for, and the end of the world happened in seconds.

B.

Reticule:a small purse or bag

Pyre:A pile of wood

Apotheosis:The elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god

Canted-set at an angle

Oubliette:A dungeon with more then one entrance

Albatross:of the biological family Diomedeidae, are largeseabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses).

C.

If Pap is Bokonist, why is it a banned religion?

Will Mona ever just love Jonah? What is love?

Does Jonah take down the hook?

Why, and what is the significance of Jonah wanting to climb the mountain?

Is there some sense of irony in the last couple chapters?

Is there any other connections with a “cats cradle?”

A.

Bokonism is not allowed or supported in San Lorenzo.  There were two men who started Bokonism Macabe being one of them.  Angela and her husband are not happy and do not have a good relationship, because he is a drunk and comes home with lipstick on him.  Jonah is asked to be the new president of San Lorenzo, and is offered Mona as a wife if he chooses to accept.  Frank is in love with the hobby shop man’s wife, and doesn’t care.  The offer is Mona and one hundred thousand dollars a year.  Jonah is very happy to get the opprutunity to marry Mona.

B.

Cantilevered-a beam, that is supported at one end and carries a load at the other end or along its length

Apoplexy: stroke

Timbre: the quality given to a sound by its overtones.

C.

Do you think is Mona wasn’t the “catch” Jonah would have accepted president?

What makes Jonah so Qualified to lead San Lorenzo?

Does Mcabe still support Bokonism?

A.

The get to the island and there are a lot of people waiting to see them.  Phillip Castle and his father are introduced. Jonah gets a call from Franklin, and is asked to come over but when he does he only meets Newt.  Newt made a painting of a Cat’s Cradle that catches his eye.

B.

amiability: having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualitites.

Paltry: obsolete paltry trash, from dialect palt, pelt piece of coarse cloth, trash

Feudalism- system of organization in Europe from 9th to 15th century. It’s basis of relation is Lord vassal as cheif, , the service of tenants under arms and in court, wardship, and forfeiture

C.

Why would Bokonism be banned from a country that was previously lead by its founder?

Was the man who threw out his painting a nihilist?

Whats the significance of the painting being a cat’s cradle?

A.

Jonah takes a trip to the hobby shop where he meet Frank H’s mentor, who shows him models that Frank made in high school.  He then takes a trip to San Lorenzo where he sits next to an old couple, (a duprass: a karass of two people) and finds out about San Lorenzo, and the wonam makes him call her mom because they are both Hoosiers.  He also sees Newt H and Angela on the flight.  They are on their way to Frank’s wedding reception.

B.

nihilism:total rejection of established laws and institutions.

Debauch: seduce

pompadour- a 1950s hairstyle

C.

Why did Mr. Krebbs go crazy and why was it brought up in the story?

How did Jonah know Frank had ice-nine?

How did someone as anti-social, and different as Frank find some one as beautiful as his wife?

A.

Jonah offends Dr. Breed as he continues you question him about ice-nine which is one of Hoenikker’s ideas.  Dr. Breed kicks him out.  He visits Dr. Hoenikker’s office, and finds toys and all sorts of things.  He visits the cemetary where Dr. H and his wife are burried and sees that his wifes tomb is huge, and the fathers is 40 centmeters.  He then talks with Dr. Breeds brother.

B.

Phallus: an image of the male reproductive organ, esp. that carried in procession in ancient festivals of Dionysus, or Bacchus, symbolizing the generative power in nature.

Nebula: a cloud of interstellar gas and dust.

Miasma- A dangerous or deathlike atmosphere.

Whirr: Make a soft swishing sound

C.

Do you think Vonnegut is dehumanizing Knowles similar to Conrad and the natives?

What is love?

Is ice-nine something real?

A.

Jonah talks with Dr. Breed, who is another man who helped with the atom bomb.  He talks with him, and a whore by the name of Sandra and a bartender in a bar.  He learns how the Dr. H’s wife died, because of the pelvis injury, and talks science with Dr. Breed.

B.

Dulcitude-pleasing to the ear

Charlatan-a fraud or phony

Antithesis-the opposite, contrast

Desiccated-dried up, and old.  Preserved

C.

Do you think Dr. Hoenikker is the father of his children, or would Griffen be a possible canidate?

Will he receive information from the sister?

What is the girl pool?

A.

Jonah talks about his karass.  He begins research on the atomic bomb for his book, so he looks for Dr. Hoenikker who was one of the ones who made it. He finds he is dead so he questions the son.  They exchange letters.

B.

Dawdling-To waste time.

Karass-A group of people, often unknowingly, working together to bring about God’s work

Fraternally- related to, involving brothers
C.

When did Dr. Hoenikker die?

What does Dr. Hoenikker making the cats cradle have to do with anything?

What is the author’s reasoning behind writing about the atomic bomb?

A.

John speaks on his conversion to Bokonism, and how he is called Jonna by those around him.  He talks of the bittersweet lies of Bokonism and how he would have been a Bokonist his whole life if he wasn’t raised Christian.

B.

Conveyance: Transfew of title to property from one person to another

Spiraea: shrubs of the rose family with small usually white or pink flowers in dense raceme.

Tendrils: A twisting, threadlike structure by which a twining plant, such as a grape or cucumber, grasps an object or a plant for support.

C.

What is the reasoning for the lady’s screams when she sees the worms?

Who is Bokonon?

Why are the chapters so short?

MOTIFS

Savages

“They passed me within six inches, without a glance, with that complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages.” Pg 80

“And between whiles I had to look after the savage who was a fireman.” Pg. 106

“even such as I had noticed in the howling sorrow of these savages in the bush.” Pg. 120

“If it had come to crawling before Mr. Kurtz, he crawled as much as the veriest savage of them all.” Pg. 134 

“and almost the same time I noticed that the crowd of savages” Pg. 135

Bones, skulls, death imagery:

“The thing looked as dead as the carcass of some animal.” Pg. 80

“They were dying slowly-it was very clear…Nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation.” Pg. 82

“These round knobs were not oranmental but symbolic.” Pg. 132

“It was as though an animated image of death carved out of old ivory had been shaking its hand.” Pg. 135

“I am lying here in the dark waiting for death.” Pg. 147 

Rivets

“What more did I want? What I really wanted was rivets, by heaven! Rivets.” Pg. 95

“but what I wanted was a certain quantity of rivets.” Pg. 96

“I demanded rivets.” Pg. 96

“We shall have rivets!  He scrambled to his feet exclaiming, “No rivets!” Pg. 97

“I had given up worrying myself about the rivets.” Pg. 99