Cat's Cradle Chapter 45 Summary

Why Americans are Hated

• Turns out, yes. See, Claire published her letter during the worst of McCarthyism, a period of American history that was like a witch-hunt for anyone seen as anti-American.
• John asks what was wrong with the letter, and Minton says it was seen as the highest form of treason. Why?
• Because Claire said that "Americans aren't loved wherever they go" (45.3)
• But Claire's argument wasn't really that Americans were hated in a lot of places, but that people in general are.
• Americans just shouldn't feel exempt from this fact, and the country's foreign policy should recognize this.
• John says he's glad everything turned out all right, since Minton is now ambassador to San Lorenzo.
• The Mintons look at each other and agree it's the "pot of gold at the end of the rainbow" (45.9). Huh, somehow we doubt they were very sincere there.