How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
In the autobiographical section of The Book of Bokonon he writes a parable on the folly of pretending to discover, to understand: (3.2)
Truth, like beauty, seems to be in the eye of the beholder. What one person understands intrinsically, another finds to be, well, a little silly. Of course, Bokonon is also a notorious liar, so maybe he's not telling the truth here. Argh, so confusing!
Quote #2
"[Dr. Breed] said science was going to discover the basic secret of life someday," the bartender put in. (11.11)
And the answer is—drum roll—proteins. No, seriously, that's the answer the book gives. While that may be the truth about life, it's also not the truth about, you know, life. Guess the truth about life kind of depends on how you define life.
Quote #3
"I'll think you'll find," said Dr. Breed, "that everybody does about the same amount of thinking. Scientists simply think about things in one way, and other people think about things in others." (15.13)
This one goes back to our "truth is in the eye of the beholder" statement before. Thing is, Breed's conversation with John suggests he doesn't really like it when people think about things in other ways.
Quote #4
"Nothing generous about it. New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become."
Had I been a Bokononist then, that statement would have made me howl. (18.22-23)
Knowledge is important. No doubt about it. But the notion that knowledge, all knowledge, makes us richer doesn't sit too well with Cat's Cradle. Knowledge seems to take away as much as it gives here. Still, that's better odds than any casino game ever.
Quote #5
"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 understanding how truth, all by itself, could be enough for a person." (25.6-8)
Truth in Cat's Cradle always seems to lead to death—cold, hard, unforgiving death. (Of course, so does everything, eventually.) The novel seems to be suggesting that the occasional lie might just enliven the whole "we're all going to die" thing. Just a bit.
Quote #6
I looked up Fata Morgana at this point in my reading; learned that it was, in fact, a mirage named after Morgan le Fay, a fairy who lived at the bottom of the lake. It was famous for appearing in the Strait of Messina, between Calabria and Sicily. Fata Morgana was poetic crap, in short. (39.5)
The imaginary island Fata Morgana is compared to San Lorenzo when Frank first arrives there. In a way, the book says its conception of San Lorenzo is "poetic crap." Or, in politer terms, just another lie meant to teach and entertain.
Quote #7
"Anyway," said Angela, "when we got back home, we found him in the chair." She shook her head. "I don't think he suffered any. He just looked asleep. He couldn't have looked like that if there'd been the least bit of pain." (52.17)
Here's a pretty good example of Cat's Cradle showing the benefit of the lie. Hoenikker died, and, let's face it, death probably wasn't the greatest of experiences. But Angela tells herself the lie that he didn't suffer. Is it truth? Who knows; who cares? It makes her feel better.
Quote #8
"No damn cat, and no damn cradle." (74.30)
And here is Cat's Cradle's ultimate rendition of the truth. It's all just empty nothingness in the end. Wow, for a comedy, things can get kind of depressing in these pages.
Quote #9
"What do you think of it?" I asked him.
"It's black. What is it—hell?"
"It means whatever it means," said Newt.
"Then it's hell," snarled Castle. (76.2-5)
The connection between the truth and art? Nil. Art has no "truth" to it. It "means whatever it means," so feel free to plug in your own truth.
Quote #10
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." (78.3)
This is what we call a jackpot quote. Here, Bokonon's religion links to art in the fact that it's all a lie, and he points out that they serve the same purpose: helping people deal with how terrible the truth of reality is.