cat's cradle

Kurt Vonnegut has written more then twenty books in the years he has been writing. Many of his books share characters, settings, or situations. Using the same characters and such creates a unity throughout his books. Likewise, Vonnegut seems to repeat themes throughout many of his books. A number of Vonnegut’s books deal with themes that include structure and order in society. Kurt Vonnegut discusses mankind’s need for structure and order by the …

…are capable of surviving alone. (Tufano 34.) Both Eliza and Wilbur are more complete and feel more meaningful in life when joined. Separate, they view themselves and insignificant but together, they are one. Throughout Vonnegut’s novels, his characters continually need the structure and order of relationships, surroundings, and such to feel complete and in control of themselves. The schizophrenic characteristics of Frank Hoeniker, Papa, Dwayne Hoover, Eliza and Wilbur Swain only help to emphasize this.