Vonnegut and Apocalypse: A Consideration of Kurt Vonnegut's Representation of the End of the World

ABSTRACT This article comments on Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle (1963) and makes brief reference to Slaughterhouse 5 (1969) in terms of how these fictional works provide us with insights into apocalyptic events. Vonnegut's work is initially approached from an ecocritical perspective, referencing the work of Greg Garrard, Arne Naess, and Val Plumwood. There is also an engagement with religious views of apocalypse, which are reflected in Vonnegut's characters as well as the development of the narrative. In addition, the rhetoric of apocalypse is considered through reference to the theoretical work of Stephen O’Leary. The role of science and scientists, and how this is presented by Vonnegut, is also investigated as part of the argument. Events leading up to the end of the world constitute part of the apocalypse, and Vonnegut's depiction of these events provides insight into a concern that is a literary, scientific, and religious touchstone.