Ice-Nine Symbol in Cat’s Cradle

Ice-nine is Dr. Felix Hoenikker’s invention, conceived at the request of the U.S. marines in order to solve the “problem” of mud. It is a molecular material that teaches water to change its chemical structure and freeze into solid form, without any need for a reduction in temperature. It is an ingenious invention with grave implications, and thus represents humankind’s capacity for scientific invention and, crucially, the talent for putting that invention to cruel and harmful use. Amazingly, the idea was actually suggested to Vonnegut by a real-life Nobel scientist. Ice-nine technology is based on a fundamental understanding of water—one of the building blocks of life—just as the atomic bomb required an incredible understanding of the most basic structures of the physical world. Ice-nine, then, like the atomic bomb, represents humanity’s undeniable capacity for knowledge—but this is offset by the fact that it uses this knowledge to destroy itself.

Ice-Nine Quotes in Cat’s Cradle

The Cat’s Cradle quotes below all refer to the symbol of Ice-Nine. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“If the streams flowing through the swamp froze as ice-nine, what about the rivers and lakes the streams fed?”

“They’d freeze. But there is no such thing as ice-nine.”

“And the oceans the frozen rivers fed?”

“They’d freeze, of course,” he snapped. “I suppose you’re going to rush to market with a sensational story about ice-nine now. I tell you again, it does not exist!”

“And the springs feeding the frozen lakes and streams, and all the water underground feeding the springs?”

“They’d freeze, damn it!” he cried. “But if I had known that you were a member of the yellow press,” he said grandly, rising to his feet, “I wouldn’t have wasted a minute with you!”

“And the rain?”

“When it fell, it would freeze into hard little hob nails of ice-nine—and that would be the end of the world! And the end of the interview, too! Good-bye!”

Related Characters: John (speaker), Dr. Asa Breed (speaker), Dr. Felix Hoenikker

Related Symbols: Ice-Nine

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 49-50

Explanation and Analysis:

From what Frank had said before he slammed the door, I gathered that the Republic of San Lorenzo and the three Hoenikkers weren’t the only ones who had ice-nine. Apparently the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had it, too. The United States had obtained it through Angela’s husband, whose plant in Indianapolis was understandably surrounded by electrified fences and homicidal German shepherds. And Soviet Russia had come by it through Newt’s little Zinka, that winsome troll of Ukrainian ballet.

Related Characters: John (speaker), Dr. Felix Hoenikker, Frank Hoenikker, Angela Hoenikker , Newt Hoenikker, Zinka, Harrison C. Conners

Related Symbols: Ice-Nine

Page Number and Citation: 244

Explanation and Analysis:

If I were a younger man, I would write a history of human stupidity; and I would climb to the top of Mount McCabe and lie down on my back with my history for a pillow; and I would take from the ground some of the blue-white poison that makes statues of men; and I would make a statue of myself, lying on my back, grinning horribly, and thumbing my nose at You Know Who.

Related Characters: Bokonon / Lionel Boyd Johnson (speaker), John

Related Symbols: Ice-Nine

Page Number and Citation: 287

Explanation and Analysis:

Ice-Nine Symbol Timeline in Cat’s Cradle

The timeline below shows where the symbol Ice-Nine appears in Cat’s Cradle. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Absurdity and Meaninglessness Theme Icon

Dr. Breed tells John about Dr. Hoenikker’s proposed solution to mud: ice-nine. This is a substance which can make water crystallize at an atomic level. A “seed”... (full context)

Governance, Politics, and Nationhood Theme Icon

...hands out chocolate bars to the Girl Pool. He then returns to the subject of ice-nine, asking John to envisage a scenario in which a Marine could carry a capsule of... (full context)

John asks Dr. Breed whether ice-nine really exists. Dr. Breed insists it doesn’t, and is only talking about Dr. Hoenikker’s theory... (full context)

John continues asking about ice-nine: “If the streams flowing through the swamp froze as ice-nine, what about the rivers and... (full context)

...the yellow press.” He confirms John’s assumption that rain would freeze into “hard hobnails of ice-nine.” He says, “and that would be the end of the world! And the end of... (full context)

...day, John informs the reader that Dr. Breed was wrong: there is such thing as ice-nine. Dr. Hoenikker had made a small chip of it just before he died. He told... (full context)

...a rock, an animal, an idea, a book, a melody, the Holy Grail”—and John believes ice-nine was the wampeter of his karass. (full context)

...“the essay didn’t say so, but the son of a bitch had a piece of ice-nine with him.” (full context)

John finds Angela and Newt. From the present, John criticizes them for carrying ice-nine, “while under us was God’s own amount of water.” Angela says she didn’t reply to... (full context)

...wicker chair facing the sea.” John reminds the reader that she fails to mention the ice-nine she and her siblings divided up between them on the same day. (full context)

Frank frantically tries to help “Papa” by loosening his collar and blouse. John notices that Mona still looks serene. In fact, she appears to be rubbing her feet with... (full context)

...tells the reader that the thermos jugs carried by Angela and Newt contained chips of ice-nine. Frank takes John aside to talk, while John lusts after Mona. (full context)

...John thinks is a “magic charm.” Present-day John tells the reader that it actually contains ice-nine. (full context)

“Papa” keeps whispering hoarsely, saying “goodbye” and “ice.” Dr. Koenigswald is slightly baffled, as whenever they bring him ice he doesn’t seem to... (full context)

...says that this “syndrome is no novelty now,” but it was then. “Papa” had taken ice-nine. (full context)

Dr. Koenigswald explains that “Papa” had been raving about “pain, ice, Mona,” before saying “now I will destroy the whole world.” This is what Bokonists say... (full context)

...the Hoenikker siblings into “Papa” Monzano’s room, knowing that he is in the presence of ice-nine. He confronts them about the ice-nine, sure that Frank must have given it to “Papa”,... (full context)

...died, but doesn’t clarify what he means. Newt asks Frank if he gave “Papa” the ice-nine, and if the promise of ice-nine was how he got “this fancy job” on San... (full context)

...he proposes to clean up “this mess.” Frank suggests they sweep up the big pieces ice-nine, melt them in a bucket, and blowtorch “every square inch of floor with a blowtorch,... (full context)

...“power of humans to comment.” John realizes that, with Angela and Newt also having traded ice-nine for personal gain, the American and Soviet governments must have its technology too. Angela, trying... (full context)

...mankind … when there are such men as Felix Hoenikker to give such playthings as ice-nine to such short-sighted children as almost all men and women are?” He recalls a question... (full context)

...gloves on, before heating up the bucket with the hot plate and melting chunks of ice-nine inside. They sweep and blowtorch the floor. (full context)

...Labrador, they explain. All day long Dr. Hoenikker had been “teasing them with hints about ice-nine,” showing them a bottle with a foreboding label. He had been playing games in the... (full context)

...water of the floor with a rag, and threw it in the pan, which contained ice-nine. It turned into something like a “finely-woven gold mesh.” Frank held down the pan nine... (full context)

Angela, Newt, and Frank talk about how they divided up Dr. Hoenikker’s ice-nine on the day he died; at the time, “there was no talk of morals.” They... (full context)

...as a grand “AH-WHOOM.” Opening his eyes, he sees that the sea has turned into ice-nine. The sky darkens and is filled with tornadoes, likened to “worms.” (full context)

...John tells the reader is still the case. He imagines that the tornadoes are strewing ice-nine everywhere, destroying all life. (full context)

...land, in which “thousands and thousands” of people lie dead. Their lips are frosted with ice-nine. John reasons that they must have taken shelter there, before opting to poison themselves. Many... (full context)

...the waterfall, which is now “a sort of igloo under a translucent, blue-white dome of ice-nine.” Those apart from John and Mona initially took shelter in a dungeon of the palace. (full context)

...to be the only insects that have survived. The ants wind themselves around grains of ice-nine to melt it and produce water; this act kills some of them, but allows others... (full context)

...hospital while the tornadoes still raged. Angela died playing her clarinet, which was contaminated with ice-nine. “Soft pipes, play on,” murmurs John. Newt suggests that John could find “some neat way... (full context)

...to talk to Bokonon, who is sitting barefoot on a rock, his feet “frosty with ice-nine.” John asks what Bokonon is thinking; he replies that he is searching for the “final... (full context)

Cat’s Cradle

Kurt Vonnegut

Ice-Nine Symbol Analysis

Ice-Nine Quotes in Cat’s Cradle

Ice-Nine Symbol Timeline in Cat’s Cradle