21; this way no one could see the sides or back which is symbolic to the mere essence of the town (Vonnegut 131). Later Vonnegut writes that the townspeople emphasize materialistic things. A young girl “ [collapses] an 18oz bottle of Pepsi to her chest,” demonstrating how much she treasures the drink. Yet beneath the disguise of useless concerns, the town of San Lorenzo is actually full of chaos (120). It is uncertain as to what is real and what is illusionary. Vonnegut describes how the Bokonon beliefs state that the idea of a nation is really meaningless “ in terms of the way God gets things done” (82). This religion comforts people because they can then dismiss any horrors they cross due to war and such, not as something wrong with mankind, but as a misconception that man can rid himself through a form of confession. The Bokonon religion also believes that man should not waste his time trying to realize what is true or illusionary because “ man proposes, God disposes” (Vonnegut Web N.P), in other words God works in mysterious ways. Bokonon is another way people find they can take advantage of living in a fantasy they create as their own reality. Life is initially like “ a cat’s cradle game, ” seeming complex when in reality it is just a simple string (Houghton N.P.). Kurt Vonnegut also illustrates the way in which people try to justify living with in their own lies, starting with religion. He states that “ anyone unable to understand how useful religion can be, founded on lies will not understand this book,” suggesting that all religions are founded on lies, but are nevertheless useful (Vonnegut 16). People need to feel as though they are moral. All people are “ full time actors in a play they [understand]” (144). Bokonon believers know that Bokonon is full of deceptions yet they need those lies, so they go on and act as though they completely agree and u...
