Add Friend: Jonah

Kurt Vonnegut analyzes an odd way of identifying acquaintances through the practices of Bokonon in his novel Cat's Cradle.  Protagonist Jonah narrates a journey where he uncovered a number of people connected to him, for what reason he had to search for.  These connections to others Jonah identified as a "karass" and explained one can not choose members of his/ her karass but instead the karass does more of the selection according to common characteristics or thoughts of its members (3).  While Jonah may not share my karass, I see him as a possible friend of mine simply because he seems like a relatable person to me.  In an era where people have hundreds of virtual friends via Facebook and other social networking sites I imagine myself becoming more than just another virtual friend with Jonah.  His practice and explanation of Bokonon intrigued me the most and made me think of him as someone I picture myself associating with.  Vonnegut provides a disclaimer during the description of Bokonon that warns the curious that the religion has a composition full of "shameless lies," a characteristic that may attract more people to its practices or deter them from learning more (5).  Jonah provided an example of the former and as a result, characterized him as a strong believer in what he practiced.  Devotion like what Jonah exemplified to the religion of Bokonon despite its founder's disclaimer I perceive as an admirable trait in a candidate for a friend.  Devotion means commitment and only someone committed to a friendship or relationship in general can guarantee a successful relationship.  In addition to the commitment Jonah showed I also respect how he strived to avoid prejudice, another trait harbored through the practice of Bokononism.  A Bokononist's karass has the ability to include any type of person for it "ignores institutional... class boundaries," and consequently discourages the act of prejudice in those that practice the religion (5).  I do not know about others but I typically like to surround myself with people that avoid coming to conclusions about others prematurely.  A Bokononist like Jonah practices the value of equality and does not avoid a person on account of race, class, or ethnicity. Someone willing to expose them self to all and learn the lessons they have to offer results in an extremely well rounded person morally. By acquainting myself with Jonah I would also expose myself to more people and more norms, allowing me to become a better person as well.  Vonnegut's portrayal of Jonah as a committed person, but also one curious enough to meet new people and learn new ideals, appeals to me and I would befriend him in order to diversify my morals and train of thought.