The Reality of Art

Living in the Bokononist society of San Lorenzo is equivalent to acting in a play. Every lie that is constructed must be carried out in order to let the people of the island, “Live by the foma that make [them] brave and kind and healthy and happy”. Jonah describes their lives as being “a work of art” (175). I instantly thought of “A Picture of Dorian Gray” when he said this. Much like the way Vonnegut opens up his novel with the disclaimer that “nothing in this book is true”, Oscar Wilde begins his story manipulating the reader. He states that art is to only be appreciated for its aesthetic beauty. There is no meaning to art and searching for a hidden meaning would be a waste of time. The problem appears as the story begins and the picture of Dorian Gray begins to mirror his corrupted soul. The reader then must question whether or not the painting still is merely a painting, or if art serves another purpose all together. This perfectly parallels the religion of Bokonon. Bokonon was established so that people could live harmoniously with their terrible conditions without having to acknowledge their suffering. Creating countless “fomas” or harmless lies protects the people of San Lorenzo from dealing with their constant predicaments. Bokonon is supposed to be nothing more than a simplistic, outlawed religion. With all of the benefits that the citizens receive from it however, is the religion as simplistic as they seem. Although this creates a seemingly ideal situation, are the people of San Lorenzo truly living in reality? When arguing that art has no meaning, are people seeing the art for what it truly is? The meaning of art and the reality of life are issues that deal with perspective. They both feign triviality while simultaneously taking on meaningful responsibilities. The inherent paradox of the people of San Lorenzo's life is that they create lies using Bokonon to protects themselves, and yet it is impossible to completely ignore their calamities. As Newt reiterates throughout the end of the book, “See the cat? See the cradle?” (179).