Matthew Schenk

English 112

Mrs. Elizabeth K. Claussen

Howard W. Campbell Jr.

        Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night is a story about war, love, deception, making peace with yourself and your past, and many other various themes and ideas. The story revolves around one man, but also around the people in his lives all of which, including himself, are very complex and different individuals. Some may or may not be exactly who they seem to be and others happen to be exactly what they seem to be, but as Vonnegut says himself, “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

        Howard W. Campbell Jr. was an American born, son of an engineer and an amateur cellist. He grew up sort of ordinarily in America, spending most of his time with his less than sane mother. His father, away with work most of the time, was not often around leaving him and his mother to be each other’s main companions. Eventually his father will be transferred to Germany for work and the family will then move there, where Howard will live and grow up. During the Nazi build-up after Hitler comes into power Howard decides to stay in Germany despite the fact that his parents return home. He is a playwright and is an associate of the members of the Nazi party and becomes a Nazi himself, though only in name and to be able to live and work comfortably in the Nazi ruled Germany.

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        After being approached by Major Wirtanen of the U.S. about being a spy for the Allied forces he reluctantly agrees. I feel that though he was hesitant at first that from the beginning who knew that it was the right thing to do and knew that the Nazis were about to be doing terrible things. From an American’s stand point, one that is of the arts as is Campbell he must have sympathy towards the Jews and what is going on and going to happen to them. Campbell works his way through the Nazi propaganda system eventually becoming the voice ...

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