Overview:
As we have read Mother Night we have had considerable difficulty defining the protagonist Howard W. Campbell. Is he a good guy? Bad guy? American spy? Nazi propagandist? Thoroughly indifferent? Ardently engaged in the war effort? As a modernist writer Kurt Vonnegut insists that you draw your own conclusion. With that in mind your task is as follows:
Task:
In a well-developed essay response answer the following question:
Who is Howard W. Campbell?
Guidelines:
Your essay should be properly developed and organized. It should have an introduction that culminates in a clear and concise thesis. The body paragraphs should help to prove your thesis by incorporating sufficient context, as well as examples from the novel, and your conclusion should pull it all together while making a thoughtful connection to life in general.
Your essay should be 4-5 pages in length, be properly organized, and include a minimum of 5 quotes for the text.
Your essay should adhere to proper MLA formatting in all areas and include a works cited page. You do not have to incorporate any outside sources, but if you do be sure to cite them properly.
My thesis was that Howard W. Campbell was a man who was just Melancholically Yearning for Love his whole life.
and I want to prove that in my essay,
5 quotes from the book are required and I have written quotes and info on every chapter I have read from start to finish here:
Vonnegut, Kurt. Mother Night. Dial Press Trade Paperbacks, 2009.
Chapter 1
“My name is Howard W. J Campbell, Jr. I am an American by birth a Nazi by reputation and a nationless person by indication.” (Vonnegut 1).
He’s behind bars waiting a fair trial for his war crimes in the second world war, he’s stressing about how long ago that war was and not even the new generation of jews remember it.
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Campbell reveals the medium of his war crimes was radio broadcasting. He was a Nazi radio propagandist. A shrewd and loathsome anti Semite.
Chapter 4
One of the guards tells Campbell he’s the only man who has a bad conscience about what he did in the war. Campbell says back to him “What makes you think I have a bad conscience?” (Vonnegut 15), the guard tells him it’s because of the way Campbell sleeps and dreams tossing and turning all night.
Chapter 5
Campbell admits he dreams of women.
Chapter 6
Campbell talks about his purgatory in New York City. Where he was waiting on his trial. He lived in an attic apartment with a back window that overlooked a private park that he called Eden formed by joined back yards. He said he often heard cries, a child’s cry that never failed to make him stop and listen. The cry was this olly-olly-ox-in-free.
He then says “And I, hiding from many people who might want to hurt or kill me, often longed for someone to give that cry for me, to end my endless game of hide and seek with a sweet and mournful Olly-olly-ox-in-free.” (Vonnegut 24)
Chapter 7
Born in Schenectady, New York, on February 16, 1912. He was an only child, his father worked for some electrical company and his mother was at home drunk most of the time.
His dad got a job and Germany and from then on everything he did was in German. He became a German playwright and married Helga Noth there.
Chapter 8
He admits he committed high treason, crimes against humanity and crimes against my own conscience and got away with them until now all because he was an American agent all through the war.
“I was left alone so much that I was able to take back my own name, and almost nobody wondered if I was the Howard W. Campbell, Jr.” (Vonnegut 30)
It shows that when he moved back to New York the new generation never recognized who he was.
Chapter 9
Campbell was thinking of a fourth play that was beginning to write itself in mind, “It gave itself a title, which was “Das Reich der Zwei”- Nation of Two.” It was going to be about the love my wife and I had for each other. It was going to show how a pair of lovers in a world gone mad could survive by being loyal only to a nation composed of themselves- a nation of two.” (Vonnegut 33)
Hoawrd Campbell gets asked to be a secret American spy for the Nazis, he quickly declines but the recruiter Major Frank Wirtanen had read one of Campbell’s plays and tells him what he learned about Campbell through it, “That you admire pure hearts and heroes,” he said. “That you love good and hate evil,” he said, “and that you believe in romance.” (Vonnegut 39)
Chapter 10
His Helga was dead, he’s reminiscing about how she did belive the things he said as a Nazi propagandist but he needed to feel love no matter who he was pretending to be.
“No matter what I was really, no matter what I really meant, uncritical love was what I needed- and my Helga was the angel who gave it to me.”
He says how during the war they both talked like patriotic lunatics, “But it did not count. Only one thing counted- The nation of two. And when that nation ceased to be, I became what I am today and what I will always be, a stateless person.” (Vonnegut 43)
Chapter 11
“I was tempted to take morphine..But then I understood that I was already drugged. I was feeling no pain. My narcotic was what got me through the war; it was an ability to let my emotions be stirred by only one thing- my love for Helga.” (Vonnegut 47)
“And so, with my Helga presumed dead, I became a death worshiper.. Always alone, I drank toasts to her, said good morning to her, said good night to her, played music for her, and did not give a damn for one thing else.” (Vonnegut 47)
Chapter 12
Kraft wants Campbell to write again. Kraft encourages him, tells him he’s young and full of ideas. Kraft says a woman can help do this. “You’ve got to write again.” He said. Just as daisies bloom as daisies and roses as roses- you must bloom as a writer.. Everything else about us is uninteresting.” (Vonnegut 56)
He gets nasty and nice letters in the mail
Chapter 13
He’s talking about Dr. Jones, publisher of the White Christian Minuteman which was a very discriminatory newspaper, Campbell mentions how “When Jones’ wife died, Jones felt the need to be reborn.” (Vonnegut 65)
Chapter 14
Dr. Jones along with his bodyguard August Krapptauer and secretary Father Keeley comes to Campbell’s New York house and brings a surprise for Campbell saying it’s his wife, she says to Campbell “So I could for myself if there was still room for me in your life,” said Helga. “If there is no room, I will simply say goodbye again, disappear and never bother you again.” (Vonnegut 76)
Chapter 15
Helga would have been a prisoner of the Russians for sixteen years, if it was her that is.
Chapter 16
After Campbell believes, ‘Helga’ said she thought surely he’s start a new life with no room in it for her, Campbell says, “My life is nothing but room for you..it could never be filled by anyone but you.” (Vonnegut 80)
Chapter 17
Krapptauer dies
Chapter 18
‘Helga’ asks about what type of politics he supports now, Campbell says he doesn’t have any political opinions now and asks ‘Helga’ to ask what music he listens to now. “From now on-” I said, “we’ll make privacy for two again.” “That will be nice,” she said. “Nation of two again.” I said.
Werner Noth, Helga’s father tells Campbell that it broke his heart when he married Helga, he responded with “Sorry,” I said. “You made her happy,” he said. “I hope so,” I said. That made me hate you more, he said. Happiness has no place in war.” (Vonnegut 98)
He said because he hated Campbell so much he never missed a broadcast, that his broadcasts and he took Campbell’s hand, “You alone kept me from concluding that Germany had gone insane.” (Vonnegut 99)
Chapter 19
Campbell was going to kill Resi’s dog because it wouldn’t make it through the war.
He says, “When I came into the music room I was startled to see how much she was coming to resemble my Helga.” (Vonnegut 102)
Resi confesses thinking she’ll die anyway she tells Campbell, “Since nobody’s going to go on living much longer,” she said, “I might as well tell you I love you.” “That’s very sweet,” I said. “I mean really love you,” she said.” (Vonnegut 103)
She goes on to say, “When Helga was alive and you two would come here, I used to envy Helga. When Helga was dead, I started dreaming about how I would grow up and marry you and be a famous actress and you would write plays for me”. (Vonnegut 104) (aww he just wanted to be a playwright) Campbell says he’s honored and Resi goes on to say it doesn’t mean anything, nothing means anything.
Chapter 20
He found out recently that Werner Noth died. (offed himself)
Chapter 21
Campbell’s closest friend in Germany was Heinz Schildknecht, his ping pong doubles partner, they used to drink together and talk long into the night especially after they both lost their wives.
Neither of them had a home, Campbell had a watch, typewriter and bicycle and that’s it.
Heinz tells Campbell how he loves his motorcycle more than his wife. How he sold all of her belongings to buy cigarettes for himself.
Campbell asks to borrow his motorcycle to see his in-laws and then he leaves and doesn’t come back with it to Heinz.
Chapter 22
Campbell and ‘Helga’ are in Greenwich Village and they’re talking “Can I show you my presents first?” she said, “Presents?” I said. “For you,” she said. “You’re my present,” I said. “What more would I want?”(Vonnegut 120) and she gives Campbell a suitcase of all his old manuscripts from when he was a young man
He reads a poem he wrote in 1937 and it was titled Reflections on Not Participating in Current Events, it’s like how they were in the middle of the war and he wrote “My love and I, we ran away..left history far behind us Perhaps we should have stayed and died, But somehow we don’t think so.” (Vonnegut 122)
“We stood side by side, resenting the invasion of our nation of two.” (Vonnegut 126)
Chapter 23
He tells her, “Nothing you could say would make me love you more or less. Our love is too deep for words to ever touch it. It’s soul love..A love that can weather anything”, I said. “Your soul feels love now for my soul?” she said. “Obviously,” I said. (Vonnegut 134)
And then she reveals she’s not Helga Noth, she’s Helga’s little sister Resi Noth.
Chapter 24
Resi says she found it better to pretend being Helga because she was so in love with Campbell.
Campbell says Helga didn’t inspire him to write but she inspired the way he wrote he goes to say “I wrote parts for Helga that let her be the quintessence of Helga.” (Vonnegut 139)
Chapter 25
Satisfy 7 women?
Chapter 26
The government was requesting that the United States release him to Israel for trial
The man that got the newspaper started to beat Campbell, kicking Campbellm in the ribs and the head knocking him out
Chapter 27
Resi is saying she has a plan with George Kraft to fly somewhere where Campbell isn’t known and start life over again.
Chapter 28
Kraft was saying, “When you get out of this country with your girl, get yourself new surroundings, a new identity-you’ll start writing again,” he said, “and you’ll write ten times better than you ever did before. Think of the maturity you’ll be bringing to your writing!” (Vonnegut 155)
Campbell asks why Kraft is so avid on coming on this runaway with him and Resi because it only puts Kraft in more danger, Kraft says, “when my wife died, I had no allegiance to anything on earth. I, too, was a meaningless fragment of a nation of two.” (Vonnegut 156)
Chapter 29
The plan was to leave America.
Campbell was a citizen of nowhere
“Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith, I consider a capacity for it terrifying and absolutely vile.” (Vonnegut 160)
“The New York Daily News suggested that my biggest war crime was not killing myself like a gentleman. Presumably Hitler was a gentleman.” (Vonnegut 162)
“The New York Times said that tolerating and even protecting vermin like me was one of the maddening necessities in the life of a truly free society.” (Vonnegut 162)
Chapter 30
The plan was to fly to Mexico City.
“The plan was surely as charming a daydream as I had had in many a day. And it seemed not only possible but certain that I would write again. Shyly I told Resi so. She wept for joy. For real joy? Who knows.” (Vonnegut 169)
He goes on to tell her that he’ll write about them in their village in Mexico.
Kraft tells to title Campbell’s writing Don Quixote
Chapter 31
Campbell delivers the eulogy for Krapptauer.
Someone slipped a note in his pocket, the note said to meet the person, “Your life is in danger.. It was signed by my Blue Fairy Godmother, by Colonel Frank Wirtanen.” (Vonnegut 180) The original man that recruited Campbell to be a spy for the Americans as a Nazi.
Chapter 32
The same day Campbell’s Blue Fairy Godmother disappeared was the same day Helga went missing. Campbell broadcasted this information of Helga going missing without even knowing what he was really doing, he goes to say that “It represented, I suppose a wider separation of my several selves than even I can bear to think about.” (Vonnegut 184)
“At that climactic moment in my life, when I had to suppose that my Helga was dead, I would have liked to mourn as an agonized soul, indivisible. But no.” (Vonnegut 184)
Wirtanen goes onto say he was surprised that Campbell didn’t kill himself after finding out this news about his wife, Campbell said he should have and he’s damn sorry he didn’t.
“There goes the whole play about Helga and me, ‘Nation of Two,’” I said, “because I missed my cue for the great suicide scene.”..I admire form, I said. “I admire things with a beginning, a middle, an end- and, whenever possible, moral, too.” (Vonnegut 185)
Wirtanen says there’s a chance she may be alive, and Campbell says “A loose end..an irrelevancy. The play is over.” (Vonnegut 185)
Wirtanen tells Campbell that the people who fed him information were all dead, 7 women and they never betrayed Campbell. And Wirtanen says it satisfied them by dying.
Wirtanen tells Campbell no one truly new that Campbell was actually helping America, not even his parents and they died without knowing.
Chapter 33
Wirtanen reveals that Resi and Kraft are communist agents!
Chapter 34
“Friend, dream, and mistress-” I said, “alles kaput.” (Vonnegut 197) Meaning all destroyed!
Wirtanen reveals that the Russians want Campbell because they want to exhibit Campbell as a prime example of the sort of Fascist war criminal that America shelters, they also want Campbell to confess to all sorts of collusion(agreements) between Americans and Nazis at the start of the Nazi regime.
Campbell asks what would the Russians threaten him with and Wirtanen says death, Campbell says he doesn’t fear it but Wirtanen clarifies if Campbell did not cooperate, the death would be for Resi, “For the girl you love, for the girl who loves you-”
Chapter 35
Resi’s mission was to make Campbell love her
“She did it very well,” I said sadly,”not that it was hard to do.” (Vonnegut 199)
Campbells manuscripts and works were stored in Moscow Russia And it was the main evidence in the trial of Stepan Bodovskov. Stepan Bodovskov started translating Campbell’s german works into Russian and the Russians loved it, it still continues to be produced.
Chapter 36
Campbell says how he feels like a pig being used for everything but his squeal “like a pig that’s been taken apart, who’s had experts fina use for every part.” (Vonnegut 206)
“Even my most cherished memories have been converted into catfood, glue and liverwurst!” (Vonnegut 206)
He’s talking about the memories with Helga.
“Of Helga- my Helga..Resi killed those, in interests of the Soviet Union. She made me faithless to those memories, and they can never be the same again.” (Vonnegut 206)
Kraft / Kraft-Potapov is the one who realized it was his friend Campbell’s work and reported Bodoskov to Moscow
Chapter 37
Campbell still wanted to be back living with Kraft and Resi, “I knew them for what they were, but the fact remained that they were all I had.” (Vonnegut 211)
Campbell plays passive aggressive and reveals he knows Resi and Kraft’s real identities. And Resi admits that she is a communist agent and so is Kraft or Colonel Iona Potapov
Resi says she wasn’t going to go through with it because she loves him “because the love you have me was the only love I’ve ever had, the only love I ever will have.” (Vonnegut 218)
Any minute American agents would come to arrest Resi and Kraft, Resi demands if it’s not love than what does he live for? And he cannot answer
Chapter 39
Resi admits to the boss from America as she’s arrested, “I am sorry I have nothing to live for,” All I have is love for one man, but that man does not love me. He is so used up that he can’t love any more.” Resi then put cyanide in her mouth and says “ I will show you a woman who dies for love.” (Vonnegut 230) and she then died in Campbell’s arms.
Chapter 40
Campbell was arrested and then let go, he stops on the sidewalk and he comes to say, “What froze me was the fact that I had absolutely no reason to move in any direction.”(Vonnegut 232)
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
He reminisces about Helga, one time they were bombed, “For like any human family, we loved our nests and needed them. But for a minute of two anyway, Helga and I felt like Noah and his wife on Mount Ararat.” (Vonnegut 240)
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
He tells Dr. Epstein said that he wants to go to Israel and stand trial, “I want to be tried for my 4crimes against humanity ..I’m willing to go.” (Vonnegut 254)
Epstein’s mother tells her son to call somebody, she wants revenge.
Chapter 45
Campbell gets a letter from his blue fairy godmother, Wirtenan identifies himself, Wirtenan says in the letter “If there must be trial of Howard W. Campbell Jr., by the forces of self righteous nationalism, let it be one hell of a contest.” (Vonnegut 267)
“So I am about to be a free man again, to wander where I please. I find the prospect nauseating.” (Vonnegut 267)
He ends it with “ I think that tonight is the night I will hand Howard W. Campbell Jr., for crimes against himself. I know that tonight is the night…Goodbye, cruel world! Auf Wiedersehen?” (Vonnegut 268)
Meaning until we meet again in German, it can be assumed he hung himself! He didn’t want to be a free man.”
so the thesis must be clear, format good make sure it makes sense.. this is my final paper.
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