Kurt Vonnegut presents an intriguing tale of Howard W. Campbell Jr. (fictional), a WWII American spy, imprisoned in Israel for being a propagandist for the Nazis in Mother Night. Mr. Campbell narrates his life as a memoir that he is writing while in prison. In the process he challenges the reader to consider some of the ethically gray areas of life.
Mr. Campbell’s story blends the heroism of a spy with the cunning of being a Nazi, the warmth of friendship with the betrayal of trust to present a messy but accurate moral state of the world. Vonnegut narrates how men who are extremist in thought consider circumstances to have only one dimension. He contrasts such characters with those who are moderate in thought and therefore, almost nonchalant towards extremism. Finally, Vonnegut displays how in the interaction of these two kinds of characters, it might look like the former kind seem to have an upper hand. Whether that is really the case, is left to the discretion of the reader. On the optimistic side, Vonnegut demonstrates how intrinsic values such as friendship, loyalty and love survive narrow mindedness and extremism.
Overall, the use of black comedy provides some light moments to the readers as they consider the heavy topics of loneliness, hatred and WWII. Anyone looking for a compelling story which presents the multi-faceted and long-lasting effect of war on humanity will not be disappointed by this book.
