A Critical Analysis of Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut

A Critical Analysis of Mother Night The novel Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut is the fictional memoirs of Howard W. Campbell Jr., an American, labeled as a spy, who moved to Germany in 1923 at the age of 11, roughly five years after the First World War was over, and then later became a renowned playwright and Nazi propagandist. The action of the novel is narrated by Campbell himself. The plot is that he is recording his memoirs on a typewriter, while awaiting trial for war crimes in an Israeli prison. The story of Howards life, although fictional , is proof of the hardships that many people experienced during this historical time period, many of which can be related directly back to the author himself as he also served during the war. This novel can be considered a reflection of his own interpretations and experiences into a fictional text. From a New Historicist perspective there are many references to real world characters which played a key role in the development of the First and Second World War with th e interpretation of the author’s opinion towards these characters a new historicist can analyze the work through its cultural context and understand the intellectual history through the story itself. A New Historicist’ aim, when reading a fictional text is to use the author’s interpretation of that time period and related experiences as a guideline to understanding the true historical context of that time. Compared toShow MoreRelatedThe Life and Writings of Kurt Vonnegut Essay2248 Words   |  9 PagesKurt Vonnegut is celebrated as one of the most successful novelist in the Post-Second World War period in the America. His literary works have had varied impacts on American culture, including the use of the word â€Å"karass† amongst college students, the naming of the pop groups â€Å"Ice Nine Kills† and â€Å"The Billy Pilgrims†, and the frequent use of the term â€Å"So it goes† as written in Vonnegutâ⠂¬â„¢s obituary on the New York Times (Farrell, p.ix). This article examines the impacts of Vonnegut’s on his literaryRead MoreAlice Malsenior6001 Words   |  25 Pagessharecropper and the youngest of eight children (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Alice’s father had always taken education very seriously in an era where the schooling of black children, especially black females, was very rare. Nevertheless, Willie enrolled his young daughter in school at the age of four where she was then able to skip two grades up to first grade due to her intellectual potential (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Though it may seem like Alice’s father was unorthodox