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“Mother Night” dramatises the power of propaganda

Kurt Vonnegut’s novel points up the role of language in wartime

NICK NOLTECharacter(s): Howard CampbellFilm 'MOTHER NIGHT' (1996)Directed By ALBERT BROOKS07 September 1996SSC8048Allstar Collection/PARAMOUNT PICTURES**WARNING** This photograph can only be reproduced by publications in conjunction with the promotion of the above film. A Mandatory Credit To PARAMOUNT PICTURES is Required. For Printed Editorial Use Only, NO online or internet use. 0511z@yx

Jun 15th 2022

“This is the only story of mine whose moral I know,” wrote Kurt Vonnegut of “Mother Night”. First published in 1961, his novel takes the form of a fictional memoir; the narrator, Howard W. Campbell junior, reflects on his experience as a double-agent in the second world war. The tale’s theme, as the author saw it, was that “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “War and words”