Campbell is a writer—a poet and a playwright, to be exact. He's also writing a tale of his failures. Although Mother Night is an account of just how much this dude has messed up, Campbell still goes to great lengths to remind us that he's a literary genius, and that his work—even of the scary Nazi flavor—is super successful.
Vonnegut lets his characters indulge in creative genius stereotypes here and there, even while he pokes fun at their big heads. No matter what Campbell has to say on the subject, Vonnegut gives us an inconvenient truth: what you write reveals the inner you—whether you want it to or not.
Questions About Literature and Writing
- Why does Campbell stop writing after the war?
- Does writing pay in this novel? In what ways does commercial success play a part in the creative process?
- Is writing more of a talent or a skill in this text? Where does practice come in? Inspiration?
- What's the difference between creative writing and technical or news writing? Where does Campbell's story fit?
Chew on This
The reason Campbell can't write plays anymore is not that he doesn't have a muse but that his vision of himself has changed: he no longer feels like a playwright.
All of Campbell's creative work was in German except his propaganda broadcasts in English, and this is why those broadcasts aren't real for him.