When has pretending to be something you are not (spying for short) for the a
higher cause gone too far? Perhaps when your act is reality and looked up to
by those who believe in your falsity? Mother
Night is all about that theme. The irony that the main character's
ruse is an inspiration for those who aspire to as 'good' a Nazi as he pretends
to be. Howard W. Campbell Jr. is an American spy placed in Germany. He voices
Nazi propaganda over the radio, which he uses as code to communicate vital information
to his superiors back home, but he is so convincing in his role that Nazis hold
him up to be an example and Jews and others revile him long after the war is
over.
Slaughterhouse
Five also deals with an American in Germany in World War II, but
Billy Pilgrim is an American soldier who is part of the occupation of Germany.
The horrors that he saw in the war-torn country has unhinged him. The story
bounces around time (and space) jumping between various events in Billy's life.
The novel is quite popular, but its disjointed approach may be a turnoff for
some.
