In Chapter 11, “War Surplus,” Campbell characterizes his romantic feelings for Helga as a “narcotic” that “got me through the war” (46-47). By letting his “emotions be stirred by only one thing—my love for Helga,” Campbell was able to avoid “going insane” (47).
In what ways is love (for a lover, a friend, a family member, a child) like a powerful drug that deadens pain, distorts perception, or creates addiction? What reasons might a sensible critic give for justifying Campbell’s choice to focus on his relationship with Helga during time of war?
For most people, knowing that there is someone there for them is all they need. When you think about it, people do this in everyday life and not only in war. Love can change everything, it can give someone a reason to live or a reason to die. Love can make us feel safe and unafraid much like some drugs are said to do. They take away worry and restore courage in its place. If I were a critic my defense of Vonnegut's choice of focus would be that the love of the main character is something that was true, and not faked such as his 'love' for Germany. It was consistent and unbreakable.
ReplyDeleteHaving love for someone is like nothing else in the world. The person who you love and who loves you back can make you see almost everything in a different perspective, and they take the sadness and loneliness away when you’re feeling down. Being with this person that makes you so happy causes you to never want to leave their side, because that way there would be no cause for pain or heartache. In agreement with Laura’s statement, Campbell’s love for Helga was pure and true. Nothing could have made him forget her, which is made obvious when she is killed. Campbell says good morning and good night to her every day and when Helga “comes back” to him he is overjoyed. Love is a very strong emotion and can cause people to do extreme things, such as when Resi kills herself because Campbell cannot love her.
ReplyDeleteEverything changes when love is added to the picture. In my opinion, everything seems brighter and happier when I am around someone that I love. When I was a little girl, every time I had to get a shot my dad would go with me and hold my hand tight. He would tell me that it would all be okay and the pain would be gone very quickly. I would trust him and it would give me peace. That is a very simple example of how love can ease pain. Campbell decided to focus on Helga during the war to help him make it through the pain and suffering that the war was causing. All the death and evil that was around him during the war didn’t seem as bad when he thought about her because it would “distort his perception” of it all.
ReplyDeleteLove can deaden pain, distort perspectives, and creates addictions in many different ways much like a powerful sedative would affect a person. When people believe that they are in love, many people are willing to turn a blind eye to anything that may disrupt the euphoria which has surrounded their minds in such a state. When love is involved, whether it is real or not, people ar more willing to accept an altered view of reality, believing that because they feel this love and affection for another person that things will change and everything will work out so there is a happy ending. What people don’t realize is that love is not (figuratively) a prescribed painkiller, but is instead more like a lethal addiction to crack. Once a person has had a taste they are simply hooked, and become willing to do whatever it takes to get their next fix.
ReplyDeleteWhenever people love someone else, whoever it may be, something happens within them. They are willing to do whatever it takes to help protect them, and can even rely on that feeling to make it through tough times. If love was described as an object, it would sound a whole lot like a drug. Think about it, a feeling of devotion, a need to protect, and no boundaries? Now I do not know what anyone else thinks, but that sounds a lot like a drug addiction to me. This is a quick change of subject, but whenever a person is in a war, times will get tough. They might not even know any reason to keep going on; the same old violent routine could ruin ones want to keep on. Love could possibly be the solution for that. When a person loves someone, but is away from them for a long period of time, all they want to do is go back to them to see them and to just hear their voice. That alone could be the determination to keep going in a warlike setting. This is not the only way love could be involved with war. Perhaps a person decided to go to war to protect those he or she loves. Love would be the greatest booster of them all in motivating someone at war to fight their hardest and refuse to give up. When one is fighting to protect loved ones, there are no boundaries.
ReplyDeletePart of loving someone is appreciating them. When you love them, you hold a value for them. Even the humblest of people desire at least some sort of value and understanding amongst others. When we know someone understands us, loves us, we gravitate towards that person. Even when life gets tough, or no one seems to understand you, knowing that someone is always there gives us a firm handle to hold on to that is like a place of rest where we can be ourselves and escape the constant judgement of others. Who wouldn't be attracted to that? when Campbell speaks of his love for Helga as a drug, he is refrencing how her love was addiciting. It was a shelter, a place where his walls came down and he could be himself. If he didn't have that sanctuary, that stability, he would go insane. If he had no one to be real with, he would forget what it feels like to be truly himself. Since this is the case, when he would be away from this love, he would want to seek it out again. He would experience "withdrawals" from her and in a way become addicted to it. Eventually he needed it.
ReplyDeleteLove, if nothing else, keeps us alive. He seemed as though he were so in love with Helga, he was addicting. And in his situation, it most naturally seems healthy, according to his state. When you love somebody, you just can’t get enough of them. You want them all the time—like a drug. And when he couldn’t have her anymore, he just remained scarce, and that is all.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it ironic, Daniel, that the love (for Helga) that helped Campbell not forget "what it feels like to be truly himself," as you put it, might have also indirectly allowed him to play the role of the Nazi? With Helga as his anchor, he was able to take on a difficult role because he knew he had a meaningful relationship to come home to. And as a result, he lost some of his sense of self.
ReplyDeleteHailey: Do you think Campbell's relationship with Helga was healthy, given their respective views on Nazism?
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