When I reached the end of the book, I was (at first) upset that Campbell chose to hang himself. But then as I reflected more on the book, I became disgusted at what the third letter said. Wirtanen/Sparrow wrote, "I here violate direct and explicit orders that were given to me, were given to me in the best interests of the United States of America." And later on he says, "and that you, at personal sacrifices that proved total, became one of the most effective agents of the Second World War." I am disgusted and saddened at how the United States Government was going to just let Campbell die, even though he was the MOST EFFECTIVE AGENT. I am torn between how I should respond to this. Because 1) I know that this really happens and that the US Government does have to make decisions based on the best interest of the whole country, but then 2) Wirtanen makes it sound like Campbell is the ONLY reason that we won the war, so how can they just sit back and watch?! I also cannot decide if I respect Campbell or not. I mean, he killed himself. But then again, look what his government (who is suppose to protect him) did! I guess this kind of goes back to my Chapter Two: Sonderkommando answer, Campbell wanted the quickest escape; he wanted freedom from this "cruel world." I see it both ways; I respect him, but then again I don't. I guess my question(s) are: How do you feel about the US Government's actions in the third letter? And what are your final thoughts on Campbell's character; respect for him or not?
In response to your questions, Kendall, the U.S. government acted in a way that I would expect from an institution. Institutions like government and big businesses are not supposed to have feelings; they are entities without souls. However I would expect for individuals within these entities to have feelings and conscious’s about those they work with. Human beings need to feel for and have compassion for one another. I would have been disappointed if Mr. Sparrow had not stepped in for Campbell because he is the only one who knows him on a personal level—to the government, he is just another piece of paper. In answer to your question about Campbell, I am not sure if I respect him or not. I do not respect the act of suicide but I can still respect a person even though they choose to commit the act. I think the idea of being free was overwhelming for him; he had no home to go to; no one to love or love him; and no friends. His prospects were limited. At his age and stage in life, he probably did not feel like reinventing himself. He was no longer a playwright married to Helga (his last true identity) but a shell of a man who had been told who he was for the last few decades. Without the facade of being a hated Nazi, he did not know where he would fit in and that was too much for him to live through. With that being said, I do not respect him but I cannot judge him.
I do have respect for Campbell. He knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself as a free man. He thought he deserved punishment for “crimes against himself”. Campbell’s decision proves how strong his sense of morality was. He understood the morality of his actions over the many years, and he carried out the proper consequences. He hung himself like the photograph from earlier in the book with the hung camp guards. He had remarked then that the guards looked peaceful, and he was probably looking forward to feeling peaceful for the first time in a long time. As for the actions of the government, I think it was horrible for the US government to not take responsibility for the situation. But, like almost everything in this book, the government is portrayed as twisted, so I didn’t expect them to act any differently.
When I reached the end of the book, I was (at first) upset that Campbell chose to hang himself. But then as I reflected more on the book, I became disgusted at what the third letter said. Wirtanen/Sparrow wrote, "I here violate direct and explicit orders that were given to me, were given to me in the best interests of the United States of America." And later on he says, "and that you, at personal sacrifices that proved total, became one of the most effective agents of the Second World War." I am disgusted and saddened at how the United States Government was going to just let Campbell die, even though he was the MOST EFFECTIVE AGENT. I am torn between how I should respond to this. Because 1) I know that this really happens and that the US Government does have to make decisions based on the best interest of the whole country, but then 2) Wirtanen makes it sound like Campbell is the ONLY reason that we won the war, so how can they just sit back and watch?!
ReplyDeleteI also cannot decide if I respect Campbell or not. I mean, he killed himself. But then again, look what his government (who is suppose to protect him) did! I guess this kind of goes back to my Chapter Two: Sonderkommando answer, Campbell wanted the quickest escape; he wanted freedom from this "cruel world." I see it both ways; I respect him, but then again I don't.
I guess my question(s) are: How do you feel about the US Government's actions in the third letter? And what are your final thoughts on Campbell's character; respect for him or not?
In response to your questions, Kendall, the U.S. government acted in a way that I would expect from an institution. Institutions like government and big businesses are not supposed to have feelings; they are entities without souls. However I would expect for individuals within these entities to have feelings and conscious’s about those they work with. Human beings need to feel for and have compassion for one another. I would have been disappointed if Mr. Sparrow had not stepped in for Campbell because he is the only one who knows him on a personal level—to the government, he is just another piece of paper. In answer to your question about Campbell, I am not sure if I respect him or not. I do not respect the act of suicide but I can still respect a person even though they choose to commit the act. I think the idea of being free was overwhelming for him; he had no home to go to; no one to love or love him; and no friends. His prospects were limited. At his age and stage in life, he probably did not feel like reinventing himself. He was no longer a playwright married to Helga (his last true identity) but a shell of a man who had been told who he was for the last few decades. Without the facade of being a hated Nazi, he did not know where he would fit in and that was too much for him to live through. With that being said, I do not respect him but I cannot judge him.
ReplyDeleteI do have respect for Campbell. He knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself as a free man. He thought he deserved punishment for “crimes against himself”. Campbell’s decision proves how strong his sense of morality was. He understood the morality of his actions over the many years, and he carried out the proper consequences. He hung himself like the photograph from earlier in the book with the hung camp guards. He had remarked then that the guards looked peaceful, and he was probably looking forward to feeling peaceful for the first time in a long time. As for the actions of the government, I think it was horrible for the US government to not take responsibility for the situation. But, like almost everything in this book, the government is portrayed as twisted, so I didn’t expect them to act any differently.
ReplyDelete