Why does it hurt so much more when someone we trust turns out to be the bad guy in our lives? From large-scale betrayals, like high treason, to the destruction of friendships, treachery is majorly devastating. Mother Night is littered with both hefty and micro instances of backstabbing.
Now, most of the novel's characters think they're in the betrayal game for good reasons: it was for love, it was for country, it was for fun (oops). If this novel shows us anything, it's that betrayal is easy.
Questions About Betrayal
- Which kind of betrayal is worse: private betrayal among friends, or public forms of betrayal, like treason?
- How does this text describe the aftermath of a betrayal?
- How do Campbell's feelings differ when he's talking about betrayal he caused versus betrayal he experienced?
- What answers does the text give for what a relationship needs in order to heal after a betrayal? Can it heal?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Campbell is not a traitor; he was just following orders.
Campbell is a traitor, if only to his own conscience.