How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The only other cutting I have done is in Chapter Twenty-three, which is pornographic in the original. I would have considered myself honor-bound to present that chapter unbowdlerized, were it not for Campbell's request, right in the body of the text, that some editor perform the emasculation. (Editor's Note.10)
We're prepped early on—even before the story starts—to expect kissy times…but not too much, since Vonnegut has to insert ellipses at Campbell's request when things go beyond PG-13. Since Vonnegut is the real author, of course, he could totally have just written in the racy bits, but he wants to paint Campbell in a specific—maybe uptight, maybe self-conscious—light.
This moment is kind of a funny, meta tip-off that sex is going to be a thing in the novel, but Campbell doesn't need to make it "a thing", because he's calm, cool, and collected. Nothing to see here. No pornos or anything.
Quote #2
And, with nothing in my life making sense but love, what a student of geography I was! What a map I could draw for a tourist a micron high, a sub microscopic Wandervögel bicycling between a mole and a curly golden hair on either side of my Helga's belly button. If this image is in bad taste, God help me. Everybody is supposed to play games for mental health. I have simply described the game, an adult interpretation of 'This-Little-Piggy' that was ours. (10.15)
This is probably the steamiest moment we get in the novel. It's totally a lovers-chilling-in-a-garden-doing-what-lovers-do kind of scene. It's like: See. We had sex for reals because I know all about my wife's belly button. We get it, guy. You're all studied up on your anatomy exam.
Probably the most telling bit here is that sex-play was a key part in keeping Campbell mentally healthy. Helga and Campbell escaped into each other during the war, and that's what kept them going.
Quote #3
'All you need in this world to get writing again, writing better than ever before, is a woman.'
'A what?' I said. 'A woman,' he said. 'Where did you get this peculiar idea—' I said, 'from eating oysters? If you'll get one, I'll get one,' I said. 'How's that?' (12.15-18)
According to Kraft, sexual stimulation will help Campbell write again. We're not really talking about a saintly muse here: Kraft pretty much just thinks Campbell should get some. What leads him to this conclusion? Oysters, basically—a famous aphrodisiac.