In Brecht’s play, the life of Mother Courage is plainly an open contradiction. Discuss.

Answer

In Brecht’s play, the life of Mother Courage is plainly an open contradiction. Discuss.

Or, “The life of Mother Courage is plainly an open contradiction.”- Discuss. [NU: 2022] 

Bertolt Brecht’s (1898–1956) “Mother Courage and Her Children” (1941) shows the cruelty of war through the life of Anna Fierling, called Mother Courage. She pulls her wagon across Sweden, Poland, and Germany. She loves her children, but also loves her trade. She wants profit, but loses family. Her life is a mixture of survival and destruction. Her whole life is one big contradiction.

She Loves Children but Follows War: Mother Courage says she is only a trader, but she brings her children, Eilif, Swiss Cheese, and Kattrin with her wagon into war. She sings, 

“Here’s Mother Courage and her wagon!

Hey, Captain, Let them come and buy!”

This is a contradiction. She wants to protect her children, but she also pulls them into danger for business. She loves them but risks them.

She Wants Safety but Bargains with War: In Scene One, Mother Courage warns Eilif,

“Didn’t I teach you to take care of yourself, you Finnish devil, you?”

She wants him safe. But she also sells goods to the Sergeant and Recruiting Officer. While she bargains, Eilif is recruited. The contradiction is clear. She fights for her son, but at the same time, her trade allows him to be taken.

She Earns Money but Loses Swiss Cheese: Swiss Cheese becomes paymaster in the Second Protestant Regiment. Mother Courage tells him,

“Don’t forget they made you paymaster because you’re honest.”

She feels proud that he will not steal money. But when Catholics capture Swiss Cheese, they ask for a ransom. Mother Courage tries to save him. She runs to Yvette and even to the Cook. But she bargains too long, trying to save a little money. Before she decides, Swiss Cheese is executed. This is a deep contradiction in the story. She values her