Mother Courage and Her Children : Themes
Mother Courage and Her Children is a notable literary work by Bertolt Brecht. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Mother Courage and Her Children.
Themes
Themes
War and Business: War is usually considered a symbol of destruction and death. But in this play, war is also shown as a business opportunity. Mother Courage (Anna Fierling) earns her living by selling food, liquor, clothes, and bandages to soldiers. Her only support in life is her cart. For her, war means a marketplace of profit. But for this very business, she has to pay a terrible price. After losing her children, she realizes that war brings only destruction, not lasting gain. Here, Brecht reveals that behind war lies the game of economy, trade, and profit.
Motherhood and Sacrifice: The conflict between motherhood and sacrifice is clear in Mother Courage’s character. She loves her children, but many times she prioritizes business. For example, she fails to save Swiss Cheese because she cannot raise enough money. She also refuses to give medicine to wounded soldiers for free. Yet her daughter Kattrin sets the opposite example of true sacrifice by giving her life to save others. The play shows that even though a mother’s love is deep, war restricts and limits that love.
Humanity vs. Cruelty: In war, people gradually lose their humanity and become cruel. Soldiers set fire to villages, kill peasants, and loot cattle, acts that are praised as bravery. But in reality, these are brutal crimes. Even Mother Courage refuses to help the wounded out of business interests. However, her mute daughter Kattrin demonstrates true humanity. She beats the drum to warn the Protestant soldiers and sacrifices her life in the process. This theme shows that even in the darkness of cruelty, the light of humanity can still shine.
Fate and Destiny: Throughout the play, Mother Courage tries to save her children. But she is utterly helpless against fate. Eilif is executed for his brutality in war, Swiss Cheese is killed because of his honesty, and Kattrin dies through sacrifice. Though Mother Courage wants to protect them, she fails each time. In the end, the mother, bereft of her children, is seen once again moving on with her cart. This shows how war changes human destiny, leaving people completely powerless before fate.