Mother Courage and her children by Brecht

The first 200 words of this essay...

Mother Courage and her children

Exploration notes

* Plot and sub-plot

Anna Fierling is a canteen woman who bears the name, "Mother Courage" and travels in her wagon along with her children serving the Swedish Army during the Thirty Years War, (1618-1648 ). Although she has been warned that war can never be all take and no give she intends to make a living from the war whilst keeping her children out of it.

> Sweden, spring 1624

A truce has occurred in the Swedish-Polish war, a recruiter and his Sergeant are seeking without success to enlist new troops for the Swedish campaign in Poland. The recruiting officer attempts to enlist Eilif, her son, into the army.

Courage sees her brave son being seduced by the officer and demands he leaves her children alone. The Sergeant protests and asks why; since Courage wishes to live off the war should she not give it something in return.

When Eilif admits he would like to sign up, Mother Courage tells the recruiter's fortune and then prophesises his early death. Manipulating the situation and installing fear into her children, Courage then draws black crosses out