Mother Courage and her children commentary

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Mother Courage and her Children

Does mother courage deserve some sympathy or is she merely a greedy callow business woman.

Through the actions of resisting the recruitment of her son to the war and charging high prices for increased profits, Mother Courage is seen to be the greedy business woman who only takes from the war, but does not give. However, are her actions of mere greediness simply being a loving mother trying to protect her children? Though Mother Courage seems to deserve sympathy as a result from the death of all her children, examples throughout the playwright suggest that the sympathy comes directly as a consequence of her greediness. The reasons for her sympathy are because of her greediness which are seen in the first, third and last scenes of the playwright, where Mother courage resists Eilif’s participation in the war, the death of Swiss Cheese and the death of Kattrin. Bertolt Brecht’s use of key literary features also contributes to the representation of Mother Courage being a greedy business woman.

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Scene 1, (p. 7) can be viewed as Mother Courage being a caring mother simply fearing the death of her child,

“Sergeant: I could use something else. Those boys are healthy as young birch trees, I observe: chest like barrels, solid leg muscles. So why are they dodging military service may I ask? Mother Courage: Nowt doing, sergeant. Yours is no trade for my kids.’

However, her words can also depict that she is simply taking from the war, but not giving, (p.9)

“It’s to fatten up your kids but you won’t invest in it?”

Mother courage is profiting ...

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