The failure of the protagonists to achieve their goals in Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage and Her Children and August Strindbergs Miss Julie.

“Sergeant (looking after them): Like the war to nourish you? Have to feed it something too.” 

On the other hand, in ‘Miss Julie’, Jean’s plight was different from Mother Courage’s. Jean as a valet expresses his desire as wanting to become part of the upper class, with wealth and nobility to his name through his words- “I want to climb up, up to the top and look round… plunder the bird’s nest up there where the gold eggs lie.”

Jean wants to have a title as is expressed when she says, “I’d be a count, and you’d be a countess!” This urge is due to his already sophisticated nature and his jealousy of his employer, Miss Julie’s father, the Count. August Strindberg, makes it clear that Jean is an “ambitious slave who can live without honor”. This proves reason as to why Jean takes sexual advantage of Miss Julie. However, he acts dignified and respectful whilst talking to the Count. This respect is motivated by his aspiration to be the Count. This is evident from when Jean refers to the Count as “his lordship” and claims “I’ve [He’s] never met anyone I [he] respected as I [he] do [does] him.”

Jean’s sexual act is to satisfy his sexual as well as social hunger. By taking advantage of the situation, he thinks he can run away with Miss Julie who will provide capital for his hotel venture as well as the means to become wealthy and well looked upon. However, he realizes that being an aristocrat is far from his desires. He realizes that what he was aspiring towards “was not something worthier and more solid.” Jean also eventually learns that Miss Julie cannot do anything for him-

“Jean: You seem I could make you into a countess, but you could never make me a Count.”

Jean’s character is moulded by his ambition. He manages to convince Miss Julie to enter his room without arousing suspicion of foul play by saying, “No. Into my room, then. We can’t bother about conventions now. And you can trust me. I am your true, loyal and respectful-friend.” Through his words, Jean shows his manipulative, deceptive and also his cunning nature. He finds no fault nor any guilt in lying to Miss Julie about his past dreams and desires of being with her-

“Jean: The oat-bin? Oh that was just talk”

On the other hand, Mother Courage’s character is also overcome by her ambition. It causes her to undermine the role of her children in her life, as well as accept her losses.  She is extremely loyal to her children, but her loyalty often shifts in the case of partners and her side in the war as is depicted through her words “I’m joining our side this time.”

The two protagonists remain focused on achieving their goals throughout the play, indicating a steady sense of ambition and determination. This is suggestive of how their characteristics and personalities are well apt for their success. Their determination foreshadows a certain sense of this success, which is contrasted during the development of the play by their negative qualities that begin to surface. Another striking aspect shared by the duo is their unfazed nature even after the realization of having failed. After Miss Julie’s alleged suicide, or even prior to that, when Jean realizes that the upper class too can fall, he merely accepts the situation and carries on. Similarly, Mother Courage continues to tread forward even though, one by one, she loses her children.  Neither character shows any signs of defeat or subsequent remorse at their situations. Jean does admit to his defeat shortly, but immediately goes on to attacking Miss Julie with great cunning, therefore bringing the focus away-

“Jean: I had no hope of winning you, of course- but you were a symbol to me of the   hopelessness of my ever climbing out of the class in which I was born.”

During adverse conditions and situations, the two characters act swiftly, but not accurately. Jean entirely misinterprets his situation with Miss Julie and believes that by convincing her to move away to Switzerland with him, the entire sexual “folly” will be saved. His intentions were to use her to provide capital for a hotel business; but the tides turn when he discovers she has no money. Instead of watching Miss Julie suffer, he convinces her to take her own life as it is assumed in the text. Mother Courage faces many hardships throughout the play as compared to Jean who faces only one. She is first faced by the loss of her son Eilief, then the loss of her other son Swiss Cheese, and finally the hurt inflicted to her daughter Kattrin who subsequently dies. As seen when Eilief was taken away by the recruiting Sergeant, she simply accepts the situation, packs up her cart and continues her journey. This is shown in the dialogue between Mother Courage and her son Swiss Cheese-

“Mother Courage: … Where’s Eilief?

Swiss Cheese: Went off with the recruiter.

Mother Courage (stands quite still, then): You simpleton… You’ll have to help your brother pull now, Kattrin.”

Mother Courage does not act as a mother is expected to; there is no distinctive outburst or backlash at any of these instances. She is a woman who simply moves along, emphasizing on the ongoing nature of the circle of life and her steady state of mind.  

Both Mother Courage and Jean require a second party in their ventures. Mother Courage requires a man as is seen by the diversity of the fathers of her children whereas Jean required Miss Julie-

“Jean: Oh, now and then a man has strength enough to hoist himself up in the world but how often does it happen?”

It shows the flaws in their independent attitudes; though they carry a large ego and a flattering show of independency. Both the characters turn towards second parties to provide a platform for them to stand upon- in Jean’s case, to move upwards from, in Mother Courage’s case- to live stably.

The two protagonists are caught in a vicious circle; one cannot leave the vicinities of his social order, while the other could not save her family, nor make a decent living from her sales during the war. Their seemingly selfish intentions attempted to be covered by noble deeds, shine through, thus leading to their downfall. Wealth and reputation comes above the death of a young woman, and similarly, wealth again comes in the view of three children’s deaths. Both characters share a distinct and compassionate desire to succeed, but are pulled away from this success by a certain negative qualities which they possess.

Works Cited:

1. Strindberg, August. Miss Julie.

XYZ Publication company, 1234 (originally published in 1234)

2. Brecht, Bertolt. Mother Courage and Her Children.

XYZ Publication company, 1234 (originally published in 1234)