Blog Post 5-Mother Courage

Brecht's play defies the normal expectations for drama in a few different ways but most notably in the vibe he gives off throughout the play.  The entire play seems to give off a dark and dreary vibe as if everyone in the play is miserable.  There is also a lack of grieving aspect to the play that seems to add to the dreary mood, as if no one really cares who lives and dies.  When Kattrin is shot it is said that she saves the town.  However, Mother Courage does not seem to spend much time grieving about the loss of her daughter before going back to work on her wagon.  This seems to defy what we expect from plays in that there is no mourning or grief that we get to witness.  Watching other people suffer and grieve via theatrical productions is a guilty pleasure of most people.  As an audience member you feel sympathetic for the character but at the same time you can't wait to see how bad their life might get next.  Mother Courage seems to lack this element, thus defying what we would normally expect and furthering our assumption that the play is set during a dark and unpleasant time. 

It can be assumed that the author probably did this to have his work stand out and so that people could and would put lots of thought toward his work. Brecht's play forces the audience to think about what he is trying to convey and has the audience wonder why he would want to do such a thing.  I feel that Brecht achieves his goal because we as an audience are forced to think about why these characters do what they do and what purpose these actions serve.  For example, we, the audience, wonder why Mother Courage acts the way she does and whether it is for the sake of her children or not.  Most of her actions, such as acting as if she does not know Swiss Cheese, are for the betterment of her children but the audience must first question why she is doing what she does to understand why she does what she does.