Mother Courage and Her Children - Study Questions Flashcards
(12 cards)
author and date
Bertolt Brecht 1939
Flashcard 1: What are the virtues of war, according to the Recruiter and the Sergeant?
The Recruiter and Sergeant portray war as a necessary engine of employment and order. They argue that war gives purpose to idle men and justifies authority. Their view reflects a cynical, economic take on conflict—war as a system that keeps society functioning through violence and control.
Flashcard 2: What is Mother Courage’s relationship to the war?
Mother Courage profits from the war by running her canteen, selling goods to soldiers on both sides. Though she criticizes the war’s brutality, she remains economically dependent on it. Her relationship is deeply ambivalent—both exploitative and self-destructive.
Flashcard 3: What do Mother Courage’s children represent?
Each child symbolizes a different human value corrupted by war: Eilif (bravery), Swiss Cheese (honesty), and Kattrin (compassion). All three are destroyed by these virtues when placed in the context of war. Their deaths highlight how war punishes moral integrity.
Flashcard 4: How and why are the traditional notions of virtues such as courage and love reversed in war?
In the play, virtues become liabilities. Courage leads Eilif to his death, honesty gets Swiss Cheese executed, and love compels Kattrin to sacrifice herself. Brecht shows that war distorts moral values, turning positive traits into fatal flaws.
Flashcard 5: How does Mother Courage interpret victory and defeat?
Mother Courage treats both victory and defeat in terms of economic survival. She celebrates peace only when it allows her to profit and mourns losses primarily for their impact on her business. Her focus is survival, not ideology.
Flashcard 6: How sympathetic a character is Mother Courage?
Mother Courage is a complex character—both resilient and deeply flawed. Her maternal love is undermined by her obsession with profit, and her decisions often have tragic consequences. She evokes both admiration and frustration, making her a compelling but morally ambiguous figure.
Flashcard 7: What is the function of the Cook and the Chaplain?
The Cook and Chaplain offer contrasting male perspectives on war and companionship. The Cook represents opportunism and survival, while the Chaplain clings to moral justification. Both highlight different strategies for enduring the chaos of war—and challenge or support Courage in different ways.
Flashcard 8: How are the songs used in the play?
Songs interrupt the action to comment on events, often with irony or satire. They distance the audience emotionally, encouraging critical reflection rather than emotional identification. Songs also reinforce key themes, like the cost of war and the illusion of heroism.
Flashcard 9: What is the effect of the humour in the play?
Humour undercuts the tragedy, preventing the audience from becoming too emotionally absorbed. Brecht uses it to create Verfremdung (alienation), prompting viewers to think critically rather than passively sympathize. It often exposes absurdities in the characters’ logic and the war itself.
Flashcard 10: What are the main recurring images in the play?
Recurring images include the wagon (symbolizing survival and burden), the cross (religious sacrifice and suffering), and the drum (representing war’s constant, inescapable rhythm). These symbols reinforce the play’s themes of endurance, exploitation, and the futility of heroism.
Flashcard 11: In what respects is Mother Courage a propagandist play?
The play promotes Brecht’s anti-war and Marxist beliefs by exposing the economic motives behind war and the suffering it causes. Through alienation techniques, it discourages emotional catharsis and urges audiences to question systems of power. It’s meant not to entertain, but to provoke political thought and action.
