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A Common Misconception About the Characters

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A Common Misconception About the Characters

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Of all the phenomena that have occurred repeatedly throughout history, war certainly appears to be the a very prominent constant. While kings and emperors wage wars to fulfill their own political agendas, anywhere from thousands to millions of individuals must make serious adjustments to their own lifestyles to ensure their own survival. The story of Mother Courage in Bertolt Brecht’s “Mother Courage and Her Children” is one such example. Mother Courage, the Chaplain, and the Cook are all characters who seem to be dehumanized because of the personal gain they obtain from the Thirty Years’ War. However, these characters are just as much victims as anybody else but accept that they cannot resist or change their circumstances.

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Bells are ringing, and the war has ended. Peace has been declared. Mother Courage has just recently bought some new supplies for her cart, and the Cook is penniless. That being said, as opposed to celebrating the end of the Thirty Years' War, Mother Courage, who made her profit off the war, basically reacts like this after buying new goods.

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The Cook is starving and basically has nothing since he's no longer employed by the army. Although he wasn't looking to capitalize off the war, he depends on his role as a part of the military underclass for survival. Working as a cook for the army, he plays the role of both a peasant and an outsider, so his job isn't something he looks forward to. However, this job is his only means of survival. Unfortunately, on top of his unemployment, he's been blamed for the lack of food across the country.

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The Chaplain is back! He's also thrown his clerical robes back on since hearing about the peace treaty. He comes back and talks to the Cook, who blames Chaplain for making the terrible decision of telling Mother Courage to buy more supplies. The two get into an argument and eventually Mother Courage enters, backing the Cook. At that point, the Chaplain loses his temper with Mother Courage.

At this point, he calls Mother Courage a "hyena of the battlefield." He goes on more to tell her "You only want war, not peace, because you make a profit from it: in which case you should never forget that he who sups with the devil needs a long spoon."

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All this is pretty high and mighty coming from someone else who profits off of the war. The Chaplain may not benefit from the war in a monetary sense, but to him being a "pastor of souls" in this war provides him with a bit of power. Initially he genuinely believes that the war is a war of faith, but over time he begins to realize in actuality the war is a man-made creation that was waged by "emperor and kings and popes." Furthermore, this war is godless. He is simply a pawn in a war used to fulfill political agendas.

Sound familiar?

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To the readers and to the Chaplain, it's easy to view Mother Courage as a dehumanized monster. She's obsessed with making a profit from the war, and refers to the war as a "trade," which makes it even easier to view her in this light. However, like the Chaplain, she's taking advantage, but she's also a victim. She's simply accepting the cards she's been dealt and is trying to make the best of her circumstances. In a way, her obsession with her craft is a means to compensate for her powerlessness to stop the brutality of the war. In this way, the Chaplain and Mother Courage misunderstand each other.

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And on that note, Mother Courage suggests she and the Chaplain part ways. The Chaplain leaves, and Mother Courage rushes off to sell her goods before prices fall as suggested by the Cook.

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Yvette comes back looking better than ever with a servant trailing behind her. She's married the Colonel's brother, and has inherited part of his fortune after his death. She recognizes the Cook as "Peter the Piper" from her past, and brags to him about her current status.

This is basically her attitude about the whole thing.

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The Only One Who Really Wins in This War

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The Only One Who Really Wins in This War

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Yvette is the only one who ends up better off at the end of the war. She uses her looks as payment for her profit. Peter the Piper who she initially desired is far past her, and she's gone farther than she could have possibly imagined.

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Eilif is escorted in by soldiers. He has been found guilty of plundering during peace time, an event that resulted in the death of a peasant's wife. He is taken away to be executed, and the Chaplain follows. It now seems inevitable that the fate foretold earlier in the story will come to pass. Furthermore, Mother Courage's involvement in the war is the very thing that destroys her own family.

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Mother Courage returns and reveals that the war isn't over after all. Mother Courage, Kattrin, and the Cook, gather themselves up, and it's back to business.

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Mother Courage goes back to selling goods to survive. Like the Cook and the Chaplain, the war will cost her everything in the end, even if it appears to be benefiting her now.