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By, Genesis Zimmermon

In this scene, I will attempt to show and interpret how Mother Courage tries her best to provide for her family and keep her children safe, although some may believe she does not do a good job.

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Scene One of Mother Courage begins with the Sergeant and Recruiting Officer recruiting soldiers.

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The Recruiting Officer begins to complain about how it is difficult to recruit from a town full of untrustworthy people.

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Music begins to play as Mother Courage and her three kids, Kattrin, Eillif, and Swiss Cheese, appear. Mother Courage, working to provide for her family, approaches the officers singing her sales pitch.

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The Sergeant tells Mother Courage that he needs to see her license. Mother Courage doesn't have one and she knows this yet looks through a pile of papers anyway.

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The Sergeant begins to ask Mother Courage about who she and her family is due to her not having a license. Mother Courage goes as far to explain the lineage of her family and that her children have different fathers in order to keep from getting into trouble by the officers.

I view this as an attempt by a mother to appeal to the officers emotions in order to not get into any trouble.

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The two officers begin to make fun of Mother Courage and her family situation. Because of this, Eilif becomes visibly upset, even threatening the officers. Mother Courage stops Eilif.

Although Eilif is essentially fighting for his mother's honor, Mother Courage recognizes that she does not want to put her children or herself in any amount of trouble.

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The Recruiting Officer gets back to his recruitment, recognizing Eilif. He tries to persuade Eilif to join the army. Mother Courage becomes angry.

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If Mother Courage knows anything about the war, she knows it is dangerous. She wants to keep her children as far away from it as possible.

Mother Courage draws a knife towards the officers, demanding they leave her son alone.

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Mother Courage sells products that the soldiers in the war would use, therefore essentially benefiting from the war.

Keeping her children from being apart of the war seems a bit ironic because they all are living off of it. Yet this is the sacrifice Mother Courage is taking in order to keep her family together and provided for.

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The Officers proceeds to let Mother Courage know that the war has done him no harm. Mother Courage disagrees.

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Mother Courage has a vision in which Eilif dies in the future. This is indeed why she does not believe the officers when they proclaim the war is harmless.

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To prove the officer wrong, Mother Courage shows him his fortune. The Sergeant chooses his fortune, death.

Trying to protect her family again, Mother Courage tries to persuade the officers in truly believing this war is dangerous.

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Ultimately, Eilif decides to join the war anyway.

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Mother Courage decides to draw the fortune for each of her children. Eilif will soon die because of his bravery.

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Although Mother Courage essentially failed to keep her children safe from the war, their fate was their fate.

Mother Courage did a host of things trying to keep her children safe and provided for.

1. She sold materials for the war (putting herself in danger) to keep her children fed.
2. She appealed to the officers emotions when they found out she did not have a license.
3. She stopped Eilif from trying to fight the officers on behalf of her honor.
4. She pulled a knife out on the officer when he tries to recruit Eilif.
5. She shows the officer that death is in his future.

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The scene ends with Eilif leaving with the Recruiting Officer for drinks. Mother Courages watches him leave, realizing at this point she has lost her child.