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There’s Never a True Happy Ending During a War

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There’s Never a True Happy Ending During a War

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At the end of the scene, audiences are sad, but not surprised, to learn that there is still someone left in the destroyed farmhouse. We’re sad because we know the person may not survive. We’re also sad because we know that the job is not done and that it’s so many other people that were harmed due to the war and cannot be saved. We’re not surprised because we know that there can never really be a true happy ending , especially if the war is still going on. Brecht ends the scene like this to show his audiences that there was no resolution and that they must take action in standing up against war, politics, and the unfair people who are in power. He wants his audiences to leave knowing the raw truth that happy endings don’t exist in a world where people don’t fight to change the unjust systems.

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Kattrin is rocking the baby and humming a lullaby after she saves the baby from the destroyed farm. Mother Courage mentions how Kattrin seems to remain happy throughout all of the misery of the war. Brecht adds this to show how some people handled the war, which was to smile through the pain; to keep pushing and keep going even though you have so many reasons to give up.

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While Kattrin is busy saving a baby, the child of the wounded woman, Mother Courage focuses on her linen that Chaplain is using. She mentions how expensive the linen is. Her quote does two things to readers or an audience watching the play. One, it allows us to see how she uses the war to make money, to see how she consistenlty worried about money, and to see how she felt about helping others. Two, it shows us how Mother Courage temporarily distracts herself from reality. Her only remaining child, Kattrin, is risking her life to save someone else. Mother Courage knows that if she loses Kattrin, then she will have no one left. She turns her attention to the expensive linen, while deep down inside she is hoping that Kattrin returns safely from the burned farmhouse.

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When the Family Turns Out to Be Catholics

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When the Family Turns Out to Be Catholics

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The soldiers who destroyed the city were part of the Catholic League. They destroyed the city and hurt many people, to show their hatred of Protestants. The wounded family that Chaplain and Kattrin try to help, turn out to be Catholics and, in this case, should have been left alone. To address this issue, the soldiers say that they can’t pick and choose who to harm, since they’re goal was basically to kill everyone in the city. This highlights some of the irony taking place during the war. It also highlights how cruel the world is and how cruel people were duing the war.

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The Family of Peasants as Their Farmhouse Burned Down

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The Family of Peasants as Their Farmhouse Burned Down

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The family remained in the area as things were burning down. When their religion is mentioned, Mother Courage basically says that it doesn’t matter if the family is Protestant or Catholic. She says that either way, their farm was set on fire and is now gone. The writer, Bertolt Brecht, uses Mother Courage to show us the big picture of the war: the difference in religions shouldn’t matter enough make people lose their property or things that mean a lot to them. Someone not sharing the same views or beliefs as you, does not give you a reason to go to war.

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Mother Courage, When She Tries To Keep Her Linen To Herself

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Mother Courage, When She Tries To Keep Her Linen To Herself

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Chaplain tries to help a family of peasants who had been wounded in a fire during the destruction of the city. He needs linen to help cover the wounds and to maybe help stop the blood from flowing everywhere. Mother Courage doesn’t want to share her linen, because she knows that she has to tear up shirts that she planned on selling to officers. The money she could make from selling the shirts, is more important to her than helping the family. Mother Courage seems careless of others, but the war has hardened her and caused her to only care about her daughter and money.

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When the Soldier Wants Some Brandy, But Can’t Pay For It

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When the Soldier Wants Some Brandy, But Can’t Pay For It

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Two soldiers want to get brandy from Mother Courage and Kattrin, but they can’t afford to pay for it. Mother Courage asks them directly do they have money. The soldiers have not been paid and Mother Courage knows that this is because of those who are in charge of the war and the battles. This gives us some insight into Mother Courage’s mind. She is very smart and knows how the system works.

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The Chief Being Greedy and Abusing His Power

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The Chief Being Greedy and Abusing His Power

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The Chief controls the actions of the soldiers. He also controls the money that is supposed to be paid to the soldiers. Instead of paying the soldiers for their work, he and others just go about celebrating the victory.

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Tilly’s Soldiers Dancing After Murdering And Wounding Many People 

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Tilly’s Soldiers Dancing After Murdering And Wounding Many People 

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The scene begins with victory marches of Tilly’s soldiers, celebrating what they had just done. The Imperial army set the Protestant city, Magdeburg, to flames, destroying the city and its residents. This event took place during the 30 Years’ War and is considered a war of religion: Protestants vs. Catholics.

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Interpreting Scene 5 of Mother Courage and Her Children

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Interpreting Scene 5 of Mother Courage and Her Children